Living on Arcadia Road near Adam Park

Susan Knudsen-Pickles is COO of The Pickles Household & Community Engagement Director! She’s originally from Denmark but has lived here over xx years. She and her family bought one of the great older apartments in Singapore a few years back and we talk to her about the neighbourhood, recommendations and more.

About Your Neighbourhood

What street do you live on, and how long have you lived there? I’ve lived on Arcadia Road for 15 years.

If it’s in another language, what does it mean? Well, in Greek it means an idyllic land of peace and contentment, and it is exactly like that when you turn into the road – you immediately say “Wow!” Yeah, it has that effect on people – it’s very peaceful and very green.

However, this pretty street has a sad and dark past. In February 1942, during the Second World War, it was in this area that the English soldiers of Battalion 1, The Cambridgeshire Regiment fought hard against invading Japanese troops at the Adam Park Estate and Arcadia Road. Some historians refer to it as “The Battle of Arcadia”.

The area where the tennis courts are located in our condo was known back then as “Death Valley” due to the death of English soldiers on that spot, who fought hard but ultimately surrendered and lost to the Japanese on 15 February 1942.

Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home? “Arcadia Road, please – the one with all the trees!” Most of the taxi drivers will either say something like “Whaaaa, Arcadia! I like!”, or, if they know their history well, “Ohhhh, Arcadia…” (in a scared way!).

Closest MRT station? Well, we have two, Botanical Gardens and Tan Kah Kee – for a shadier walk, you would probably go to the latter. It takes about 15 minutes on foot – longer if it’s hotter!

About Your Condo

What’s your condo called? The Arcadia, or some people call it Arcadia Gardens – you can use both.

How many places did you view before picking this one? We looked at Astrid Meadows in Coronation Road West, and that was it! Once you see the space in The Arcadia, you never really entertain other places.

What are your favourite things about your building? It was built in 1983, so it’s considered one of the “oldies” in Singapore. It was designed by a Hawaiian architect named George J. Wimberly with the idea of a green place for living. There are three pyramid-like towers that blend with the natural environment.

The road itself is a heritage road because of its beautiful large rain trees; that means no one is allowed to build anything on the road (for now…). There are only two lucky condos in the road: ours and Hillcrest Arcadia.

About The Area

When you walk out of your place, what’s the first thing you see? Hanging plants – every level in our condo is surrounded by planter boxes with hanging plants.

What’s the closest store to your front door? The closest is the Greenwood shop cluster and restaurants. We have Baker & Cook, Lana Cakes, FairPrice Express, Cold Storage, Doggie Delight and lots of cafés and restaurants.

What film would your street be the perfect backdrop for a remake of? Jurassic Park or any movie that has big trees and nature in it. What’s the unofficial uniform of your street? Every morning, you can see a lot of people exercising, which is great.

What’s a common myth about your neighbourhood? That it’s haunted! This is partly on account of the battles in the Second World War that I mentioned earlier. But there is also the story of a lady in white who floats around – some of the helpers say they’ve seen her in the middle of the night. It’s the scare factor of Arcadia!

If you’re ever woken up at night, what’s it due to? Dogs barking – when one dog barks, they all bark! Or car alarms – sometimes stray cats jump on the cars in the car park and it triggers the alarms.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street? A family of boars trying to cross from one side to the other.

Things to do around the Arcadia

What’s the guiltiest pleasure in your neck of the woods? Having your own private sunset show every day sitting on your balcony with a glass of rosé. We love a good bargain.

What are the best deals in the neighbourhood? Hmm, in terms of property, you can probably get a good deal at Hillcrest Arcadia, the condo next door!

If the city gave you $5 million to soup up your street, how would you use it? I would plant more trees and flowers, make sure The Arcadia becomes a heritage building and waterproof the entire condo!

Beyond The ’Hood

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, where do you go? I usually go for a walk through Bukit Brown or Alexandra Park to soak up some elements of the past; but for a real culture hit, I usually go back to Europe. (No offence!)

If you’re missing home, what do you do? Head to IKEA or BOLIA!

Fact File: Heritage Roads

Many nature-lovers are aware that Singapore has a register of heritage trees, with 250 or so mature trees appearing on the list to represent the island’s natural heritage and serve as important green landmarks. But not as many people know that there is also a register of heritage roads. Currently, five roads around Singapore are on the list, chosen for their unique tree-scapes and natural ambience. As Susan mentions above, Arcadia Road is one of those.

Here’s the complete list:

• Arcadia Road
• Mount Pleasant Road
• Mandai Road
• Lim Chu Kang Road
• South Buona Vista Road

Rain trees are particularly prevalent along Arcadia Road. They get their name from the fact that their leaves close up during bad weather. They also close just before sunset – hence the Malay name for the tree, pukul lima, meaning “five o’clock”.

Do you love your neighbourhood?

Share it with others – just email us at contribute@expatliving.sg with “Street Talk” in the subject line. Include your name and street, and we’ll be in touch.

This article first appeared in the November 2025 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase the latest issue or subscribe, so you never miss a copy!

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