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Astor International School
Singapore, Singapore
BritishInternational Primary Curriculum
Ages 6–12
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Upscale, embassy-lined district just west of Orchard Road. Minutes from Overseas Family School and ISS International School.
Monthly temperatures, rainfall, and sea conditions
Monthly family budget estimates (USD)
A family in a 2-bedroom condo in the Tanglin Halt or Queensway area (fringe of Tanglin proper), public transport, children in a mid-tier school.
A family in a 3-bedroom condo near Tanglin Road or Nassim Road, children at Tanglin Trust or GESS, one car, active social life with club memberships.
A family in a landed bungalow or luxury penthouse on Nassim, Cluny, or Loewen Road, children at top schools, two cars, Tanglin Club membership, full-time helper and driver.
Tanglin is one of Singapore's most expensive residential districts (District 10), with pricing that reflects its embassy-adjacent, Botanic Gardens-proximate location. All figures in USD.
Average monthly AQI (US EPA scale)
Yearly average AQI is 51. Best air quality Jan–Dec (best: Feb at 36).
Tanglin has been Singapore's embassy district since the colonial era, and this heritage shapes its character profoundly. Embassies and high commissions — including those of the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Japan, and dozens of others — are concentrated along Napier Road, Loewen Road, and Tanglin Road. This diplomatic presence creates a neighbourhood with an unusually international, multilingual atmosphere, with embassy events and national day celebrations occurring throughout the year.
Tanglin's crown jewel is the Singapore Botanic Gardens, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world's premier tropical gardens. The 82-hectare gardens feature the National Orchid Garden (with over 1,000 species), the magnificent rain tree-lined pathways, Swan Lake, and the Jacob Ballas Children's Garden. For families, the gardens are an everyday resource — many Tanglin residents walk, jog, or cycle through them daily. Weekend mornings see families picnicking on the open lawns while children explore the nature trails.
Tanglin is served by several nearby MRT stations: Orchard and Orchard Boulevard on the Thomson-East Coast Line, Stevens on the Downtown Line, and Napier on the Circle Line extension. While the stations ring the neighbourhood rather than sitting within it, the walking distances are manageable (10-15 minutes to most), and bus services along Tanglin Road, Napier Road, and Grange Road fill the gaps. The area's central location means most MRT journeys are short.
Tanglin Mall is the neighbourhood's everyday hub, housing a well-stocked Cold Storage supermarket, a food court, medical clinics, and family-oriented retail. Dempsey Hill provides an upscale dining cluster with restaurants like the Halia (set in the Ginger Garden of the Botanic Gardens), PS Cafe at Harding Road, and Open Door Policy. For everyday meals, the Tanglin Halt Food Centre (recently rebuilt) offers authentic hawker fare at a fraction of restaurant prices.
Tanglin benefits enormously from the Botanic Gardens and the embassy district's extensive tree planting. The neighbourhood is noticeably cooler than the nearby Orchard Road commercial strip, with the mature canopy providing shade and the gardens creating a genuine green-lung effect. Morning joggers in the Botanic Gardens regularly report temperatures 2-3C below what the national weather service records for the island.
