Hong Kong expat VIVIAN PANG and her family live in a Holland Road condo. She’s a stay-at-home mum to one human child and one fur-baby!
About Holland Road
What’s a common myth or misconception about your neighbourhood? That it’s an expat area. We have a lot of local neighbours.
Closest MRT station? Farrer Road (yellow Circle Line).
How long have you lived here? Why here? One year. We love the proximity to the city centre yet being so close to nature, specifically the Botanic Gardens. Coming from Hong Kong, we love the abundance of greenery and open space in our immediate vicinity – and our dog is loving it too!
Holland Road highlights
When you walk out of your condo, what’s the first thing you see? Rows of trees and the Holland Flyover.
What’s the closest store to your front door? Empress Road Market and Food Centre.
If your street was chosen for a remake of a film, which would it be? The Great Gatsby – there are quite a few extravagant mansions in our ’hood and the sighting of super cars is quite common.
We’re sure your neighbours are great, but is there anything you wouldn’t mind a little less of? Loud cars that zoom by.
What’s the unofficial uniform of your street? Athleisure.
What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street? I grew up as a city girl, so I would say the gigantic monitor lizards and free-roaming chickens.
Holland Road condo fact file
Name of condo: Duet Condominium
Facilities: Swimming pool, gym, children’s playground, function room, carpark
Size: Approximately 1,700 square feet
New or old: New-ish
Walking distance to supermarket: 15 minutes
Community vibe: Friendly young families
Things to do in the area
What are your three favourite places to eat or drink in the neighbourhood?
• Empress Road Market for coffee and you tiao – we love this combo. LR Boulangerie serves really good coffee and has an outdoor area that is dog-friendly. There’s a small shop at the food market (called Farrer You Tiao) that’s run by an old couple, and their freshly deep fried buns are amazing. Fresh coffee and you tiao, need I say more!
• Burnt Ends Cafe – I love their pastries (I’m a huge fan of their cookies) and it’s yet another pet-friendly place for our family to hang out after a nice stroll around Dempsey.
• Crystal Jade – because it reminds us of home.
What are the best places to shop at in the neighbourhood? One Holland Village is a one-stop-shop for all our daily necessities.
What are some fun or interesting things to do near your Holland Road condo? Running in the open fields in Dempsey, visiting the Museum of Ice Cream, exploring the Botanic Gardens.
What’s one thing you’d never change? The greenery and open spaces.
How about one thing you would change? More bins, please! Especially bins for collecting dog waste.
If the city gave you a million dollars to soup up your street, how would you use it? Add a few parks with seating and children’s playgrounds, and more colourful flowers.
Things to do in Singapore
What are your favourite Singapore spots for taking out-of-town guests? Chjimes and Lau Pa Sat or Maxwell Food Centre, so our guests can experience a bit of elevated dining along with some local flavours.
When you’re in need of a dose of culture, where do you go? National Gallery and Chinatown.
If you’re missing home, what do you do? Have a meal at Tsui Wah! The taste of its dishes is authentic and very comparable to Hong Kong.
Holland Road Trivia Corner
In all likelihood, it’s not the Holland of windmills and tulips that gives its name to Vivian’s street and neighbourhood. Instead, Singapore placenames that feature “Holland” likely derive from an early resident of this area called Hugh Holland. Very little is known about Hugh – he was an English architect and also an amateur actor, making his on-stage debut in Singapore in 1908 with an acting troupe called the Starboard Lights.
In Hokkien, Holland Road is known as “heu hng au”, which means “behind the flower garden” (referring to the Botanic Gardens).
This article first appeared in the February 2025 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
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