while waiting for my turn to see the doctor at outram polyclinic, - according to the advice, the average waiting time was two hours - i decided to wander around that part of chinatown nearer to the singhealth polyclinic at outram.
i was struck by the beauty, character and architecture of the refurbished shophouses along bukit pasoh road, craig road and keong siak road.
i have been taking pictures of the iconic pearl's bank apartments ever since i found out that it had been put up for en-bloc sale. the 38-storey horse-shoe shaped block was completed in 1976. at 113m, it was the tallest residential building in singapore then.
89 neil road is a conserved 3-storey building built in 1924. today, you see the names 'ebay and paypal' where once it was called the eng aun tong building where the famous tiger balm was manufactured.
46 bukit pasoh road is a two-storey building which houses an italian restaurant called oso and a bar called barretto. here is a review of the food served in the oso.
nearby is the new majestic hotel. this 30-room boutique hotel belongs to the same person who owns hotel 1929, also a boutique hotel, at keong saik road.
another historic building located along bukit pasoh road is the ee hoe hean club. it has the year 1927 prominently displayed at the top of the building. it is one of the oldest millionaires' club in singapore.
with all these restoration and renovation, the streets and structures in this historic part of chinatown certainly do look refreshing and colourful. the whole place is rejuvenated and revitalised. it is definitely worth a re-visit.
3 comments:
>it is one of the oldest millionaires' club in singapore.
Does the adjective describe the millionaires or the club?
Haven't been to Keong Siak Road for quite a while. Are those houses with big lighted red numbers still operating the same old trade?
those days, millionaires were all old, old oldies.
i think business is still on.
I went to Fairfield Girls School from 1969 to 1972, and for a good few months lived with my grandmother at 72 Neil Road. It was very old fashioned, with lots of rooms that she let out to tenants, each with their own idiosyncrasies.
I shall be in Singapore for Christmas and the New Year, so will pop up there to see what's changed.
I used to think that all those red lanterns were simply for decoration!
I remember the prawn mee hawker seller, and the wonton mee stall as well - never anywhere else have I come across such delicious fare; and to think that, at the time I was scoffing that food, I thought that it would last for ever!
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