ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF LIVING IN POTONG PASIR~

Potong Pasir is an area located between Toa Payoh and Sennett Estate in the Central Region of Singapore. It is also under the leadership of the opposition party. It is obvious that this small cosy town has its own pros and cons. Potong Pasir has become my second home ever since the start of my school life in St Andrews Junior School and now that I have gone to the Secondary school it has been 15 years. Seeing the place about five times a week I only have one word for it, ‘Home’. Hence, without further ado, I will proceed to the advantages and disadvantages of living in Potong Pasir.

Living in Potong Pasir has several benefits reaped. Firstly, it is a rather convenient place to stay, as a train station is situated near to the estate, therefore residents can use the train to get to other places across Singapore in a few minutes.
 Apart from that, living here has another perk, which is none other than the St Andrews Village. It contains three separate cohorts of students in different education levels - primary, secondary and the junior college. Therefore this attracts several residents to send their sons there where they can enjoy affiliations when they decide to continue their education in St Andrews.
 Students and residents can also enjoy a wide variety of food after their school or work in Potong Pasir, such as fast food restaurants like Mac Donalds and a KFC. They are many nearby old coffee shops selling many authentic cuisines at reasonable prices.
 There are also places of worship in Potong Pasir for several religions, the Hindu Temple a Mosque and even a church of ascension in the school village itself. The Potong Pasir community club is where residents and students mostly do exercise and recreational activities it has a dance studio, archery classes and a childcare centre. Facilities in the club like a street soccer court and basketball court are available for residents to spend their leisure time there.
Finally, there are also several clinics if residents tend to fall ill and even a Chinese herbal shop for them who take herbs instead of consulting the doctor as it is definitely more expensive.

Sad to say, there are a few detriments, like in every other estate. The roads of Potong Pasir can be improved if they are wider, as they frequently cause morning jams among the cars of working residents and parents dropping their children off to school.
 It also lacks hygiene level among the old coffee shops, hence, is a threat to students and residents that have their meals after school or work.
 It also applies on the old shop houses that have not been given a fresh layer of paint or not torn down. Potong Pasir also lacks modern housing, thus, the standard of living is low. As a result, fewer buyers would choose to live in Potong Pasir.
Despite the disadvantages, Potong Pasir is my ideal estate of living in my opinion. This region truly portrays the necessities of living, namely - convenience, facilities, and an education hub. Furthermore, the benefits I have raised definitely have outweighed the detriments in this small city.

Name: Colin Chua (6)

Class:3ST