There’s no need to cross borders for City Square Mall in Johor Bahru – we have City Square Mall at home. And if there’s any greater incentive to revisit the shopping mall connected to Farrer Park MRT station, it’s that it just went through an extensive makeover – a two-year one that cost $50 million, to be exact. And it’s not just one for appearances, because other than rocking a sleek new look, the 16-year-old building has also been expanded in space, with over 30 new brands to peruse across its total area of 730,000 square feet.
Suspended net playground Airzone remains across Levels 2 to 6 of the mall, but young ones get an additional dose of fun with Giggle Jungle by Yooland, a massive jungle-inspired indoor playground with obstacle courses, sand play, bouncy trampolines, rock walls and ball pits to dive into.
The food court on Level 4 has been replaced by Gastro Square, a food village which counts Vietnamese flame-grilled chicken chain Chickita and Michelin-recognised hawker stall Kok Sen Restaurant as some of its tenants. But don’t mourn the OG food court, because it still exists at its new Basement 3 location. Other new eateries to try at the revamped City Square Mall include modern Australian bistro The Fat Sparrow; Daydream Desserts with loaded thick toasts and Japanese-style souffle pancakes; and Korean barbecue restaurant Aunt MyeongDong, among plenty others.
Outside the mall, next to the playground, sits a decommissioned SMRT train car that serves as a kid-friendly educational space, with fun sustainability-focused workshops and events. Other eco-friendly features within City Square include wall decor made out of bubble wrap, milk bottle caps, and even bamboo chopsticks – along with smart systems and low-consumption lighting to reduce its overall carbon footprint.
Find out more about the new and improved City Square Mall in Singapore and check out its full tenant list here.
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