We all know Tiong Bahru is a hipster area, but there’s more to it than that. It seems every time we take a walk here, we find out something new: there’s a fan club for imported cheeses in Singapore. There are 20 year olds who think beading is a fun weekend activity. There are more than three people who think Skrillex is music. The list goes on. Well here are some of the secrets of Tiong Bahru you should check out yourself:
Awesome businesses hidden in Tiong Bahru
There are some unique businesses here that are really noteworthy. These include:
- A spa that takes place in cargo containers
- A boutique that has has 100 things. Specifically 100.
- A mee pok place that transforms into a Yakitori bar
- Drop by an appointment-only shop
- Sample over 200 beers you’ll never get in a supermarket
- A spa that takes place in cargo containers
Drop by Nimble/Knead at 66 Eng Watt Street, and you’ll see…a bunch of cargo containers. Like the kind of thing you ship sea freight in. But take a closer peek, and you’ll see it’s actually a spa.
Looking like Keppel Shipyard fell into your living room, this is probably one of the most unique spas in the country. Services range from full body massages to foot massages – and before you even think about it, yes, it’s legit. No funny business here.
There’s a pretty loyal following here, who actually drive out of their way just to make regular appointments. That’s how you know a spa is good.
- A boutique that has 100 things. Specifically 100.
Look for 69 Tiong Bahru Road, where The Dispensary Cafe is at. Then head up to the nondescript store on the second floor. That’s the Clothes Curator, run by Ms. Iris Tan. The store’s “thing” is that they filter out the mess of fashion options out there, and narrow it down to a collection of 100 things that go well together.
Nonetheless, it’s an affordable niche that’s made the news on a couple of occasions. And it’s a weird experience to shop facing limited options (in a way that’s positive). 100 items really isn’t a lot.
- A mee pok place that transforms into a Yakitori bar
Located at 78 Moh Guan Terrace, Bincho at Hua Bee is…schizophrenic. It’s a coffee shop serving mee pok, right up till the evening when it becomes a Yakitori bar. Both are equally delicious. The most unique thing about this place has got to be the decor: it manages to preserve both environments, despite being a schizophrenic blend of either.
Want to stay around Tiong Bahru?
Wanting to buy a house here is a tall order, as there are few sellers – this is a hotspot that’s being gentrified. Nonetheless, there are a few stand-out options to consider:
A 500-unit development located along Kim Tian Road, set to be completed in Q4 2018. The project’s developer, Keppel Land, recently utilised VR technology to enhance the property viewing experience for prospective buyers.
A freehold apartment development also located on Kim Tian Road with an average psf of $1,577.
An older development (around 21 years) at Jalan Membina with an average psf of $1,453.
Historical secrets
Other interesting things to note about Tiong Bahru are:
- HDB didn’t build the public housing here
- It was a cemetery
- It was the evil Japanese occupation that made the estate take off
- Tiong Bahru was once the bird singing hub of Singapore, when that was a thing
- It was famous for catching fire
- HDB didn’t build the public housing here
Tiong Bahru was designated a public housing estate in the 1920s, when HDB didn’t exist yet. As such, Tiong Bahru is now the only public housing remaining in which HDB didn’t build a thing. This is why the housing here looks so different from blocky, Lego-like stacks put up by HDB.
- It was a cemetery
“Tiong” in Hokkien means tomb, and “Bahru” in Malay means new. The area was designated as an addition to an existing cemetery, which has long since faded from memory. Hence, it was called the “new tombs”. Remember that the next time you’re walking its alleys alone, in the hours long past midnight.
- It was the evil Japanese occupation that made the estate take off
For some reason, the Japanese invaders in World War II prompted people to move to Tiong Bahru. After the war, it was found that some 40 percent of the people living in Tiong Bahru had moved during the Occupation. Perhaps Tiong Bahru was considered an obscure area, and hence avoided the invaders’ attention (and depredations).
Regardless, there was a big surge in its population thanks to the Japanese.
- Tiong Bahru was once the bird singing hub of Singapore, when that was a thing
In the 1960s, bird singing was a big thing. Owning a top songbird was like being the one to sign on Justin Bieber or Nicky Minaj, except you were dealing with more talent. The most famous spot for bird singing was block 53 in Tiong Bahru, when even airlines like Dutch KLM would sponsor competitions.
Today the bird singing corner still stands, but it’s rarely used.
- It was famous for catching fire
The area around Tiong Bahru saw major fires in 1934, 1955, and 1958. Those are coincidentally the same numbers, in military time, that marked the start of fires when I tried to cook dinner yesterday. The ultimate fire was in 1959, which spread and became known as the Bukit Ho Swee fire. 16,000 people were deprived of homes, which really explains why property prices went up so quickly at the time.
At any rate, that was the last straw (see what I did there?) for thatched roof huts. After that, all houses went the way of cement.
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