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| HDB Flats at Kim Pong Road |
Tiong Bahru. Considered to be one of the oldest housing
estates in Singapore, it has also been garnering accolades from locals,
foreigners and tourists for a combination of old, hip and trendy atmosphere. With its heritage
buildings and the number of cafes popping out in every corner of this historic
area, Tiong Bahru, has become a place for wining and dining if you want to get
out of the over-crowding central business district. It’s particularly getting a
lot of attention from the so-called “hippies” but it’s not just a place for them,
literally anyone can visit this area and have a look on what is going on. First
of all, if you are into old buildings and historic sites, then this area is definitely
for you. Otherwise, it may be difficult for the “uncultured” to appreciate what
is there to see. And if you are willing to shell out an amount that is triple
of what you would usually pay in a regular hawker centre, then you should try
the ranges of café that you will see here.
The National Heritage Board of Singapore released the
TiongBahru Heritage Trail. There are 10 spots that you may choose to look
at if you are really keen but if you just want to walk around the place and see
what is going on, I made a map that will direct you on walking from the Tiong
Bahru MRT Station all the way to Tiong Bahru Estate and its surrounding
vicinity.
In following the
map below,
you will be passing through the old HDB flats that are well-maintained and
still being habited by the locals. This estate reflects on how well-developed
that place was back then and reflected the beginning of great urban planning of Singapore during that time. You will also be seeing a lot of coffee shops, cafes and
bookstores. There are not many places to shop in this area except for the Tiong
Bahru Market which really caters to the needs of the residents in this area.
Our first stop is the HDB Blocks located at Kim Pong Road. These
are one of those old HDB flats (4 Levels) and have this spiral staircase that
accentuates the building’s design. They say this is art deco but I do not even
understand how many art deco designs are out there, anyway nobody’s counting.
 |
| HDB Flats at Kim Pong Road |
 |
| HDB Flats at Kim Pong Road |
Next stop is one of the most unique HDB block in Singapore. They call it
the “horse-shoe block”. If you’re given a bird’s eye view of this place then
you will really see the horse-shoe shape. You are free to enter the block and
see it from the inside. The spiral staircase is very common in every house and
the two entries to this block are really eye-catching.
 |
| Horse-Shoe Block entry from Moh Guan Terrace |
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| Horse-Shoe Block entry from Chay Yan Street |
Coming from Moh Guan Terrace towards Yong Siak Street which is
just outside the horse shoe block, you will be seeing an array of cafes and
bookstores. You will be passing by Flock
Café
(See review here), PoTeaTo, Open Door Policy, Plain Vanilla and specialty bookstores
like Books Actually and Woods in the Books
(See review here). Among these
cafes, I have tried Flock Café which is a highly recommended place that will
suit your budget.
 |
| Yong Siak Street |
As you continue walking towards Chay Yan Street and turning
left to the other end of Moh Guan Terrace, you will see PS Café Petit, probably
one of the fanciest place there. I personally won’t recommend eating there as
it is just too pricey when you already have other better cafes there on a
cheaper price.
 |
| PS Cafe Petit |
 |
| Seng Poh Road |
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| Tiong Bahru Market |
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| Seng Poh Road |
 |
| Mail Boxes |
Continue your way to Seng Poh Road, Eng Watt St and Seng Poh
Lane. This area is surrounded with coffee shops, the Tiong Bahru Market and other old low-rise HDB flats.
Continue walking until Eng Hoon St and take a break at Tiong Bahru Bakery. This
artisanal bakery has been gaining a lot of customers for its ultimately
delicious French croissants.
(See review here)
 |
| Along Seng Poh Road |
 |
| Eng Watt Street |
 |
| Seng Poh Lane |
 |
| Tiong Bahru Market |
 |
| Along Eng Hoon Street |
After a break, you may continue towards the end of Eng Hoon
St and you will see the Monkey God Temple and Saint Matthew’s Church. Turn left and
you will reach Tiong Bahru Road. Before ending your walking tour, stop by at Block
55 to see The French Book Shop. It’s a book store for books in French language
and it also conducts art gallery displays every month.
(See review here)
 |
| Along Tiong Bahru Road |
 |
| End of Eng Hoon Street |
 |
| The Monkey God Temple |
The most common design of these HDB flats are the spiral
staircases and low rise buildings which are no longer being constructed on the
modern designs of HDB flats in Singapore. That is what makes this area
different from other regular HDB flats.
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03.26.2014
J.Gerald C. Legaspi is the Filipino author of pinoyjourneys.blogspot.com
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