Looking to move to a new neighbourhood? Nothing would be better than to hear from the residents themselves. We speak to Margaret Marshall about the ins and outs of living on Club Street.
Name: Margaret Marshall
From: US
Occupation: Marketing and sales director; converting Singaporeans – one taxi driver at a time – to Brewerkz bottled beer.
The Specifics
What street do you live on?
Club Street.
How do locals pronounce it?
Kl-up Stree.
Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home?
Kl-up Stree, Chi-a Towwn, you know Maxwell Market? Go Maxwell Market.
What’s the name of your neighbourhood?
Chinatown.
How long have you lived here?
Going on three and a half years.
Why here?
Location, location, location! Initially, we were torn between Emerald Garden on Club Street and a condo in Novena. More than three years later, we have no regrets and couldn’t imagine ourselves anywhere else. We have a 10-minute walk to work, food choices galore, fantastic spas on every corner and a wet market, two grocery stores and four temples within walking distance. All of this in a historical neighbourhood – you can’t beat it!
The Scene:
When you walk out of your place, the first thing you see is:
On a weekday morning, there is a very convenient fleet of taxis waiting outside. In the evenings, glamorous people and hot sports cars head to the hip bars and restaurants in my neighbourhood.
Your neighbours are great, but you wouldn’t mind a little less:
Traffic! The community board would be smart to block off the street at the weekends, like at Holland Village.
If you’re missing home, you:
Head to Brewerkz for a beer and hot wings, or to Café Iguana for a margarita and a burrito.
A mandatory stop for your out-of-town guests is:
Foot reflexology, the fish spa and dumplings at People’s Park.
If you’re ever woken up at night, it’s almost always due to:
My cat meowing between 4.30am and 7am; hence her name, Rooster Kitty.
A massive late-night rager on your street is likely to be:
Us! When we have cookouts with friends at our pool, we’re kicked out by the security guard at 11pm. So, we head to the Screening Room, to Dartz Place or to a karaoke joint.
The Superlatives:
Your hands-down favourite neighbourhood joint is:
I am a huge fan of Senso for champagne brunch, and Le Carillon de L’Angelus for dinner as the waiters are fantastic and don’t rush you. For wine and good music, I like Beaujolais on Ann Siang Hill.
For the kiddos, there’s no better place to turn than:
Wild Child for one-of-a-kind keepsakes, and Woods in the Books for children’s books.
We love a good bargain. The best deals in your neighbourhood are:
The massages on Amoy Street aren’t glamorous, but you can’t beat the price! The guys at Barakkath Frame Maker (South Bridge Road) are nice and don’t charge a fortune. And, there isn’t a fixed priced at the Indian vegetarian buffet at Annalakshmi Janatha (Amoy Street) – you pay what you feel, and the money goes to community programmes.
You won’t find better local food than at:
Maxwell Food Centre has the best chicken rice, fish soup and dumplings. I love Lan Zhou La Mian (Smith Street) because his noodles are fresh and the owner is a showman.
The guiltiest pleasure in your area is:
Truffle fries @ PS.Café on Ann Siang Hill. Plus, sometimes you want a brunch without little ones running around, and kids are not allowed at this location.
One thing you’d never change is:
The melting-pot of people in my neighbourhood. It gets busy, but I love it. I think it represents the pulse of Singapore.
But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing go is:
There is some hidden poverty, and it’s pretty clear there is a stray cat issue. I wish some of the elderly didn’t have to collect heavy cardboard for income and I wish the cats all had homes or were at least neutered.
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.
