Guide to Nassim Road

Looking to move to a new neighbourhood? Nothing would be better than to hear from the residents themselves. We speak to Julia Tresch about the ins and outs of living on Nassim Road.

Name: Julia Tresch
From: France
Occupation: Private wealth manager and travel lover.

The Specifics:

What street do you live on?

Nassim Road.

If it’s in another language, what does it mean?

Nassim means child in Malay.

What’s the name of your neighbourhood?

Botanic Gardens.

Closest MRT station?

Orchard.

Why here?

I immediately fell in love with the view. From our condo, there is a 360° view of the landscape. Trees are all around us, and we are surrounded by beautiful villas, embassies and, of course, the Botanic Gardens.

How long have you lived here?

One and a half years.

Condo, house, terraced home?

Condo – I live in Nassim Regency.

Number of places you viewed before picking this one?

This was my first choice! I visited ten other places but couldn’t find anything comparable.

Favourite things about your building?

I love the beautiful wooden furniture in the common area; I like old wood. I also enjoy the nice long pool, which is very convenient for serious swimming, and the privacy around the barbecue area. My visitors from abroad feel it’s like a little paradise.

Favourite things about your space?

Since I love cooking, I enjoy the open plan kitchen and the living room. I also like watching the sun sink into the Botanic Gardens from my bedroom. It’s the perfect place to relax or take a nap before going out.

The Scene:

When you walk out of your place, the first thing you see is: 

Two huge lions at the entrance to my neighbour’s house. His property is stunning, with lots of artwork and statues. For New Year, he lights up the entire house and garden like something from a fairytale.

How often do you walk along this street?

I sometimes jog along it at night, but I mainly take a taxi to get to my job at Meyado Private Wealth Management in the CBD.

The closest store to your front door is:

Tanglin Mall. There are no stores on my street since it’s mainly residential.

The unofficial uniform of your street is:

Sports clothes – it’s a great street for jogging to the Botanic Gardens.

If a celebrity moves in next door, it will most likely be:

A successful businessman like Bernard Arnault, CEO of LVMH, or a retired politician. George W. Bush visited the American ambassador’s residence next door a few months ago, I believe.

When you’re in need of a dose of culture, you:

Travel!

If you’re missing home, you:

Call my friends and family. Also, since we produce our own family wines in France (Leon Beyer), having a glass gives me the feeling of being back home. I believe tastes and scents carry strong memories and can take you back through time.

A mandatory stop for out-of-town guests is:

Marina Bay for the view.

You’d swap houses in a second with:

A black-and-white on Seton Close, hidden by the shade of the trees.

If you’re ever woken up at night, it’s almost always due to:

Frogs or woodpeckers. Sometimes the light of the full moon wakes me up because I sleep with the curtains open.

The Superlatives:

You won’t find better local food than at:

The Red House – they do a great chilli crab.

The strangest thing you’ve ever seen in Singapore is:

A shaman dressed in white clothes walking in the middle of the street one night in a complete trance. He was surrounded by a crowd of followers. It looked quite weird.

We love a good bargain. The best deals in your neighbourhood are:

Dinner on the terrace at Halia in the Botanic Gardens or a Balinese massage on Mohamed Sultan Road.

The guiltiest pleasure in your area is:

Buying profiteroles from Brunetti at Tanglin Mall. It also has a great variety of tiered cakes available for takeaway whenever you are too lazy to bake.

The city gives you $5 million to soup up your street. You use it to:

Buy my own property here, ha ha! Or I might use it to provide a free, high-quality school to kids that don’t have access to education. Children are the hope for a bright future; every child should have access to proper education. Caring for Cambodia is a great organisation. I have visited some of their schools in Siem Reap, and they are doing an amazing job providing education and drinkable water to local communities.