District 05 is populated with many famous educational institutions, ranging from primary to tertiary institutes. The areas included in District 05 are Buona Vista, Dover, Pasir Panjang and West Coast.

Brief Introduction

Clementi is situated in the west between Jurong and Dover. The area is dominated by HDB apartment blocks around the Commonwealth Avenue West and Clementi MRT Station. However, landed properties are abundant especially in the West of the town. A proposed 40-storey complex in Clementi Central was announced in 2005 by HDB to be built on the existing bus interchange site. It will contain commercial and residential area, a public library and air-conditioned bus interchange. Named The Clementis, it is expected to be completed in 2010.

On the south of Clementi and east of Pasir Panjang lies West Coast, a part of Clementi New Town.

Pasir Panjang is part of Queenstown Planning Area which is an urban planning zone under the Urban Redevelopment Authority. Pasir Panjang Road starts at Alexandra Road and continues to Clementi Raod where it ends at West Coast Road. With the new construction of West Coast Highway, Pasir Panjang Road is no longer as busy as it used to be.

In the south of Ghim Moh and north of Kent Ridge is the small neighbourhood of Dover located in Queenstown. Dover is popular because of its strategic location in between the CBD and industrial zone in Jurong. Its main draw is the educational facilities it is home to. Geographically it is classified as part of the Queenstown Planning Area and it is just a walk away from Queenstown itself.

History

Clementi got its name from Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, the Governor of the Straits Settlement from 1887 to 1893. As an accomplished Chinese scholar, the governor imposed laws on the secret societies of Singapore.

Pasir Panjang road has undergone many rounds of development. There were some Malay kampung houses that were displaced from the Kallang Basin area in the 1930s, many of which have also since been demolished. There are also villas, apartment and condominiums, the famous Tiger Balm Gardens (now Haw Par Villa), The Haven (now the Salvation Army Pasir Panjang Corps) and Pasir Panjang Park. Pasir Panjang Park was built before World War II. It is situated between Pasir Panjang Road and past Pepys Road. There is a group of colonial houses from the 1920s era at the end of Pepys Road overlooking the sea. Alexandra Road connects Pasir Panjang Road to River Valley Road.

Formerly a British military and residential area, many road names in Dover are derived from English place names. These include “Folkstone” and “Maidstone” in Medway Park off Dover Road. The name “Dover” comes from the Celtic word “The Waters”. Medway Park is named after River Medway which is in the middle of Kent in England.

Amenities

Clementi has a large variety of shops and hawker stalls. Students can get affordable tertiary textbooks at the Clementi Bookshop in the Clementi Town Centre. During the first quarter of 2009, a 4-level shopping complex “CityVibe” was opened opposite the MRT station.

Near Pasir Panjang, there are 24-hour restaurants such as Fong Seng nasi lemak, Niqqi’s The Cheese Prata Shop and the takeaway food store, Ai-Takeaway. Students from National University of Singapore often frequent these late-night restaurants.

Security and order is assured as there is the Singapore Police ‘D’ Divisional Headquarters at Clementi Avenue 5. In addition, there is a fire station off Commonwealth Avenue West.

In the West Coast of Singapore, there stands West Coast Plaza, a neighbourhood shopping centre. It was known as Ginza Plaza in 1993 and was closed in 2007 for renovations. In November 2008, it was re-opened and renamed as West Coast Plaza. In the central area of West Coast, there is a HDB estate with a Neighbourhood Centre that comprises of a Market & Food Centre, shophouses, a temple as well as the West Coast Community Centre. Health-conscious people can exercise at Clementi Stadium, Clementi Swimming Complex and parks like West Coast Park and Clementi Woods. Children may also enjoy the varous playgrounds scattered all over the HDB estates.

As District 05 is an educational hub, here is a list of schools and colleges in the vicinity.

Schools in Dictrict 05

– Primary schools

• Fairfield Methodist Primary School

– Secondary schools

• Anglo-Chinese School (Independent)
• Fairfield Methodist Secondary School
• Nan Hua High School
• New Town Secondary School
• NUS High School of Mathematics and Science

– Higher institutions of learning

• National University of Singapore (NUS) (Kent Ridge)
• Singapore Polytechnic
• Anglo-Chinese Junior College
• ITE College West (Clementi Campus)
• ITE College West (Dover Campus)
• INSEAD

– International schools

• Dover Court Preparatory School
• Japanese Secondary School (Clementi)
• Norwegian Supplementary School
• United World College of South East Asia

– Other education institutions

• Ministry of Education (Singapore)

Transportation

The Clementi MRT Station and Dover MRT Station provide Mass Railway Transit Services to all destinations in Singapore.

source: http://www.iproperty.com.sg/resources/District.aspx?nid=05

Last modified: Jan 27, 2015 @ 12:14 am