The East Coast Park (Chinese: 东海岸公园; Malay: Taman Pantai Timur) is a beach park located on the southeastern coast of Singapore. It was opened in the 1970s, when the government completed reclaiming land off the coast at Katong which extends from Changi to Tanjong Rhu. It also serves various key neighborhood communities such as Tanjong Rhu, Marine Parade, Bedok and Tampines.
The 185 hectare East Coast Park is the largest park in Singapore, and is built entirely on reclaimed land with a man-made beach, where swimming is possible. The beach is protected by breakwaters, with no other natural features. The park is easily accessible by East Coast Park Service Road with numerous exits along the East Coast Parkway. The place has ample parking space with many carparks near the park. The park is also accessible via public transport in the form of bus services, available on East Coast Park Service Road. Underpasses link the park to the nearby Marine Parade housing estate.
The park is a popular place for families and friends to relax and enjoy themselves. The park has barbecue pits, entertainment facilities, chalets, food and beverage, and amenities for sports activities. A cycling and inline skating track runs along the perimeter of the park, which measures over 15 km long.
Contents |
LilliPutt Indoor Mini Golf is Singapore's first themed indoor mini golf course and has 10,000-square-foot (930 m2) facilities within the Playground @ Big Splash complex on East Coast.
LilliPutt – meaning the little land of golf - features a creation of miniatures of well-known Singapore landmarks around an 18-hole indoor mini golf course, each of them fitted with visual animation and sound effects. These include an MRT train that moves a distance of three metres when the golf ball enters the carriage, a ball putted through the Haw Par Villa hole that “lights up” the eyes of the dragon, and a mini cable car that transports the golf ball to Sentosa Island where there is a musical fountain.
This chalet resort was originally owned by Costa Sands Resort of NTUC Club, but ceased operations on 3 January 2006 when its 30-year lease expired. Island Resort took over the site and started operations from 1 March 2007. It has since renovated most of the chalets and been rebranded Goldkist Beach Resort. It has 195 single and double storey units.
The East Coast Lagoon underwent renovation in 2005 under the Singapore Sports Council's plan to build a whitewater sports stadium at East Coast Park. Singapore's first Cable Ski Park, Ski360°, opened at the refurbished East Coast Lagoon in January 2006.
The Ministry of Education's Sea Sports Centre conducts activities such as sailing and wind surfing. It is also known as the National Sailing Centre, run by the Singapore Sailing Federation.[1]
The East Coast Lagoon Food Centre opened in 1977, and is a popular hawker centre among locals and tourists. In late 2003, the hawker centre was upgraded to give it a newer and fresher look, having new features. The braised duck rice, satay and the Hwa Kee wanton noodles are firm favourites.
The East Coast Seafood Centre was opened at the same time as the East Coast Park, with eight restaurants serving seafood. Its initial name was known as UDMC Seafood Centre, which was later changed in 2000 to its current name. Popularized for housing several major local seafood restaurants, the seafood centre serves local favourites such as chilli crab, black pepper crab and mee goreng. In 2005, the Seafood Centre was upgraded to give it a modernised look, and better facilities. Many of the features were revamped, and a number of old tenants vacated for new tenants to take their place.
As of 2007, the seafood restaurants located within the seafood centre included No Signboard Seafood, Fisherman's Village, Redhouse, Jumbo Seafood and Long Beach Seafood Restaurant.
The Seafood Centre has become a popular dining spot for tourists and locals alike, with many of the establishments being fully booked on most evenings. Given that most of the dining tables are placed outdoors, diners are able to dine while enjoying the sea breeze and sights of the numerous ships anchored in the Singapore Strait.
Marine Cove, formerly known as the East Coast Recreation Centre, is a building complex in East Coast Park where many cafés, restaurants, and bars are located. It also contains a bowling alley and a billiards saloon.
The McDonald's restaurant is the only one in East Coast Park and with an adjoining McCafé features both a drive-thru and a "skate-thru" counter.
The Xtreme Skatepark @ East Coast is the first skate park in Singapore built in accordance to international competition standards, allowing extreme sports enthusiasts within Singapore, and from around the region, the opportunity to display their skills. Jointly developed by both National Parks board and the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS), the skate park promises to provide an avenue for both professionals and beginners alike the experience of enjoying extreme sports suited to their skill levels.
The skate park is separated into three areas:
Streetcourse
This section of the Skatepark caters to intermediate and advanced skaters and bikers, consisting of street obstacles such as stairs, handrails, ledges and gaps.
Combo Bowl
This section is built for intermediate to advanced level skaters and bikers. The layout, featuring different depths, corners, a spine and a bank wall, allows riders/skaters to traverse continuously around the sections of the bowl.
Vertical Bowl
This 3.6m area is a challenging bowl for advanced skaters/bikers, containing a channel with different corners.
Bedok Jetty is the longest and most popular fishing jetty in Singapore located in Area F of East Coast Park. It is also frequented by cyclists, rollerbladers, joggers or park visitors.
Triathlons would be held in East Coast Park. The distance and area covered is still unconfirmed by the ministry.[2]
Less than one-kilometre away from the National Sailing Centre on the south-eastern part of Singapore, the venue for triathlon is situated along the East Coast Park, Singapore’s largest and most popular public beach and park. The area offers a wide range of facilities – food, recreation, entertainment and sports.[2]
East Coast Park has been the location for the Osim Singapore Triathlon, an international Olympic-distance triathlon event that has grown steadily from 500 participants in 2002 to 3,800 participants in 2007.
Participants will swim in the open sea, then switch to the scenic and tropical green setting of the East Coast Park road for the cycle and run segments.[2]
On 5 March 2006, it was reported in the media that certain parts of the park are experiencing soil erosion which caused certain beachfront areas to collapse. One of the reasons that the authorities attributed to was global warming which has resulted in a higher sea level, thus bringing the coast further inland.
In November 2005, National Parks Board (NParks) announced that East Coast Park may see many new enhancements to its access, circulation, activities and amenities over the next few years as outlined in the East Coast Park Concept Plan proposed by the board.
The proposals in the concept plan that would enhance accessibility and connectivity within the park include the following:
There are also plans to develop a garden to cater to the needs of all age groups for recreation, and a visitor centre that would serve as a one-stop information and service centre for park users. Under the concept plan, the park will offer more recreational activities and lifestyle amenities for outdoor sports, games, leisure, and food and beverage outlets. It was proposed that weekend events and festive flea market activities be organised to inject vibrancy into the park.
The plan will be confirmed in mid-2006 once NParks has sought the opinion of the public.[3]