Ang Mo Kio Planned Residential Area in Singapore

ChongBee suggests that if I want to really see how people in Singapore live, I should head up to the Ang Mo Kio district, a planned residential area in northeast Singapore.  There will be no tourists here and I can see the people of Singapore in their natural element.  I take the MRT eight stops from Dhoby Ghaut to the Ang Mio Ko station, exit, and wander.

Ang Mo Kio was developed in 1973, fully completed by 1980.  Originally a mixture of forests and swamps, the area was transformed into the eighth most populated residential community in Singapore, consisting of blocks of twelve-story and twenty-five story buildings, two main parks, and a commercial center.

 Ang Mo Kio metro station and food stand in the station

Lots of housing

My first impression is one of very-high-density housing and well-maintained paths and gardens.  As I walk further into the area, I see more and more of the housing, wide boulevards, and schools.

 Schools

Welcome to our town

 The proud story of our school

Across the street, Nanyang Polytechnic

Everything is here in a compact area, all I need to do is find the recreational facilities and the shops. They must be somewhere, I'll keep walking.  As I circle back above the Metro station, I find the Town Garden West, one of two main parks and a beautiful oasis in this urban setting.

 Town Garden West

People are walking the paths, sitting by the ponds, playing in the playground, and, my favorite, bringing their birds to the bird park for some air.

Bird park with a field of hooks for the cages

After the park, I head back toward the metro station and find the commercial area, with shops and restaurants, all together next to the station.

 The commercial area

It took a few hours to stroll around Ang Mo Kio, basically in a big circle around the Metro station, but it was quite interesting to see how Singapore built these self-contained communities to house their residents.  There are a lot of people here, with everything they need, but with also a lot of open space, parkland, and recreational facilities.