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Toa Payoh ( or , , ) is a planning area and residential town located in the northern part of the Central Region of Singapore. Toa Payoh planning area borders Bishan and Serangoon to the north, the Central Water Catchment to the northwest, Kallang to the south, Geylang to the southeast, Novena to the west and Hougang to the east. Toa Payoh New Town is situated in the western portion of the Toa Payoh planning area. The latter occupies a much larger area, encompassing estates such as Potong Pasir and Bidadari.
Toa Payoh planning area consists of 12 subzones: Bidadari, Boon Teck, Braddell, Joo Seng, Kim Keat, Lorong 8 Toa Payoh, Pei Chun, Potong Pasir, Sennett, Toa Payoh Central, Toa Payoh West and Woodleigh.
Toa Payoh's old Chinese name, was known as Ang Chiang San (alternatively An Xiang Shan) or "burial hill". The area was called as such because of the presence of an old cemetery located in the area.
John Turnbull Thomson, a government Surveying, refers to Toa Payoh in his 1849 agricultural report as Toah Pyoh Lye and Toah Pyoh.
Unique to housing estates in Singapore, roads in Toa Payoh are given Malay-language street suffix, (e.g. "Jalan Toa Payoh", "Lorong Satu Toa Payoh") as when the town was conceived, Singapore was a state of Malaysia.
The squatters started moving out in 1962 as a result of increased compensation rates and other practical inducements offered by the Government. Clearance work was able to commence and the redevelopment started in early 1964.
Toa Payoh New Town is Singapore's second oldest satellite town and the first to be built by the Housing and Development Board after the development of Queenstown by the Singapore Improvement Trust in the late 1950s. Before its time as a residential town, Toa Payoh was a squatter district, with a prominent agricultural heritage in the area.[1] National Heritage Board. Toa Payoh Heritage Trail
Throughout the 1960s up till the beginning of the 1980s, the town, much like Geylang today, was infamous for its vice, being home to some of Singapore's largest crime syndicates and gangs. Notable cases such as the Toa Payoh ritual murders of 1981, in which people were murdered and stuffed into barrels, brought the town widespread attention. As such, Toa Payoh has also been coined by the media as the "Chicago of the East" and the "Chicago of Singapore".
Elizabeth II visited Toa Payoh in 1972 (Block 53 Lorong 5 Toa Payoh) and 2006 (Block 7, Toa Payoh).
Industrial developments were also built within the town to provide residents with job opportunities close to home while schools were built within the neighbourhoods.
Nevertheless, with time, the Toa Payoh Town Centre has become increasingly popular. It has a busy atmosphere because, as with many shopping malls of the time, all commercial activities are concentrated along a single mall with high point blocks on either side and major department stores at each end. The shopping mall is actually L-shaped and there are two plazas, one with a branch library and cinema, the other with an area office and a post office. Each plaza has a department store at either end.
The commercial development, HDB Hub, located at the Toa Payoh Town Centre was completed in 2002. The Housing and Development Board relocated its headquarters from its premises at Bukit Merah to the HDB Hub on 10 June 2002. The HDB Hub comprises two wings, an atrium, four commercial building blocks, a leisure and learning centre and a three-storey basement parking lot. The building also accommodates Singapore's first fully air-conditioned Toa Payoh Bus Interchange and integrates it with the existing Toa Payoh MRT station.
Another landmark of Toa Payoh is the facility of Royal Philips Electronics (the Dutch multinational making medical and electronics equipment). Philips established an extensive facility, parts of which are now owned by Jabil and NXP. The facility has been used by Philips for developing, amongst others, televisions and DVD players for years.
An interesting landmark in Toa Payoh Central is a small tree shrine known as Ci Ern Ge Temple. This shrine goes back to the kampong days before the town was set up. It is currently managed by Toa Payoh Central Merchants’ Association (TPCMA).
The town garden used to be popular with visitors who came from near and far to enjoy the display of willows, bamboos and the brilliant reds and yellows of the Delonix regia trees. At the heart of the garden is a 0.8 ha carp pond which contains a waterfall and a cluster of islands linked by bridges. The islands are arranged to provide a sequence of delightful walking experiences not only by day but also by night when the garden is lit. The garden is buffered from the noise and night-time glare of passing traffic along Jalan Toa Payoh by an elevated slope planted with thick rows of Angsanas. There are also a children's playground, seating areas and outdoor chessboard, a tea kiosk and a 27-metre high viewing tower.
Toa Payoh Town Park was partially closed in 1999 to make way for a temporary bus interchange. After the new Toa Payoh Bus Interchange at the HDB Hub was completed in June 2002, the temporary bus interchange was converted to a landscaped park. Toa Payoh Town Garden was subsequently renamed as Toa Payoh Town Park.
Besides these facilities located in the centre of the town, there are also street football courts, gym facilities and basketball courts available at various neighbourhoods of Toa Payoh. Meanwhile, SAFRA clubhouse is located besides Toa Payoh Stadium.
The section which is part of Bishan-Toa Payoh GRC is divided into three divisions — Toa Payoh Central, Toa Payoh East and Toa Payoh West-Thomson, which MPs are Cai Yinzhou, Saktiandi Supaat and Chee Hong Tat, respectively. The other members of parliament are Alex Yeo and Diana Pang. All five aforementioned MPs are from the People's Action Party.
Bartley Primary School and Elling Primary School were closed and demolished, Cedar Boys with Cedar Girls Primary School were merged to Cedar Primary School.
When MacPherson Primary School also closed and demolished, MacPherson Primary School and students will joined Cedar Primary School in 2019. Cedar Primary School will simply began to build new annex block B, New annex block B completed construction in 2019.
Toa Payoh planning area is bordered by Braddell Road to the northwest, Bartley Road to the northeast, Upper Paya Lebar Road to the east, the Pan Island Expressway (PIE) to the south, and Thomson Road to the west. The Central Expressway (CTE) also runs through the median of the planning area, separating the central neighbourhood from Potong Pasir.
The under-planning Seletar Line will also run through the planning area. Details on station(s) alignment are yet to be finalised.
Another of cycling paths are being built in phases since 2024 in the eastern subzones of Woodleigh, Potong Pasir, Bidadari, Sennett and Joo Seng, which will be completed by 2030. The first phase, involving of cycling paths, will be completed by end-2025.
A planned PC running along the southern edge of Toa Payoh New Town towards Caldecott MRT station will connect the town to MacRitchie Reservoir.
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