Why William and his family chose Hougang

William Davies is originally from Kent, United Kingdom. He’s now a teacher at School of the Arts, Singapore. We talk to him about his choice of neighbourhood, and why this home in Singapore works for his family.

About Your Neighbourhood

What’s the name of your street? Hougang Street 21. My street name sounds like it could double as a bus stop or a prata stall – simple and honest!

If it’s in another language, what does it mean? I’ve learnt that Hougang is the Mandarin pronunciation of the Hokkien and Teochew term au kang, which means “the end of the river”. The name refers to the area being upstream of Sungai Serangoon, the river in question. We found out from a neighbour who has been living in the area since the 1960s that our small estate of eight blocks was once home to pig and chicken farms!

Fun fact: The Housing & Development Board (HDB) announced plans to build a new town in the Hougang area in 1979. The town was originally known as “Hou Kang”, but HDB renamed it “Hougang” in 1980 in support of the Government’s Speak Mandarin Campaign.

What’s a common myth or misconception about Hougang?  Despite being built in the 1980s, by Singapore standards, Hougang is considered an old estate, which means many people assume the residents are also old. In fact, there are families of all ages living here. My two-year-old daughter has already befriended a number of children in the area – several go to the same pre-school.

Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home? “Uncle/Aunty, going to Hougang Street 21, please! Turn right after McDonald’s.” (Another fun fact: Opened in 1984, this was the first McDonald’s outside the Singapore city centre.)

Closest MRT station? Kovan, on the North-East line.

How long have you lived here? Why here? My wife and I moved here at the end of 2017, so almost eight years now, and we have since had two children (now aged two and seven months). I drew up a wishlist when we were house-hunting that included my hopes for our future home. Firstly, I wanted to live somewhere with character, which could offer more than just anonymous concrete blocks and sterile shopping centres. Second, green spaces were important to me, so I wanted to be close to parks and park connectors and certainly did not want to have a flat overlooking a busy road. Of course, proximity to an MRT station was also important. All of these “modest demands” were based on my upbringing in Benenden, a small village in the heart of the Kent countryside.

Truth be told, my wife reviewed my list with the patience reserved for children and dreamers, and she promptly told me compromises would be needed. However, we agreed we were both hoping for a place with a touch of the “kampong” spirit – grounded and local in the way neighbours look out for one another. My wife came across the listing on PropertyGuru and we were immediately interested in the location, so went to view the property. We absolutely fell in love with the area as soon as we stepped out of Kovan MRT station. My wife can’t quite believe it, but somehow, all of my wish-list was met!

Hougang Highlights

When you walk out of your place, what’s the first thing you see? The most notable thing when you step out of our front door is how it does not feel at all like an HDB. This is partly because we are in a low-rise block, with just four levels, but also because across the road is a large cluster of landed homes. So, although our estate does have some taller blocks, none can be seen from our front door, and most visitors are struck by the lack of tall buildings and pleasant breeze.

What’s the closest store to your front door? A 7-Eleven or the bright neon sign outside my wife’s favourite foot reflexology place, Kings Footworks. Alternatively, a small food court may be the first thing you see if crossing at the bus stop – especially if looking for cheap Tiger beer!

We’re sure your neighbours are great, but is there anything you wouldn’t mind a little less of? Everybody is super friendly in our area, and our immediate neighbours are all fantastic. However, there are some on the estate who are just a bit too friendly and want to stop and comment on our children’s fair skin and how pretty they look (and sometimes even take a photo). It’s very noticeable that our children are being singled out, and I really don’t want them to grow up thinking they are different in any way.

What’s the unofficial uniform of your street? T-shirts, shorts and crocs.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street? Not exactly on the street itself but seeing an HDB unit with a giant inflatable hammer above the door was quite an eye opener! It was there during the election period to indicate the owners’ passionate support for The Workers Party. I have since realised our neighbourhood is strong opposition territory.

