• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
GET OUR NEWSLETTER

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Schools
      • Property
      • Work And Business
      • Finance
      • For Guys
      • Environment
        • 2021Back up data and keep safe
        • Puzzle-answers-February-2021Puzzle Pages, March 2021: All the Answers!
        • Wedding BEATRICE CONTRINILove in the time of COVID
        • storage in singaporeWhy self storage might be just what you need!
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Things to do with dogs in Singapore cute dogFun stuff do with your dogs in Singapore!
        • dog-friendly cafesDog-friendly restaurants, bars and cafés in Singapore
        • cdn.cliqueinc.com__posts__258676__june-horoscopes-2018-258676-1527175331570-image-dd084e9663a848659b54ab1d44e8913aYour Horoscopes for the Month of March!
        • The [Not-So] Convenience Store exhibition National Design CentreWhat’s on this week and beyond
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • Kids scooters mini micro scooter 3in1 Deluxe Plus MixedWhere to buy kids’ scooters & more
        • Child with special needsOccupational Therapy for a Child with Special Needs
        • ServiceSchool activities with a lot of heart
        • kidsChildren’s shops & websites for kids’ clothes, toys etc.
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Home Decor
      • Readers’ Homes
      • Furniture
        • Arete Culture Black and whtieNot quite a black and white
        • 2021Back up data and keep safe
        • interior decorating cushions for bedrooms5 home décor pieces you shouldn’t overlook
        • SONYHome News: décor, furniture and more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Asia
      • Australia & New Zealand
      • Rest Of World
      • News
      • Travel Offers
        • hotel dealsTravel news + Hotel deals & new launches!
        • places to visit near SingaporeBest short breaks from Singapore
        • DuxtonBest hotels for a staycation in Singapore
        • family-friendly resort family vacation boat12 great spots for a family vacation
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • dog-friendly cafesDog-friendly restaurants, bars and cafés in Singapore
        • BaristaNew Nibbles: Foodie news!
        • Bars cheap drinksTop bars for cheap drinks in Singapore
        • best breakfast spots brunch cafe tiong bahru bakery diner19 of the best breakfast spots on the island!
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
      • Beauty Offers
        • women's sandals in singaporeKeeping comfortable & cool!
        • looksmaxxing trend men aesthetic treatmentsMen – are you “looksmaxxing”?
        • RawbroguhtShopping in Singapore – Fashion News
        • ear piercing singaporeWhere to go to get your ears pierced
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • SParks activeHealth News: What’s up!
        • heavy periods menorrhagia treatmentHeavy periods: How your GP can help
        • comparing health insurance in Singapore doctor and coupleThree tips for comparing health insurance plans
        • COVID-19 vaccination vaccine doctor and womanFAQs about COVID-19 vaccinations
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • BOOKS
    • Close
Home » Guide to Paya Lebar

Guide to Paya Lebar

9th May 2017 by Catherine Willingham 4 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/singapore-street-talk-guide-to-living-in-paya-lebar/

Looking to move to a new neighbourhood? Nothing would be better than to hear from the residents themselves. We speak to Richard Lenton about the ins and outs of living in Paya Lebar.

Name: Richard Lenton
From:
Brighton, England
Occupation:
TV presenter for mio TV

Paya lebar
The inside scoop on glorious Guillemard Rd
Paya lebar
Paya Lebar, City Plaza
Paya lebar
Ananas Cafe
Paya lebar
Paya Lebar MRT
Paya lebar
A cracking local shop
Paya lebar
Hawa Resturant
Paya lebar
A classic crane in Paya Lanar
Paya lebar
Not my cats
Paya lebar
Geylang River
Paya lebar
Not as seedy as you’d think!
Paya lebar
North South East West
Paya lebar
Nan Xiang Chicken Rice
Paya lebar
The Tuck Shop
Paya lebar
Richard with Robbie and Macca
Paya lebar
The almighty Giant
Paya lebar
Paya lebar
Smiths Fish and Chips


Check out all the scenes from the neighbourhood above, plus head here for heaps more guides on cool places to live around Singapore.

The Specifics

What street do you live on? Corner of Tanjong Katong Road and Guillemard Road.

Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home? Four words: “Back of City Plaza.” Never met a taxi driver who doesn’t know where City Plaza is.

What’s the name of your neighbourhood? Paya Lebar.

Closest MRT station? Paya Lebar.

How long have you lived here? Moved from Tanjong Rhu Road in July last year.

Why here? We met some great friends at our condo in Tanjong Rhu, but it’s a very quiet place that’s perfect if you have young children. We don’t. As much as I like my friends’ kids (especially Charlie and “Rain Man” Henry), when you’re trying to relax by the pool and you’re being whacked over the head with an inflatable dolphin it does your nut in after a while.

