Kovan

Kovan is a neighbourhood located within the town of Hougang. The neighbourhood today largely consists of private housing properties, where the majority of the residents live in terrace homes, semi-detached houses, and bungalows. As for condominium developments, one of the latest is the Stars of Kovan, a luxury development that comes with 46 retail shops and eateries. Among the numerous amenities this neighbourhood possesses include the Kovan Heartland Mall, Kovan City, Kovan Hub, Kovan Market and Food Centre, Kovan Sports Centre, and Paya Lebar Kovan Community Club.

Public transport and amenities in Kovan

As part of Hougang, Kovan is situated east of Serangoon, in the North-East Region of Singapore. As a relatively small suburb, Kovan's boundaries are relatively unclear. The Urban Redevelopment Authority defines its boundaries as Hougang Avenue 2 to the north, Yio Chu Kang Road to the west, southwest and south and Upper Serangoon Road to the east. However, in reality, numerous Kovan amenities are on the other side of the Upper Serangoon Road outside the above boundary.

Stay - Kovan

Kovan may not have the ‘bells and whistles’ like nearby Serangoon and Punggol, but that also makes property prices in Kovan that much cheaper. There are plenty of luxurious property options for Kovan residents to choose from and upgrade to. Choose from condominiums, semi-detached, terrace, and bungalow freehold landed developments. 

The main type of housing in Kovan itself are landed homes. Kovan also has fewer HDB flats in comparison to neighbouring towns, reducing human congestion and adding to the hipster neighbourhood feels. It is definitely cheaper to own a public flat in Kovan without sacrificing comfort and accessibility.

If you are looking for condominium units, 99.co recommends you try Kovan Melody and Kovan Residences that are both on the main road, directly opposite Kovan MRT station. Recently completed is the Stars of Kovan, which is at the corner of Upper Serangoon Road and Tampines Road. British-inspired mixed residential development Stars of Kovan ups the stakes for luxurious living spaces in Kovan. The ground level of the condominium also comes with 46 retail shops and eateries.

Shop - Kovan

For decades, Kovan residents had to contend for the Heartland Mall, while their Serangoon counterparts were given one of Singapore’s largest suburban shopping malls, NEX. In spite of this, the humble mall has met the needs of Kovan residents with Sakae Sushi, Xin Wang HK Cafe, Cold Storage, Popular Bookstore, and many other shops through the years. Every Y-Gen adult will fondly remember buying bubble tea at Cup Walker too. With the arrival of the Stars of Kovan, residents will be well-rewarded for their decades-long wait. The condominium comes with 46 British-inspired commercial retail shops, giving residents more shopping options.

Eats and Drinks - Kovan

Every resident living along the Northeast line knows that Kovan has some of the best hawker delights. The Kovan Market and Food Centre which is located just behind Heartland Mall is known for serving affordable, far-above-average local food. Expect long queues at the food stalls Yam Mee Teochew Fishball Mee, Fa Ji Minced Meat Fishball Noodles, and 51 Mingfa Wanton Egg Noodle. Elsewhere, Ponggol Nasi Lemak at 965 Upper Serangoon Rd and Nakhon Kitchen at 212 Hougang Street 21 are famous for their awesome nasi lemak and Thai food. 

Head north along Upper Serangoon road at dusk. The streets of Kovan light up at night and there is plenty of good food to choose from along the famous ‘Kovan food street’. Dig into the popular scissor-cut curry rice at Sin Chie Toke Huan Hainanese Curry Rice at 1018 Upper Serangoon Rd or choose from a delectable array of dishes from Teo Seng Teochew Eating House at 1012 Upper Serangoon Rd. Remember to get some beancurd at the ever-popular Selegie Soya Bean at 990 Upper Serangoon Rd too. Residents craving some good Indian food can visit Srisun Express at 212 Hougang Street 21.

Moreover, Kovan is the next hipster neighbourhood to chill at. Long-time cafe, Ice Edge Cafe at 2 Kovan Rd has delighted Kovan residents for years with its wide selection of handcrafted ice creams, gelato, and lava cakes. Further down, Lola’s Cafe at 5 Simon Rd has garnered quite a following with their Avocado Eggs Benedict, Truffle dishes, and Nutella Pie, at affordable prices. The arrival of nearby Hatter Street Bakehouse & Cafe at Block 212, Hougang Street 21, Ciel Patisserie at 124 Hougang Avenue 1, and Flavour Flings at 121 Hougang Avenue 1, in recent years make Kovan the next best hipster neighbourhood for hipster cafes.

Kovan is home to a few longtime bars that aren't too shabby; Grapevine Cafe Bar & Restaurant at 787A Upper Serangoon Rd, O Bar & Restaurant at 780 Upper Serangoon Rd, and Joe’s Corner Cafe & Bar at 25 Simon Rd. Newcomer Japanese restaurant and bar of sorts, Tachinomiya at 211 Hougang Street 21 is a welcoming addition to the already-charming Kovan. With the exception of O Bar, these bars are the best chill-out places to hang out with friends and let one’s hair down after a long day of work.

Learn - Kovan

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chools are always a high priority for residents with children. Fortunately, Kovan is situated near reputable local schools such as Xinmin Primary School, Paya Lebar Methodist Girls Primary School, Nanyang Junior College, St Andrew’s Junior College, Maris Stella High School, and Holy Innocents’ Primary School. Foreign residents will also find that international schools such as the Australian International School and Stanford American International School are not too far away from Kovan.

Move - Kovan

Public transport in Kovan includes the North-East line served by the Kovan MRT station, which is just in front of Heartland Mall. The Kovan MRT is 7 MRT stops away from the city (via the Dhoby Ghaut MRT), taking less than 20 minutes to get there. Kovan is also very well-connected via public bus. 

The main road connecting Kovan to the other parts of Singapore is Upper Serangoon Road. Both the Kovan MRT station and Heartland Mall are situated along this major road. Drivers will be delighted to find that driving to town takes as little as 15 minutes. Kovan is also strategically located just minutes away from the Central Expressway (CTE), Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE), and Pan-Island Expressway (PIE), effectively linking Kovan to everywhere else in Singapore.

Parks and Gardens - Kovan

Besides Richards Avenue Park, which is perfect for an afternoon walk, and Aroozoo Park, which kids will love so much, there is also Maplewood Park nearby. It is a nice place for families to do some outdoor activities such as walking, jogging, and cycling. It has a 356-meter track for exercise, jogging areas, and a BBQ pit. The kids can have a fantastic time in the adventure play park, full of climbing frames, rope bridges, swings and seesaws. The park indeed has an extensive playground with diverse equipment for kids.

Sports Facilities - Kovan

Located just across the Heartland Mall, there is the Kovan Sports Centre for nearby residents who love to indulge in sports activities. In Singapore, it may a little bit hard to find a decent field to play football. There are fewer than 20 futsal courts, but Kovan has the privilege to be the venue for one of them. The Kovan Sports Centre has eight sheltered indoor futsal courts. Bored of futsal? You can also play Water Soccer, Archery Tag, Laser Tag, Bubble Soccer, Dodgeball, Touch Rugby, Handball, and Frisbee at the Kovan Sports Centre. On top of that, basketball courts, badminton courts, and bowling alleys are also available in Kovan.