Looking to move to a new neighbourhood, or perhaps new to Singapore? We speak to Australian Sam Morison about the ins and outs of living at Bayshore Road, East Coast.
What street do you live on?
Bayshore Road.
Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home?
Returning home from the children’s school I sound like a rapper: “Please take me down the CTE, PIE, KPE then onto the ECP.” Seriously. The kids think it’s hilarious.
What’s the name of your neighbourhood?
Bayshore, Upper East Coast, Bedok, Lucky Heights – I keep listing them until I have a winner.
Closest MRT station?
Bedok.
How long have you lived here?
Three-and-a-half years.
Why here?
We moved from a Sydney beachside suburb – with our dog Bear – and we love the ocean. The openness, the breeze and morning swims for Bear are a huge winner, along with being minutes from the airport, which is a major plus as my husband travels weekly.
When you walk out of your place, the first thing you see is:
The ships lined up in the strait between the East Coast and Indonesia. Each and every day the view changes based on the weather; blue skies with ships in a neat straight line or grey, windy skies, a curtain of rain and the ships swinging in every direction.
The closest store to your front door is:
Not one, but several, in an amazing strip of shops, including a convenience store, stuffed with everything you can imagine; a dry cleaner who offers great-priced liquor; and a highly recommended dentist and beautician.
Your street would make the perfect backdrop for a remake of:
An Indian reality show.
The unofficial uniform of your street is:
Lycra: from runners to cyclists, gym-goers, boot-camp regulars, tennis players, swimmers, Zumba practitioners and yoga followers.
If a celebrity moves in next door, it will most likely be:
A wealthy mainland Chinese businessman who lives here one weekend a month, guessing by the high-end cars in the car park.
When you’re in need of a dose of culture, you:
Take a walk down Arab Street and Haji Lane with friends.
If you’re missing home, you:
Visit Kinki Rooftop Bar. In the early evenings it has a holiday feel – surrounded by Singapore’s amazing skyline, it reminds me that life is grand. (Then I usually focus on recruiting a friend or family member to holiday here.)
A mandatory stop for out-of-town guests is:
Jumbo’s at Seafood Centre East Coast for chilli crab. Book for 6.30pm, and watch as the sun goes down and the ship lights turn the watery view into a fairyland: outdoor, waterfront dining and seafood – all out-of-towners love it, even those only stopping by for a few hours.
You’d swap houses in a second with:
An Emerald Hill shophouse, for a completely different neighbourhood, lifestyle and floor plan – and Orchard Road convenience.
A common myth about your neighbourhood is:
That it’s too far away. Announcement: this island is not big; nothing is too far away.
If you’re ever woken up at night, it’s almost always due to:
A weather change, and I race around to shut the windows.
A massive late-night rager on your street is likely to be:
Our English friends who seem to never run out of energy.
Your favourite neighbourhood joints are:
Cheap and cheerful hawker meals at East Coast Lagoon Food Village; an early morning wet market shopping trip to Bedok 217 where the kids are treated to roast pork belly for breakfast; Hua Yu Wee at 246 Upper East Coast Road, an old black-and-white house with a beer garden for Chinese seafood – this ticks every box.
You won’t find better local food than at:
The chicken rice stall from Soy Eu Tua (corner of Jalan Tua Kong), Malay food at Mas Ayu, and Jamal Restaurant for cheap Indian food, all on Upper East Coast Road at Siglap; it’s a five-minute drive.
The strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street is:
A drag queen dressed as Wonder Woman. Her perspiration was so intense that her PVC outfit was disintegrating!
We love a good bargain. The best deals in your neighbourhood are: East Coast Lagoon Food Village, which we know as “the hawker centre”. There’s something for everyone, from prawns to roast duck, rojak, popiah and satay; linger while the kids scooter up and down the coastal paths or play in the sand.
The guiltiest pleasure in your area is:
Our condo pool. It is barely used throughout the day, so after a few beers we feel like it’s our own exclusive club.
One thing you’d never change is:
My appreciation for living comfortably and harmoniously among so many cultures.
But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing go is:
The lack of tolerance that some people display. Embrace and enjoy this unique experience!
The city gives you $5 million to soup up your street. You use it to:
Build a dog park with a swimming pond, somewhere along the East Coast. (Near the skateboard park would be handy!)
This article first featured in the June 2015 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.
