Bukit Timah /ˈbʊkɪt ˌtiːmɑː/, often abbreviated as Bt Timah, is a planning area and residential estate located in the westernmost part of the Central Region of Singapore. Bukit Timah lies roughly 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from the Central Business District, bordering the Central Water Catchment to the north, Bukit Panjang to the northwest, Queenstown to the south, Tanglin to the southeast, Clementi to the southwest, Novena to the east and Bukit Batok to the west.
Owing to its prime location, Bukit Timah has some of the densest clusters of luxury condominiums and landed property in the city, with very few public housing.
The last identification of the area was on the 1828 map by Frankin and Jackson and was noted as Bukit Timah.[4] As the interior of Singapore was not fully explored, it is likely the name came from the Malays.[4]
In Malay, Bukit Timah meant Tin bearing hill.[4] The original Malay name was Bukit Temak, meaning "hill of the temak trees" as the temak trees were abundant in the area.[4][5] It was possible that the British in Singapore had mispronounced or misheard and became Bukit Timah.[4]
Bukit Timah Road, was completed in 1843 to provide a link to the highest point of Singapore, the Bukit Timah Hill. The road was then extended northwards to Kranji in 1845, making it one of the earliest roads connecting the north to the south.[6]
The Bukit Timah railway station (BRTS) was one of the five Singapore-Kranji railway stations opened in 1905, the first railway of Singapore. BRTS was decommissioned in July 2011 together with Tanjong Pagar railway station. Sections of the former railway station have been repurposed as a community space, and is now part of the Rail Corridor. [7]
Bukit Timah was a major battleground during the final stages of the Japanese Invasion in 1942, where the Battle of Bukit Timah was fought. The battle resulted in the fall of Bukit Timah to the Japanese as British had failed to repel the invaders from the area.
Beauty World was formerly named Tai Tong Ah Sai Kai which was founded as an amusement park during the Japanese Occupation. Following the end of occupation, Tai Tong Ah Sai Kai was renamed Beauty World in 1947 and reopened as a market. After being badly damaged by series of fires in the 1970s, Beauty World was acquired by the government and was redeveloped as a shopping centre, which opened in 1984.[8]
The Bukit Timah area is a particularly prominent location with high land value.
The Bukit Timah Race Course, a thoroughbred horse racing facility, was opened in 1933 and operated until 1999. The land has since been renovated, and is currently home to The Grandstand, which hosts several food outlets, childcare services and a Giant supermarket.[9]
The nearby area hosts many bungalows, typically expensive in land-scarce Singapore, as well as high rise condominiums. Many expatriates and well-heeled Singaporeans live in this region. Its main attractions include popular eateries at Sixth Avenue, as well as Turf City.
This region was later extended and Upper Bukit Timah (District 21) was formed.
There are 7 MRT stations within the planning area, spanning 2 lines, the Downtown Line and Circle Line. Stage 2 of the Downtown MRT line train service started on 27 December 2015 and parallels the Bukit Timah Road. It connects Bukit Panjang in the North-Western edge of Bukit Timah to the city centre in the South. Both lines have an interchange station at Botanic Gardens MRT station. The 6 other stations are:
Bukit Timah is known to having many international schools in the region, due to the high number of expatriates and immigrants living in this region.
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