Living in the Binjai Park neighbourhood

NOK MCKINNON is originally from Thailand and now works as a property agent in Singapore. Here, we ask her about her neighbourhood of Binjai Park – what she likes about the area and the places she likes to go in Singapore.

About your neighbourhood

What’s the name of your street? Jalan Kampong Chantek.

If it’s in another language, what does it mean? It’s Malay for “pretty village road”.

What’s a common myth or misconception about the neighbourhood? When we tell others that we’re in Binjai Park, they all assume that we live in a big house. We’re actually in a small cluster housing project located at the end of the road.

Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home? “Please drive along the road, pass all the big houses until you see a small condo on the left.”

Closest MRT station? King Albert Park (blue Downtown Line).

How long have you lived in Binjai Park? Why here? We’ve been here over 20 years. We love the community, and the space is great for growing a family too. We moved here prior to having our three children and now they are all adults and about to spread their wings to university; there’s a shuttle bus that takes them to and from the MRT. Also, we have easy access to natural parks just by walking out of the complex.

In our Binjai Crest condo, there is a playground, a kids’ playroom (great when they were in kindergarten), a communal study room when they need to get away from our busy household, and more facilities. We haven’t felt cramped in the house, and the stairs have kept us fit. Our cats lived to 18 and 21 years here!

Condo fact file

Name of your condo: Binjai Crest
Facilities: Pool, tennis court, basketball court, kids’ playroom, outdoor playground, study room, barbecue pits
Size: Our apartment is 3,778 square feet
New or old: Old!
Closest supermarket: It’s a short walk to the FairPrice Finest at Dunearn Village.
Community vibe: Family-friendly. Each unit has five bedrooms, so the majority of residents are families with children

Binjai Crest highlights

When you walk out of your place, what’s the first thing you see? Greenery.

What’s the closest store to your front door? FairPrice Express.

We’re sure your neighbours are great, but is there anything you wouldn’t mind a little less of? Monkeys! We have a Binjai Crest WhatsApp group and a lot of times we get warnings about monkeys. They are just too comfortable to help themselves to our kitchen.

What’s the unofficial uniform of your street? School uniforms. There are a lot of students walking or biking in and out of the street, to Chatsworth International School, the Korean International School, Holland International School and the Swiss School.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen in your neighbourhood? Along our street, there is a glasshouse with a statue of a gorilla holding a flashlight.

Things to do around Binjai Crest

What are your three favourite places to eat or drink in the neighbourhood? Chicken rice at the Binjai Park coffee shop, Ivins Peranakan Restaurant, and the bars and coffee shops across the road on the Bukit Timah side.

What are the best places to shop near you? Bukit Timah Plaza has everything you need – there’s a good FairPrice Finest, barbers and a great local bakery. The newly opened Dunearn Village is also great, with schools, supermarkets, Pilates classes and more.

What are some fun or interesting things to do near Binjai Park? There are nature parks and reserves on the doorstep, so you can explore them without having to get in a car.

The Binjai Park and Swiss Club community always have something special on, especially during Halloween. The annual Oktoberfest at the Swiss Club is very popular too.

What’s one thing you’d never change? How the community members are very helpful and sharing. If anyone needs to borrow something, we always help each other out.

How about one thing you would change? Have easier access to public transportation. We do have a shuttle running, which is really helpful, but more would always be good.

If the city gave you a million dollars to soup up your street, how would you use it? Put the MRT station next to the complex!

Things to do in Singapore

What are your favourite Singapore spots for taking out-of-town guests? The Marina Bay area. Every time we go there, we just feel like we’re on holiday.

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, where do you go? Visit all the different ethnic enclaves in Singapore, like Chinatown and the Arab Quarter, and also go to a museum or take up some free tours.

If you’re missing home, what do you do? Go to a Thai restaurant! Aperia Mall in Kallang has Thai grocery shops and some nice Thai restaurants.

Fact File: About Binjai

In Singapore, the word “Binjai” that appears in the name of Nok’s condo, Binjai Crest, and in the neighbourhood name, Binjai Park, refers to the Mangifera caesia. This is a native fruit tree related to the mango, which produces pale-brown, rough-skinned fruit that has an aromatic, white flesh inside. In the past, the fruit was typically used as an ingredient in sambal or rojak, in a similar way that tamarind is used. Binjai trees can grow up to around 40 metres in height (there is a 36-metre specimen in the grounds of the Istana), but they are rare; one report says there are only around 50 left on the island – four of these are included in Singapore’s list of Heritage Trees.

How to feature in our Street Talk section:

Do you love your neighbourhood? If so, share it with our readers – just email us at contribute@expatliving.sg with “Street Talk” in the subject line. Include your name and street, and we’ll be in touch.

This article on Binjai Park first appeared in the February 2026 issue of Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest issue or an annual subscription, or read the digital version for free now.

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