A Charming Neighborhood A Guide to Living in Yishun
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A Charming Neighborhood: A Guide to Living in Yishun

Singapore may be a small country, but it has plenty of wonderful neighborhoods. One neighborhood that’s on the lowkey side but is quite charming is Yishun, and you might want to make this your new home.

But what is it like to live in Yishun? And what about its strange reputation—does it hold some truth or is the neighborhood simply misunderstood?

To help you determine if Yishun is the neighborhood for you, we’ve written a guide. Here, you’ll learn all the important things about living in Yishun—the benefits, housing costs, and more.  

The Basics of Yishun

— From: johnsg100 

Just like the other areas in the North Region, Yishun was a major source of rubber. A prominent businessman, Lim Nee Soon, built rubber and pineapple plantations here, resulting in the neighborhood’s economic rise. 

Lim Nee Soon’s contributions to the neighborhood didn’t go unnoticed, so the place was actually named “Nee Soon” in honor of him. Over time, Nee Soon is changed to its hanyu pinyin, Yishun, and that name has stuck ever since. 

As Singapore grew more modern, Yishun gradually transformed. Now, the neighborhood has 10 sub-planning areas, namely: 

  • Khatib
  • Lower Seletar 
  • Northland
  • Nee Soon
  • Springleaf
  • Yishun Central
  • Yishun East
  • Yishun South
  • Yishun West
  • Yishun Link

Now, Yishun is home to hundreds of shops and restaurants as well as HDB flats and condo units. It’s become a fully-fledged residential town, with a population of over 220,000 people. 

Yishun and Its Bad Reputation

— From: tigergrapher 

If you’ve been doing research on Singapore’s various neighborhoods, there’s a likelihood that you’ve heard about Yishun’s bad reputation. 

Yishun is infamously known for many crimes, and some of them are strange. These crimes range from a series of cat killings to money-lending harassment to drug busts and brothel raids, and they’ve been constantly featured in the news.

Because of this, people now think that Yishun is Singapore’s version of Gotham City. Netflix’s hit supernatural show Stranger Things also featured Yishun in its promotional video in 2017, furthering its infamy.

Is Yishun really a bad neighborhood?

— From: lhysakatiandagho

No, Yishun isn’t as bad as you’re made to believe. It gets its bad rap from news outlets and social media sensationalizing the crimes here. 

Crimes do still happen here, but compared to other neighborhoods, it isn’t as horrible. In fact, Singstat proved that if you were to rank all areas in Singapore based on the number of crimes, Yishun would be in the middle.

Famous areas like Orchard and Marina Bay technically have a higher crime rate than Yishun.

What are the benefits of living in Yishun?

A Variety of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

A Variety of Small and Medium-Sized Businesses

Yishun is a self-sustaining town: it has countless businesses to serve all your needs. 

For starters, grocery shops and convenience stores are everywhere, making it easy to buy your everyday essentials. There are also various healthcare facilities—two hospitals and several polyclinics—for your medical needs.

The presence of several small and medium-sized businesses might also mean that you can get employed in Yishun. This is especially true if you work in the healthcare industry: the health sector is a main employment driver here.

If you’re new to the workforce, it’s possible to find entry-level jobs or part-time jobs in the businesses operating from HDB commercial spaces.

Well-Connected to Other Parts of Singapore

Well-Connected to Other Parts of Singapore

Yishun boasts an efficient public transportation system, but that should hardly be a surprise since a great transit system is present all over Singapore. 

Currently, Yishun has MRT stations, namely Yishun MRT Station, Khatib MRT Station, and Springleaf MRT Station. There’s also a bus interchange integrated with Northpoint City. 

If you own a car or any other vehicle, you can use the Central Expressway to reach Orchard Road or the Central Business District. The construction of new roads in Yishun should also ease the bottleneck issue during peak hours. 

Because of all this, getting around Yishun is a breeze, and so is traveling to other parts of Singapore. Local residents can reach faraway corners like Sengkang, Punggol, and Bukit Merah in just 30 minutes. 

Many Fun Things to Do in Your Spare Time

Many Fun Things to Do in Your Spare Time

When you live in Yishun, boredom will become a thing of the past because there are just many fun things to do here in your spare time. Here are a few examples of activities you can partake in whenever you’re free: 

  • Shopping. Yishun has three malls: Northpoint City, Junction Nine, and Wisteria Mall. So, retail therapy is within reach, and you can also treat yourself to delicious food since there are many restaurants here. 
  • Camping. In Yishun, you can find Ground-Up Initiative (GUI) Kampung Kampus, a place where you can camp with your family. There are also other fun activities, such as farming programs and craft workshops.
  • Hiking and jogging. If you like to get active, you can head to any of the parks in Yishun (e.g. Lower Seletar Reservoir and Yishun Pond Park) and find an exciting trail that you’d like to hike or jog on.
  • Going to the country club. Yishun doesn’t have a shortage of green spaces. Head to SAFRA Yishun Country Club or Orchid Country Club to enjoy a variety of activities, including swimming and rock climbing.