The Scene

When you walk out of your place, the first thing you see is: City Plaza. It doesn’t rank as my favourite shopping venue by any stretch, but I love the vibe on Sundays when hordes of families and groups of friends get together for picnics. It really feels like you’re in Asia, and that’s something that we wanted to experience when we came to live out here.

The closest store (of any type) to your front door is: The shop downstairs for essentials. Giant is less than two minutes’ walk away.

Your neighbours are great, but you wouldn’t mind a little less: Cigarette ash. There’s a fella a couple of floors above who loves chuffing on a fag on his balcony, and if the wind changes we occasionally get a bit of ash floating towards us. Mildly irritating, but I haven’t felt the need to smash his door down yet.

The unofficial uniform of your street is: Anything and everything. Unusually for Singapore, you rarely see anyone dressed in slacks, shirt and tie. Not too many city boys around here.

If a celebrity moves in next door, it will most likely be: Bill Murray. I reckon he’d fancy exploring the heartlands.

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, you: Play football. Does that count? If so, I’m a bona fide culture vulture.

If you’re missing home, you: Remember how cold it is in the UK, how long it takes to commute from Brighton to London and the outrageous price of a season ticket on the overcrowded, unreliable trains.

A mandatory stop for out-of-town guests is: The Tuckshop on Guillemard Road. It’s a safe option with decent grub, great beers and wine.

You’d swap houses in a second with: One of the few fabulous houses on a lovely street around the corner called Pebble Lane. One of the owners has got loads of gym equipment in his huge driveway – boxing bags and all sorts. Not to mention a massive 4 x 4 vehicle. Very jealous indeed.

A common myth about your neighbourhood is: That it’s just around the corner from Geylang Road, which obviously has a certain reputation for being a bit fruity. However, at the top end of Geylang Road near where we are, it’s all lighting shops and food courts.

If you’re ever woken up at night, it’s almost always due to: It’s debatable whether a nuclear explosion would wake me from my slumber to be honest. As far as sleeping goes, I’m heavier than Sherman Klump.

A massive late-night rager on your street is likely to be: A distressed, pregnant stray cat screaming blue murder. That happened one night, but now we’ve got cats of our own we’re very sympathetic! It’s pretty quiet, to be fair.


The Superlatives

Your hands-down favourite neighbourhood joints are: The Tuckshop, Smith’s Fish and Chips, Ruby Thai and Nan Xiang Chicken Rice.

You won’t find better local food than at: Nan Xiang or the chicken rice stall at Paya Lebar MRT food court.

The strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street is: A fella in football boots dressed as Spiderman.

We love a good bargain. The best deals in your neighbourhood are: Various electronics in City Plaza, and the missus reckons they’ve got some decent, seriously cheap nail salons. Also, the mutton rendang at North, East, South, West. Strangely, it’s a vegetarian restaurant that serves meat. I couldn’t work it out either.

The guiltiest pleasure in your area is: Smith’s Fish and Chips. I usually train six days a week, and as long as I don’t miss a session then I’ll treat myself to haddock, chips, mushy peas and lashings of red sauce on a Sunday.

One thing you’d never change is: The vibe of the area – it’s a genuine community. And the lovely wheelchair-bound lady at the MRT station who sings her heart out while selling tissues and other bits and bobs.

But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing go is: All the cranes. There’s loads of building work going on opposite Tanjong Katong Complex.

The city gives you $5 million to soup up your street. You use it to: Give City Plaza a lick of paint. And we could get horticultural in the area between our condo and the MRT to make that look nicer. Oh, and somehow change the colour of the murky river water.

Why should your neighbourhood be featured in a guidebook? The location is great. It’s three minutes’ walk to the MRT station, you feel part of a real Asian community, yet you’re just down the road from creature comforts on Tanjong Katong Road and East Coast Road. And you can see the sea from the rooftop pool.

 

This article first featured in the April 2014 issue of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy for the full article, or Subscribe now so you never miss an issue!

We have a whole heap of Neighbourhood Guides to help you get to know your hood, or if you are thinking of moving! Or check out more about Living in Singapore.

Categories: Living here Living in Singapore Neighbourhood Guides Tags: Living In Singapore Moving To Singapore Neighbourhood Neighbourhood Guides Paya Lebar

Catherine Willingham

You May Also Like

Puzzle Pages, March 2021: All the Answers!

Outdoor Living at this West Coast house

Love in the time of COVID

Primary Sidebar

Expat Living Singapore 🇸🇬

expatlivingsg

Open
Alcohol in Singapore is expensive, as you probably know… so we’ve have tracked down some great bars that will help you get more drinks for your dollar! 

Check out the awesome guide (link on our stories) for the best bars and restaurants across the island that offer cheap drinks or great happy hour deals. Go forth and be merry! And, for a date night with a view, check out our round-ups of rooftop bars and other cool bars around town all on our website!

