From old quarry to housing estate, laid-back Potong Pasir is packed with picturesque sights and hidden experiences that Singaporeans who don’t live there may not know about
Potong Pasir, in the shadow of its more flashy neighbours such as Kovan and the Serangoon estates, is a nondescript town seemingly frozen in the halcyon days of the ‘80s when the housing estate was built.
Potong Pasir, meaning “cut sand” in Malay, is often overlooked. The area used to be a sand quarry surrounded by kampong in the early days. After decades of growth, it is today known as a unique Singaporean town — that isn’t home to a shopping mall.
Despite the apparent lack of ultra-modern facilities, there are several picturesque sights or more hidden experiences in and around Potong Pasir that you can find.
The sloping government flats are an icon of Potong Pasir, with the main building being Blk 142 — same as the number of the bus that services the estate. (Photo: Pamela Chow)
1. View the unique sloping blocks
One iconic feature of Potong Pasir is the sloping roofs on some of the public housing blocks here. It’s uncommon to find such a unique-looking feature, especially on more modern Housing Development Board (HDB) flats in Singapore’s heartlands.
Look out for these special blocks of flats, which can be easily spotted once you enter Potong Pasir estate. One of them, block 142, rises up from the centre of the town, sporting a giant mural that greets visitors, “Welcome to
Potong Pasir”.
For photography enthusiasts who’d like to snap these sloping blocks, go to the 10th storey of an opposite flat and you can capture more than one in frame.
Blk 142, Potong Pasir Ave 3
ADVERTISEMENTS