An Impressive Selection of Schools

An Impressive Selection of Schools

If you have a family, one important quality that a neighborhood should have is a great selection of schools. Luckily, Yishun possesses this very quality because you can find many schools here—from primary to tertiary!

There’s even an international school if you’re a foreigner. 

To get an idea of what educational institutions are in Yishun, here are some schools that you might want to enroll your child into.

Primary Schools 

— From: aespireaiss 

School Name Gender AddressContact Information
Chongfu SchoolCo-Ed170 Yishun Ave 6, Singapore 768959
  • Website: https://www.chongfu.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6758 5527
  • Huamin Primary SchoolCo-Ed21 Yishun Ave 11, Singapore 768857
  • Website: https://www.huaminpri.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6752 9004
  • Naval Base Primary SchoolCo-Ed7 Yishun Ave 4, Singapore 769028
  • Website: https://www.navalbasepri.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6753 7114
  • Northland Primary SchoolCo-Ed15 Yishun Ave 4, Singapore 769026
  • Website: https://www.northlandpri.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6759 8884
  • Yishun Primary SchoolCo-Ed500 Yishun Ring Rd, Singapore 768679
  • Website: https://www.yishunpri.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6257 7461
  • Secondary Schools

    — From: the_aiss_fire

    School Name Gender AddressContact Information
    Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary SchoolCo-Ed751 Yishun Ave 7, Singapore 768928
  • Website: ttps://www.ahmadibrahimsec.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6758 5384
  • Chung Cheng High SchoolCo-Ed11 Yishun Street 61, Singapore 768547
  • Website: https://www.chungchenghighyishun.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6758 3912
  • Naval Base Secondary SchoolCo-Ed901 Yishun Ring Rd, Singapore 768689
  • Website: https://www.navalbasesec.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6257 1996
  • Northland Secondary SchoolCo-Ed3 Yishun Street 22, Singapore 768578
  • Website: https://www.northlandsec.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6257 6781
  • Yishun Secondary SchoolCo-Ed4 Yishun Street 71, Singapore 768516
  • Website: https://www.yishunsec.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6876 7129
  • Tertiary Schools

    — From: layyeeleong

    School Name AddressContact Information
    Yishun Innova Junior College3 Yishun Ring Rd, Singapore 768675
  • Website: https://www.yijc.moe.edu.sg/
  • Contact Number: +65 6257 9873
  • Uptrend Business SchoolYishun Ave 5, Singapore 761701
  • Contact Number: +65 6753 1008
  • Kentrance International Pte Ltd156 Yishun Street 11, Singapore 760156
  • Contact Number: +65 6753 7480
  • International School

    — From: spring.edu.magazine

    Website: https://www.xwa.edu.sg/ 

    Address: 2 Yishun Street 42, Singapore 768039

    Contact Number: +65 6230 4230

    If you’re a foreigner, your choice of international school in Yishun is XCL World Academy. This school promises to offer a personalized and well-rounded education with three International Baccalaureate programs.

    Additionally, XCL World Academy provides students with extracurricular programs to help enhance their education. Your child can learn a new language, dabble in sports, hone their art skills, and more. 

    What are the disadvantages of living in Yishun?

    What are the disadvantages of living in Yishun

    Living in Yishun is mostly a positive experience, but there are still a few drawbacks. The main disadvantage of living in Yishun is that it’s far away from the city center. 

    Yishun’s location from the city center becomes a problem if your place of work is in the city center or if you like going to the center often. 

    How much is housing in Yishun?

    — From: trunksandtrees

    The cost of housing is relatively cheaper in Yishun, which is another reason why some people choose to reside in this neighborhood. 

    To get an idea of how much you might have to pay to live in Yishun—either by renting or buying your own property—refer to the table below:

    Property Type Estimated Rent (Per Month) Estimated Housing Price
    Studio/1-Bedroom S$800–1,650No data available
    2-BedroomS$3,000S$400,000
    3-Bedroom S$3,500 S$450,000–650,000
    4-bedroom S$4,500 S$700,000–850,000

    If you’re on a budget, you might want to narrow your search down to HDB properties because they tend to be cheaper. However, if you prefer the higher end, you might want to invest in a private apartment or condo instead.