The Balestier area is primarily defined by Balestier Road, a long stretch of road that links Thomson Road to Serangoon Road where it continues on as Lavender Street. The road marks the North-East boundary of Balestier Hill. It is an area now synonymous with low-rise residential and commercial buildings and agglomerations of lighting and hardware shops. In more recent years, it has become associated with specialty foods such as ‘bak kut teh' and ‘tau sar piah’.
The protected historic street blocks in Balestier Conservation Area, largely centred along the main stretch of Balestier Road between Thomson and Serangoon Road are a mix of two-storey pre-war shophouses as well as more recent shop/flat developments of the 1950s and 60s. Interspersed amongst these are a few high-rise commercial/residential complexes such as Balestier Point and Balestier Plaza. The buildings reflect the evolution of physical development since the 1840s and are reminders of the history of the area.