Is Great World Quietly Becoming the Place to Live in Central Singapore?

When you think about Singapore’s Core Central Region (CCR), you probably imagine the designer shops along Orchard, the sleek skyline of Marina Bay, or the quiet luxury of Tanglin. But tucked away along Kim Seng Road is the Great World area – a pocket of the CCR that feels distinctly more old school and grounded. 

This is in many ways one of the most unique parts of the CCR: few of us have friends or family who grew up in, say, the Marina Bay area, or the Shenton Road area. It’s possible, I suppose, but most of the CCR is high-end commercial neighbourhoods, and it lacks a certain “grassroots” quality. That’s what makes the Great World area quite different; and whether you’re a family looking for a new home or an investor, this makes a difference. As we’ve pointed out in other articles, this makes some parts of the CCR quicker or slower when it comes to property sales. 

The only real “kampung in the city”

Back in the 80s or 90s, you could still sometimes hear people refer to Great World as “the kampung in the city.” Unfortunately, they didn’t mean it in a positive way back then – Great World was considered a “cheap” way to live close to the CBD or Orchard, even though you could see the potential. 

Great World has this unique quality because long before it became a giant mall and MRT station, Great World was a family recreation area. In 1929, Great World Amusement Park was one of Singapore’s three great amusement parks, next to New World in Jalan Besar and Gay World (also known as Happy World) in Geylang. While it started out as carnival rides, cabarets, and cinemas, it became a natural spot for hawkers, shopkeepers, and workers who lived nearby to stay. 

Over the next few decades, it became the so-called “kampung in the city,” and the residential enclave stayed on even after the amusement park closed in ‘78.

That history is what sets Great World apart in Singapore’s Core Central Region (CCR). In contrast to Marina Bay’s skyscrapers, Orchard Road’s malls, or Tanglin’s high society, Great World has a grounded, grass-roots quality. It’s a corner of the CCR that grew up with its people, and it’s one of the rare city core neighbourhoods where you still see kids on bicycles and neighbours chatting at a hawker stall, instead of professionals in cafes. 

And yes, it is a bit less pretty than you’d expect a city core neighbourhood to be, but that’s part of the charm. 

A true socioeconomic melting pot from the start

The famous Bukit Ho Swee fire in 1961 also contributed to the Great World area, albeit unintentionally. 

Remember that Bukit Ho Swee is right next door to Great World? So following the great fire, the government built some of the earliest HDB rental flats near here, to help the newly homeless. This was just adjacent to Great World. 

Even as the CCR later gentrified, the presence of the Bukit Ho Swee and Kim Seng HDB flats meant Great World could maintain a mix of various socioeconomic backgrounds. To this day, you can walk out of Rivergate condo, and in five minutes, be in Bukit Ho Swee buying chwee kueh for $3 (five pieces). It’s rare in the CCR to find this kind of contrast.

The icon of this is the Zion Road Food Centre, which was around long before most of the surrounding condos were built. It was originally set up to rehouse street hawkers who operated along the Singapore River, Kim Seng, and Bukit Ho Swee areas, many of whom had been displaced after the 1961 fire; and it’s still a communal food spot today.

It’s things like Zion Riverside Food Centre that remind me why Great World is different. This is the only part of the CCR where I can find myself queuing next to an uncle who’s lived in Bukit Ho Swee since the 70s, and a professional couple who just moved into Riviere. 

Why this may be the best family area in the CCR

For many HDB upgraders headed to the CCR, Great World is the ideal spot if you don’t want to let go of heartland qualities. 

First, this is a CCR neighbourhood that has Primary school access. River Valley Primary School is one of the most sought-after schools in Singapore, and it’s within one kilometre of many of the condos around Great World. Even for parents of younger children, there are plenty of preschool and childcare options nearby: The Schoolhouse by Busy Bees, WondersWork, and the enrichment centres tucked right into Great World City itself.

Of course, it’s not just about schools.

Some of the most grounded CCR condo choices are here: Rivergate has large family-sized layouts and a rare freehold tenure. If you want something a little newer but still practical, Martin Modern and The Avenir are just across the river: both with spacious floor plans and full condo facilities. 

For something closer to Great World MRT, Riviere and Irwell Hill Residences are nearby; but I suppose the noteworthy ones this year will be the upcoming River Green and Promenade Peak (which would be 63 stories tall). Let’s not forget there are also further new projects in the form of the CDL and GuocoLand plots. 

And then there’s the lifestyle here, which really seals the deal if you’re raising kids, or just want to feel like you live in an actual neighbourhood.

I’ve already talked about the Zion Road Food Centre; but the food choices here really span the whole spectrum. 

Boomerang at Robertson Quay is a favourite for families on weekend mornings: big Western-style breakfasts, plenty of outdoor seating by the river, and nobody bats an eye at noisy kids. Down the same stretch, you’ve also got Kith Café, which has a cult following.

Otherwise, just walk a little farther into Tiong Bahru. It’s only about 10 to 15 minutes away, and the Tiong Bahru Market and Food Centre is here, which has one of the best chwee kueh stalls in Singapore (Jian Bo Shui Kueh⁠ around since 1958 and has a Michelin Bib Gourmand mention, I think.) 

It’s not perfect, of course. 

There are increasingly more places where you pay, well, CCR prices. The roads can feel dated in spots, and new construction is almost always happening somewhere. This caused quite a headache during the renovations of Great World City and the MRT construction in 2022, but much of it has since been resolved. And though quieter than Orchard, this can still be a noisy area, as it’s so central.

Kim Seng Road and River Valley Road can get congested, especially on weekday mornings and evenings, when people cut through toward Orchard or the CBD. School drop-off and pick-up near River Valley Primary also slows traffic for a short stretch. It’s not a full-blown gridlock, but if you’re driving, you do need to leave a bit earlier. 

Also, it’s not very polished for a city core area.  Some parts of the streetscape, particularly older HDB blocks, still have weathered sidewalks and dated shop fronts. Personally, I think it’s quite charming, but some may find it gritty. 

Oh, and like many river-adjacent areas in Singapore, it’s not uncommon to see the odd rat darting around the drains at night, or cockroaches near the hawker centre. I’m sure the NEA inspections keep things up to scratch, though.

The grounded view

We’re bringing all this up because, as you might have noticed from the many reviews we’ve done on Stacked, there’s been a wave of new launches in the CCR lately. Projects like Irwell Hill Residences, Riviere, and the upcoming River Green right on top of one of the entrances/exits to Great World MRT have really put this neighbourhood back on buyers’ radar, and some 14 out of the next 22 launches this year will be in the CCR. 

So yes, many exciting new launches. And if that gets you thinking of CCR properties, it’s worth taking the time to walk the ground, and see how the area really feels; especially for upgraders. Great World is, in all the best ways, the odd man in the CCR.