Note: These promotions are subject to changes. Please visit the bar’s social media page or drop them a call to confirm the deals

https://expatliving.sg/top-40-bars-for-cheap-drinks-in-singapore/
Open
*** March Giveaway** Is your home ready for a refresh, but you aren’t sure where to begin? 

This could be your lucky day! Known for its luxurious and eclectic style, The Cinnamon Room offers an extensive collection of artisan-crafted home décor that’s bound to add a touch of flair to your space. The store’s popular signature hide rug collection is handmade using high-grade, ethically-sourced hides. They’re as durable as they are stylish – red wine and coffee stains simply wipe away, making these low-pile beauties an effortless solution for any area of the home.

This month, we’ll be selecting one special reader to enjoy a 90-minute home consultation with The Cinnamon Room’s founder and designer Visha Nelson. What’s more, you’ll also receive a $900 voucher to use towards a rug of your choice!

To stand a chance to win, all you need to do is follow us on Instagram (@expatlivingsg) and @thecinnamonroom and click below to enter or check out our stories for the link! expatliving.sg/wccr/

The competition closes on 31 March, so hurry and enter now!

#homedecor #rugs #beautifuldesign #singapore #awardwinning #expatlivingsg #thecinnamonroom #hollandvillageshowroom
Open
Check out what's inside our March issue! To get a copy delivered to you, visit 👉 expatliving.sg/mag/ig

In this issue, we feature our best finds to make your bedroom look and feel great. Check out two renovated homes, get an insider’s view of Siglap, and discover useful tips and trends on the property rental market. There's plenty more too, including delicious Mexican food, top quality meat, cool fashion, fab facials and fragrances to try. 

🎁 Plus, there's a bonus mini guide on Preschools!
Open
We think home-grown label Love, Bonito’s fourth loungewear collection is super cute! 

Whether you’re in bed, at home lounging, or out and about, find comfort in effortless pieces of super-soft separates and one-pieces.

Get the complete package with matching accessories - plush slippers as the latest addition - and twinning pieces for your 
mini-mes.

Love, Bonito Loungewear is priced between S$9.90 to S$41.90 and available from lovebonito.com and in-stores island wide
Open
Photographs are some of our most prized possessions so we wanted you to meet Tekkie Help experts Sarah and Bo who are passionate about helping people keep photos (and data) safe. 

They feel that organising, managing and protecting our digital photos should be a top priority. Their number one piece of advice...create a centralised location where photos are stored in full-size resolution. 

Click on our stories for a handy guide to creating a Digital Photo Hub of your own 📷
Open
** Friday Giveaway**

Are you looking to revitalise your skin? 🤔
Well, today is your lucky day! 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻
We have TWO Visible-repair Replenishing Eye Cream and Galvanic Intensifier sets from @flesette to give away!

Bring the spa to your home with this great bundle, which consists of two tubes of eye cream and the reusable Intensifier, which attaches to the eye cream and gently vibrates and massages the thin, sensitive skin around the eyes, improving absorption and helping to turn back the clock! 

Use it to combat any or all of the below:

PREMATURE AGEING ⏳
 
DULL SKIN 😑
 
FINE LINES + WRINKLES 👵🏻

EYE BAGS + DARK CIRCLES 🐼

How to join? 
1. Follow @expatliving and @flesette 
2. Tag a friend who you want to give the other set to 
3. Go to expatliving.sg/VRRECGIS and enter your details 

Giveaway ends 4 March. Good luck! 
 
*
*
*
*
*
#expatlivingsg 
#youthfulskin 
#Flesette 
#singapore 
#expatlife 
#fridaygiveaway 
#beautifulskin
Open
No doubt you’ve been out walking around Singapore more than usual lately and maybe you’ve noticed more plants than you do when zipping by in a car, but what are they exactly? 

There are so many different types of flowers, trees and other plants in Singapore – some are native, but heaps have been imported over the years. 

Take a look on our stories for a handful of pretty pics and a cool website link from NParks to satisfy your curiosity.

Here are some interesting facts about plant numbers in Singapore...

• 4712 flora species
• 88 tree families
• 1,689 tree species
• 259 heritage trees

🌸 🌳 🪴
Open
Order your copy of the March issue here 👉 expatliving.sg/mag/ig

Inside, we feature our best finds to make your bedroom look and feel great. Check out two renovated homes, get an insider’s view of Siglap, and discover useful tips and trends on the property rental market and plenty more, including delicious Mexican food, top quality meat, cool fashion, fab facials and fragrances to try. 

📕 Plus, there's a bonus mini guide on Preschools!
Open
Now facelifts can be non-surgical and non-invasive which we love.

This facelift in Singapore uses painless High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU).

