Anderspluscindy

Dating all the way back to the 1920s, Tiong Bahru is the oldest housing estate in Singapore. These days, Singaporeans know it as one of the most hip estates to visit on the weekends or at night. We went there on a fine breezy day to walk around the estate. By the end of the afternoon, Tiong Bahru has became one of our favourite place locally. 

An estate of photo spots

Aeroplane Flats
At the intersection of Tiong Poh Road, you will find a unique looking group of flats. These flats were built ‘pre-war’ and its design was inspired by the wings of the aeroplane. We saw people pointing at the top floor, and overheard that a fire broke out recently in the top right apartment. Hope no one was hurt!

Murals
Murals can be spotted around the neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru. Here’s just a couple that we stopped to take photos of. We really like the murals of the bird owners, as it is a nostalgic sight of Singapore that is slowly fading away.

Tiong Bahru Market
Apart from the wide selection of hawker and market stalls in Tiong Bahru Market, we discovered that the rooftop carpark provides a good 360 degrees view of the estate. What you’ll notice however, that while we are standing in the old housing estate of Tiong Bahru, the new and tall HDB blocks are slowly creeping in. 

Post-War Flats
The flats that you see around Lim Liak Street exudes character. With its clean white look and sitting among greenery, it makes for a great photo spot. Also, the stairwell is charming too!

And many more!
Every corner you turn in this area seems photo-worthy.  There’s even book stores such as BooksActually and Woods In The Books here. And of course, many cafes too. Which brings me to our next segment.

What’s for lunch? 

Arrived at Tiong Bahru during lunchtime, sticking our heads into every food place and wondering what we should have. We eventually decided on Ah Chiang’s Porridge at block 65. Turned out to be a great choice! This charcoal cooked porridge was really flavourful and there was really nothing to pick on. We ordered some vegetables and Thai-style Tofu to go along with it. They had different types of meat available for the Porridge, and the prices are very reasonable too.

Time for a break

I know… of so many cafes in here, you had to pick the most mainstream one??!!?! Yes, we did! Thought that it will be fitting for our first visit to Tiong Bahru, to take a break in Tiong Bahru Bakery. It was a perfect choice! Good beverages and pastries as usual. The almond croissant’s my favourite!

We’ll be back!

A short afternoon at Tiong Bahru was really enjoyable! You can explore the whole area at a very relaxed pace. We definitely prefer this area over the busy city areas any day. Remember to bring your camera when you visit and capture the charms of this historical yet trendy estate.