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🇸🇬 Singapore /Culture & Society

Old bungalows to chic cafes: How RTS Link is reshaping Johor Bahru neighbourhoods

From The Straits Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Entrepreneurs are converting older homes near Johor Bahru's city center into cafes and lifestyle businesses.
  • This trend is driven by anticipation of the Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link, expected to boost customer traffic from Singapore.
  • The conversions require official approval, transforming quiet residential streets into vibrant destinations.

Annie Low, a French pastry entrepreneur, relocated her business to an aging bungalow in Taman Abad, a neighborhood just outside Johor Bahru's city center. She hopes the upcoming Rapid Transit System (RTS) Link will attract a new wave of customers, particularly from Singapore.

I wanted to take a shoplot in town, but I feel that people will think, ‘Oh, it is just another cafe’.

— Annie LowAnnie Low, a French pastry entrepreneur, explaining her decision to relocate her business to an older bungalow outside the city center.

Low spent nearly RM500,000 with two partners to transform the decades-old house into Shuu Patisserie, a European cottage-style cafe. She wanted to offer an experience distinct from typical city center cafes. "With my new space, I wanted people to have an experience they couldn’t find elsewhere," Low told The Straits Times. "And with the RTS Link coming, I am hoping to capitalise on my current customer base from Dato Onn and also try to get the Singaporean crowd too."

With my new space, I wanted people to have an experience they couldn’t find elsewhere. And with the RTS Link coming, I am hoping to capitalise on my current customer base from Dato Onn and also try to get the Singaporean crowd too.

— Annie LowAnnie Low discussing her hopes for her new cafe, Shuu Patisserie, and the impact of the upcoming RTS Link.

Low is among a growing number of entrepreneurs converting homes in areas near the JB city center into cafes and lifestyle hubs. Older bungalows and semi-detached houses in neighborhoods like Taman Melodies and Taman Sentosa are being transformed into cafes, restaurants, salons, event spaces, and hostels. This is turning quiet residential streets into lifestyle destinations.

We are seeing a distinct wave of rejuvenation in mature, older neighbourhoods just outside the immediate city centre, places like Taman Pelangi, Taman Melodies, Taman Century and Kampung Melayu.

— Samuel TanJohor property analyst Samuel Tan of Olive Tree Property Consultants on the trend of property rejuvenation.

While these conversions are gaining momentum, they must legally obtain approval from the state government to be converted to commercial use. The owners also need planning approval and business permits from the Johor Bahru City Council (MBJB). Property analyst Samuel Tan of Olive Tree Property Consultants notes a "distinct wave of rejuvenation" in these mature neighborhoods, driven by the RTS Link and Singaporeans' "massive appetite" for dining and wellness services.

This trend is very real and gaining momentum quickly.

— Samuel TanSamuel Tan on the growing trend of converting older homes into lifestyle businesses.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by The Straits Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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