How it works.....
HIFU uses ultrasound technology to reach three different depths of the skin, in order to deliver focused beams of 60 to 70 degrees Celsius without disrupting the skin surface. These beams will melt the fats in the face, while tightening the skin and boosting collagen production; this allows your skin to continually lift and tone after the treatment. 

We thought this was super cool so we tried it out. Read the full review on our stories
Open
If you’ve just arrived (or been here a while) and wondering where to buy furniture in Singapore, we’ve pulled together this huge list of the best furniture shops on the red dot for you to start on! 

This comprehensive guide to Singapore furniture stores covers all areas, budgets and decorating tastes. 

There’s furniture shops for Asian, contemporary, chic, recycled and vintage furniture. So, whether you’re after a good sofa, antique lamp, modern dining table or a cute kid’s bed, grab a coffee and get scrolling via the link on our stories
Open
** Friday Giveaway**

Win a fabulous Glam Makeover & a 1 to 1 Makeup Workshop worth $350! 

How to join? 🤔

👉🏻Follow @expatlivingag and @falakamaar 
👉🏻tag the person who you want to win- it can also be you! 
It’s that easy! 

Falak Amaar is a Singapore based MUA trained and certified by celebrity Makeup artists (for Kim Kardashian, Ariana Grande to name a few) Mario Dedivanovic and Samer Khouzami (aka the king of contouring)

She loves to share the techniques she has learnt from the Makeup Maestros in 1 to 1 as well as group makeup workshops and uses them to create the most natural to the most transformative looks.

She regularly posts videos for simple makeup tips and tricks on her Instagram & Facebook Page along with the stunning makeup looks she creates for her clients.
*
*
*
*
*
#makeup
#Falakaar 
#expatlivingsg
#singapore 
#expats
#beautifulmakeup 
#makeupartistsg
Open
In Singapore, the year-round summer weather means you can’t do without swimwear, and you’ll need a few. It’s a hard life! 

Whether you are wondering where to buy a bikini or a full swimsuit, or even something more sporty for swimming laps there’s a good range of shopping options. 

The round up (link on our stories) includes the best online and physical stores to buy swimwear for women of all shapes and sizes 👙
Open
After four years in Kampong Bahru, local eyelash extensions studio The Lash Company has shifted to a bigger and brighter space in Holland Village! We visited the new salon to review their eyelash extensions service.

Read the reviews on our stories
Open
Looking for a house in Singapore? 

We asked the Expat Team at real estate company Knight Frank to give us some insider tips for a home search and to reflect on some of the property trends arising from the COVID-19 situation. 

What’s the current situation if you want to lease an apartment, and how difficult is it to find a house to rent now. 

Read the full story on our stories now
Open
Happy Valentine’s Day from the Expat Living Team ❤️

All we really need is love, but if you do fancy something else then we have fun trivia, gift ideas and some lovely dining options on our stories
Open
🏮 Gong Xi Fa Cai to all our friends celebrating Chinese New Year!
Open
What would make a doctor like DR MENKA GUPTA transform herself into a functional medicine practitioner and nutritionist in Singapore? 

Her lifelong passion for healing is the answer – and she hasn’t looked back. Born and raised in Lucknow, India, she knew from the age of three that she wanted to be a doctor. After years of working as a specialist in the fields of gastroenterology, general medicine and gynaecology in leading hospitals in the UK, India and Singapore, she joined the Institute for Functional Medicine in 2012, and established Nutra Nourish here five years ago. 

Dr Menka is the the only IFM certified practitioner (IFMCP) in South Asia (there are less than 1,000 globally) 

Read the full article in our stories
Open
Noticed all the lanterns and bright lights across Chinatown? 

Yep, it’s that time of the year again! Chinese New Year is in full force in Singapore, so we’ve listed some great events and handy tips for you to experience a truly authentic, fun and prosperous start to the Year of the Ox 🐂 🍊 🧧 

Check out our guide (link on stories) of what to do (and also what not to do!)
Open
Striking a stylish downward dog in yoga or a perfect squat when working out needn’t only be about flexibility. 

Now there’s a selection of trendy and stylish active wear to inspire us at the same time! 

Yumi Active offers a range of uber-sleek, re-imagined performance gear. With active wear with gorgeous designs, bold prints and ethnic motifs, the brand is certainly getting us motivated with the right kit to get fit

Check them out on our stories
Open
Our CNY Sale starts today! Grab a year's subscription for just $29 (usually $82.80). Visit 👉 expatliving.sg/sale/IG 

🎁 If you'd like to buy this as a gift, go to expatliving.sg/sale/gift/IG

You'll get free access to the digital edition on the Magzter app too!

.
#expatlivingsg #expatliving #sgexpat #expatsg #igsg #sgdining #sghome #sgsales
  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2021 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.