Singapore American School

[jjonis]

Relocating to Singapore and considering where to live. Does anyone recommend a neighborhood with some other SAS families on convenient bus route?

[hbw65]

i think you'll find that almost anywhere in singapore is a bus route for the american school especially those in the larger condos.

[road.not.taken]

You know the kids who attend SAS are on private buses, right? The route changes to suit them. Having said that, there are neighborhoods where the other students are too thin on the ground or just too far from school to make the commute work. I think trying to stay within this corridor is a good start. Yes some students live further out on the East or West Coast, but it's less than ideal. I would say (based on anecdotal information only) the greatest concentrations of students (an not in any order) are in:

Woodlands (walking distance)
Sembawang (15 minutes by bus)
Holland Village (30 - 40 minutes)
Bukit Timah (30 - 40 minutes)
6th Avenue (30 - 40 minutes)
Orchard/Tanglin/Novena/River Valley/Newton (40 - 50 minutes)




So much depends on your budget, it would be impossible to really comment on specific condos. Good luck with your move

[jjonis]

Thanks so much for that information!

[daytripper65]

Hi,

I agree with the locations RNT posted, but just wanted to add that the bus does not pick up at every condo. We lived in Clementi, but would have had to take the kids to a different location to be picked up/dropped off. It was also one of the furthest locations on the route and hence more expensive, and the kids leave much earlier/arrive home later. Expat/American friendly condos will likely be on the route, but check in advance.

We have since moved to Sembawang, one of the locations RNT mentioned, and absolutely love it. My husband has a bit of a commute into the city every day, but not unusual given our notion of a typical commute back home. Here "Sembawang" is considered boondock North, but the island is so small, you can get to practically any point in 30 minutes! Barring traffic that is

We have a car and I prefer to drive the kids, but the majority of kids do take the bus.

Good luck!

[mrscappy]

Also moving this summer and am looking at same issues. Lived in S/pore B4 but didn't have to deal w/school & commuting issues. Woodlands/Sembawang not workable 4 us due to husband's commute. Am currently looking in Bukit Timah/Clementi/6th Ave/Farrer Rds (districts 10 & 21). I thought that the SAS bus would pick up & drop off your kid(s) door to door but the after hours activity bus only dropped off along specific spots: A) American Club; B) King Albert Park / Ulu Pandan;C) Watten Bus Stop / Farrer Road Wet Market / Ridout Garden Carpark (McDonald);D) Four Seasons Pk Bus Stop / Great World Service Apt;
E) Chancery Court Cold Storage Bus Stop / Newton Carpark / Golden Landmark (Bugis MRT) / Katong Park / Tanjong Rhu Road.

So, do you mean that the above stops are the only routes available...even in the morning? As far as I can see, monthly rentals for these areas run about 9-20K. Ouch! Had a condo & a house B4 (east coast) & would like to live in a house again. Have expanded house search to Ang Mo Kio/Thompson area (near the Australian/French & new UWC schools). Housing prices seem a little more reasonable there & commute seems doable via Upper Thompson or Seletar Expy. But...no activites bus. Am wondering if a morning bus goes out there? On paper, appears to be an up & coming area since a few of the private schools are moving out that way. Can you tell me anything about that area?

Thanks!!!

[road.not.taken]

The activity bus only runs after school and is for kids who stay late for extra-curriculars. It leaves around 4:15 and makes it's scheduled stops and then again at 6:30. For the regular school bus ~ morning and afternoon, 99% of kids have door-t0-door pick-up and drop-off.

[mrscappy]

"You know the kids who attend SAS are on private buses, right? The route changes to suit them. Having said that, there are neighborhoods where the other students are too thin on the ground or just too far from school to make the commute work."

My understanding was that for morning /afternoon carpool, children had door to door service but the Activity Bus is limited to certain areas. However, after reading your comments above, I thought maybe I was mistaken. Thank you for clarifying.

[mrscappy]

"We lived in Clementi, but would have had to take the kids to a different location to be picked up/dropped off."

DayTripper65: Just curious, but are you referring to morning & afternoon carpool or the Activity Bus? Or, were you among the 1% of families that R.N.T. alluded to?

[daytripper65]

Hi,

Apparently we may have been among the 1% that didn't have enough students to make the route. I didn't realize it though. The bus agency simply said that the pick-up location for that area was sunset, which would take about 10 min. to drive to in morning traffic. It only took me 17-20 min. to drive them the whole way.

We are renting that condo now and there were a few SAS families who didn't take it because they checked into the routes and found that they still don't pick up there