Photograph: Cheryl Sekkappan

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Blink and you’ll miss the many changes that have taken place at Bukit Panjang. It was once a rural settlement that belched smoke from rubber and shoe factories, and boomed periodically from quarrying activities. Fast forward a few decades, and Bukit Panjang now has three malls, a direct line to the city with the Downtown Line, Singapore’s first integrated community club and sports complex, and the second-largest man-made floating wetland system in the country. Head to this 'hood for pockets of serenity, lush greenery, humble coffee shops and long-standing institutions that preserve a close-knit, neighbourly vibe.