Things To Do Around Hougang Street 21

What are your three favourite places to eat or drink in the neighbourhood?

• As a family, we enjoy going to Alkove Bistro at Simon Plaza on weekend mornings for brunch. It has a Mediterranean feel to it, and the smoked salmon bagel has become my new favourite breakfast. My wife likes the muffins with otah and egg, and our two-year-old daughter Shreya is partial to the scrambled eggs and delicious croissants.
• We also like Tom’s Palette, a void deck café on our street that serves house-made ice cream and waffles.
• Buddy Hoagies, just outside Heartland Mall, does some tasty Western mains like the steak, salmon and rosti. It also has affordable beers – I always get a beer bucket with friends!
• I’m going to be cheeky and add a fourth location – the fantastic Kovan Market and Hawker Centre which has excellent hawker treats including the original Simon Road Hokkien Mee stall.

Where are the best places to shop in the Hougang/Kovan area? The Helping Hand is a halfway house with a Christian mission to help ex-offenders. We have purchased beautifully handcrafted teak furniture from them at affordable prices. They also offer moving services and now include a café/bakery at their premises.

The Kovan Wet Market on our street has an array of different stalls, from Indian spices to florists, clothes, shoes and jewellery.

What are some fun or interesting things to do in the neighbourhood? Our street has so much to offer! The Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club has hosted interesting classes – a friend of ours signed up to a pottery class there. The Kovan Sports Centre hosts futsal games – the Real Madrid Foundation Football and Basketball School in Singapore conducts training for kids/youth six days a week there. We have a large bowling centre called Forte Bowl, and there is Mutts & Mittens Active daycare for dogs, with its own swimming pool that’s open to the public. We’ve been to a dog party there – complete with a live station offering sausage fry-ups for dogs, and dog “beer”.

What’s one thing you’d never change? Our neighbours, many of whom have become like family to us. Everyone in our block is always helping one another, and we have parties, dinners and brunches with a few of them.

How about one thing you would change? While we’re fortunate to have three lovely parks within a short walk of our home, living in an HDB means we don’t get to enjoy any condo-style facilities. Upgrading the playgrounds, installing barbecue pits and perhaps even a water play park would be fantastic.

If the city gave you a million dollars to soup up your street, how would you use it? It would be great to have a community swimming pool. In fact, there is space because a new Community Centre is currently being built next to the MRT – and the site of the existing community centre would be perfect for a pool!

Things to Do in Singapore

What are your favourite Singapore spots for taking out-of-town guests? I like taking visitors to places that are different from what most tourists imagine Singapore to be. One is Pulau Ubin, which is like visiting Singapore in the 70s/80s. Another is the Sungei Buloh Wetland Reserve, which has a gorgeous walk. We like to stop at iconic Bollywood Farms in the Kranji Countryside on the way home – it’s a pesticide-free farm with homegrown produce and a bistro that serves up delicious fare using the cultivated vegetables and fruits – we love their chocolate banana bread!

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, where do you go? Indian restaurant MTR on Serangoon Road has the best dosas in my view. It’s always bustling with families and is directly opposite the Sri Srinivasa Perumal Temple, which means that I see lots of people in beautiful traditional attire and can enjoy the festive lights during Pongal and Deepavali.

My family and I also really enjoy walking along Joo Chiat, with its eclectic range of shops in colourful and ornate shophouses, a few of which sell distinctly Peranakan clothes, souvenirs and snacks.

If you’re missing home, what do you do? Go out for some classic British food and beer. Little Island Brewing Company in Changi Village does excellent Sunday roasts. I also love The British Club, which I recently joined. It’s a great place for not just British food and drink, but also a quiet place to escape and relax, to such an extent that I could easily forget I’m in Singapore.

Do you love your neighbourhood?

Share it with others – 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 first appeared in the January 2026 Expat Living magazine. You can buy the latest issue or an annual subscription or read the digital version free now.

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