Move aside Easties and Westies – Yishun is in its main character era! Join us as we explore the town’s cool hangouts and meet a new Yishun resident who’s just moved into her first home.
Once known for its pineapple and rubber plantations, Yishun’s evolution into a vibrant and modern town has been decades in the making since its urbanisation started in the 1970s.
Take Northpoint City for example. One of Singapore’s first suburban malls from the 90s, it has now transformed into an integrated hub with numerous dining and retail outlets, a bus interchange, and even a Community Centre – all as part of the Remaking Our Heartland Programme to revitalise the town centre.
Northpoint City is an integrated hub that houses everything under one roof
Chill Green Spaces
With 16 parks and green spaces, Yishun is serious about its greenery and zen vibes. A few minutes from the busy town hub, you can unwind at Slow Bakes cafe an airy and spacious hideout overlooking the serene Yishun Pond Park.
Work from cafe with a view of Yishun Pond Park at Slow Bakes cafe
Inspired by the butterfly’s lifecycle, the park’s cocoon-shaped lookout tower offers panoramic views.
Enjoy a panoramic view of Yishun’s unique blend of nature and urban charm
You can also cycle down to Rower’s Bay, located at the intersection of Yishun Avenue 1 and Seletar West Link. A scenic spot on the Round Island Route (RIR), it’s the place to soak in the sunset at the lookout pavilion overlooking the wetlands.
Rower’s Bay: A picturesque spot for cyclists and nature lovers to pause and rejuvenate
One resident who has been soaking in these sights is Laila Badriyah, who recently called Yishun home.
The Yishun Life Chose Us – Meet Laila Badriyah, Yishun’s New Resident
Tell us more about yourself and why you started your home Instagram account.
Laila and Hilal say hello from WumahWishun! We’ve been married for almost 3 years, and we’re DINKS (dual-income with no kids). We moved into our current house a year ago! Unlike home accounts focusing on renovation journeys, we wanted to document our random finds. We love to thrift and shop on Carousell, finding treasures for our home.
Why did you choose Yishun to build your new home?
When we got married during the pandemic, it was quite competitive to get a BTO, so we stayed at my mum’s place in Teban Gardens first. Our priority was to get a flat within our budget. Location wasn’t a key factor. Our first few attempts at applying for a flat weren’t successful. When this Yishun project was offered in a sales launch, we thought there was no harm trying, and to our surprise, we got it! So, we didn’t choose Yishun, but Yishun chose us.
What has surprised you the most about Yishun?
It’s not what social media portrayed it to be! Having lived in Teban Gardens and Serangoon for most of our lives before we got married, moving to a different estate was refreshing. We’ve been pleasantly surprised to discover that Yishun has many interesting spots. I never knew about the café overlooking Yishun Pond Park at Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre or the water play area at The Oasis Waterpark @ Nee Soon!
New town, no problem. Laila and Hilal find joy in discovering new places in their new hometown.
Photo Credit: Laila Badriyah
Which spot or activity in Yishun is your go-to for a quick mood lift?
Shopping at Junction Nine is a quick de-stress activity for me. The mall has an interesting layout with many pasar malam-ish booths on the first floor that sells random things from old school hardware items to traditional keropoks. I like that it’s eclectic!
As we can both get quite busy with our jobs, our grocery runs are also our form of exercise!
Tell us which dish/food item is Yishun’s best-kept secret.
Shahana Teh Tarik at Yishun Park Hawker Centre has the best teh we’ve tasted! We’re both coffee and teh people, so we’ve had a lot of them to compare haha!
Laila describes her taste in décor as simple but eccentric
Photo Credit: @wumahwishun
Lastly, if there’s one (or a few) emoji(s) to describe Yishun, what would it be?
🤩😌 Despite the occasional reports about quirky happenings in Yishun, this town never bores us with all its surprises and hidden treasures (🤩 (😌)!
