Guide to Pasir Ris

Looking to move to a new neighbourhood? Nothing would be better than to hear from the residents themselves. We speak to UK expat Rob White, partner at St James’s Place Wealth Management, about the ins and outs of living in Pasir Ris.

The Specifics

What street do you live on?
Flora Drive.

Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home?
“Flora Drive, Loyang.”

What’s the name of your neighbourhood?
Pasir Ris.

How long have you lived here?
One year.

Why here?
It’s close to a great park for the kids and lots of eating places, and because I travel for work – it’s only 10 minutes from Changi Airport!

The Scene

When you walk out of your place, the first thing you see is:
A construction site. It’s due to finish this year, so fingers crossed it will change into something more aesthetically pleasing.

The closest store to your front door is:
The condo’s convenient grocery store.

Your street would make the perfect backdrop for a remake of:
A modern day Oliver! With all the references to flowers it would make a great backdrop back to the song “Who Will Buy?”

Your neighbours are great, but you wouldn’t mind a little less:
Traffic; Flora Drive is quite a narrow road, and passenger cars combined with construction vehicles make it a little hazardous at times.

The unofficial uniform of your street is:
Polo tops and lightweight trousers.

Which celebrity would be most likely to move in next door, and why?
David Beckham, as he’s always travelling and we are a stone’s throw from Changi! He could travel in and out of the airport for all his celebrity commitments.

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, you:
Go for lunch at the hawker centre up the road.

If you’re missing home, you:
Sit on the balcony with my iPad and put on the UK radio station BBC Radio 4. I used to tune into Radio 1, but I’m 40 next year so the former is more suitable!

A mandatory stop for out-of-town guests is:
Changi Village for great food and for people-watching.

You’d swap houses in a second with:
The condo next door, as it has two running tracks, an indoor badminton court and a climbing wall at the back – pretty cool.

A common myth about your neighbourhood is:
That it’s inaccessible. Not true! There are plenty of shuttle buses, a great bus route to Pasir Ris MRT station and, of course, taxis galore.

If you’re ever woken up at night, it’s almost always due to:
Traffic noise. A major road, the Tampines Expresway (TPE), is at the back of the condo.

The Superlatives

Your hands-down favourite neighbourhood joints are:
Lots Gourmet, great for Western and local food. Changi Village for people-watching and drinking beer at the superb Little Island Brewing Company. Downtown East, handy for our kids who enjoy the bowling, the amazing water park and good value food. Pasir Ris Park – whether it’s for cycling, running or inline skating, this is exercise heaven!

You won’t find better local food than at:
Changi Village; it has a huge selection. We love a good bargain.

The best deals in your neighbourhood are at:
The outlet shops at Changi City Point. It’s just up the road and has some bargain sportswear.

The guiltiest pleasure in your area is:
Frozen yoghurt at Tampines Mall – I never used to be a fan, but my wife has converted me.

One thing you’d never change is:
The slower pace of life on the East Coast.

But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing go is:
The ceaseless construction!

This article first featured in the June 2016 issue of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy for the full article, or Subscribe now so you never miss an issue!

We have a whole heap of Neighbourhood Guides to help you get to know your hood, or if you are thinking of moving! Or check out more about Living in Singapore.