Singapore fosters a salad bowl culture, where people of multitude of race, religion and ethnicity are able to dwell side by side without loosing their roots. The country, which is a swarming commercial hub amidst a dense rain forest, is a happy medley of contrasts, which dazzles not only the visitors but some observant locals as well. Be it spreading lavish foliage among the concrete jungle, or sprinkling artsy attractions amidst commercial hotspots, or mimicking a foreign country, or chiseling futuristic dedicated hubs, or creating self-contained HDB heartlands, or putting up getaways for the locals along with a myriad of tourist attractions Singapore, a tiny island state, packs huge surprises.
After arriving at the Changi airport, the meticulously manicured greenery which welcomes you is the immediate sign of the city state’s total commitment to infrastructure and the effective planning and efficient organization. Well orchestrated efforts have packed a dash of lush & beautiful green environment, where one can live, learn, work and play in a carefree and crime free setting. In line with its guiding policy of green and clean economy, it still unfailingly preserves the fine flora and fauna by setting up reserve areas such as Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Central Catchment Reserve, etc.
To promote the city as a premier garden city, plans have been rolled out for Gardens by the Bay at Marina Bay. It is a planned development of three major parks around the Marina Bay in downtown Singapore, for which 94 hectares of prime waterfront lands have been allocated for park space, including a conservatory which will serve as Singapore's second botanical garden.
Set up by Sir Stamford Raffles, botanist and founder of Singapore, the first Singapore Botanic Gardens is located in Tanglin, which along with Orchard district was covered in fruit trees and plantations once upon a time. Tanglin is where you find the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' (MFA) headquarters. Also located here are the United States' Embassy, the Australian High Commission, the British Council, the British High Commission and the Chinese Embassy. Tanglin Shopping Center, Singapore’s Oldest Shopping center is located here, and a best place to find curios.
Orchard Road needs no introduction, as we all know that it’s a shopper’ paradise. Apart from the innumerable big brand retail houses that attract a vivacious crowd of shoppers, the district takes a different dimension during night because of the innumerous pubs.
Mohammed Sultan Road, Boat Quay, Clarke Quay, Robertson Quay, Chinatown, CHIJMES and nearby areas will have special interests for the night birds. Holland Village a laidback and casual looking neighborhood, which is also a popular residential area among western expatriates, with its rows of bars and restaurants also gets peppy as the sun goes down.
While discussing nightlife, the Newton Food center at the Newton circus and Geylang area deserves a special mention because of the amazing and exotic variety of food served there into the wee hours. It’s a favorite spot for the late-night crawlers and clubbers.
For those who are religious there are many temples, mosques and synagogues in Singapore. Such religious places surrounded by retailers together graduate an area to such a level that it is a perfect imitation of a country, for instance the shops in and around Serangoon Road in Little India, which spreads their wares to the crowds thronging the three main temples along the road is a close cousin of India itself. Anything Indian you need can be bought here, right from a special herb or spice unto a uniquely designed Indian jewelry.
Similarly Arab Street unfolds an Arabian way of life. Robed men, oriental carpets, fresh dates, alcohol free perfumes, fine silken fabrics and the awesome golden dome of the Sultan Mosque will all conjure a feeling of being in a muslin country. Istana Kampong Glam, originally a palace for the Malay Royal Family, is still located here but stays converted into the Malay Heritage Center.
Nestled in this neighborhood is Golden Mile Complex, a Thai enclave, anything that is Thai is found here. Geylang with lots of shop houses, was originally a Malay village, still lot of the resemblance lingers as the area caters primarily to the Malay community. Notoriously this area is also known as the red light district of Singapore.
Chinatown is the cultural hub of the Chinese community in Singapore and is rich in Chinese heritage, and has been classified as conservation area.
To unwind after a period of toil, there is lot of local getaways, if not the affordable packages to the nearby overseas resorts. Chalets can be rented along East Coast Park, Changi beach etc to spend quality time with family and friends. Cycling, rollerblading , picnicking or water sports is not the only recreational activities, but eating itself is fun and relaxing with the huge variety of seafood available there. Also there are nearby Islands like Pulua Ubin, Kusu Island, St.John’s Island etc which have long lonely beaches if you do not like the bustling Sentosa, which is a full fledged recreation resort.
Well, learning never ends and if you are in this dynamic island it is essential to stay updated. Young and Old alike have innumerous choice to cater to their interest.
Dover, a small neighborhood within the Queenstown District, boasts of many educational institutions. A former military and residential area during British period Dover derives many of its road names from the English place names. National university of Singapore (NUS), Singapore Polytechnic, the first polytechnic in Singapore, INSEAD, a world leading business school, international schools such as Norwegian Public School, United World College of South East Asia and several other primary and secondary school dot the entire neighborhood.
The Ministry of Education itself is housed in this modest district, yet the credit of the nation’s education hub goes to the historic Bras Basah district which has been earmarked by the Urban Redevelopment Authority as the Arts, Culture, Learning and Entertainment hub. New city campuses such as the Singapore Management University and Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts are already located within the Bras Basah district. LaSalle-SIA College of the Arts recently shifted to its brand new building located here and the Singapore Art School which is currently under construction is slated to open in 2009. The Bras Basah-Bugis area is evolving into a vibrant Arts and Entertainment District with a concentration of cinema, theatres, performance venues, thematic shopping and dinning with an emphasis on bustling street life and activities. It is an exceptional decision for the land scarce city state to dedicate prime lands for arts culture and education, yet not unusual for the visionary state which endeavors to revive and retain art, heritage and wisdom at the heart of its development.
While discussing union of arts and development, Raffles Place district deserves a distinguished mention. Nestling many performance houses including the renowned Esplanade which the locals fondly refer to as the ‘Durian Building’, a waterfront architectural icon and one of world’s busiest art center, the district is the nerve center of Singapore because the key ministries, Government linked companies, several banks are all located here. It would not be an exaggeration if the district is called the financial hub of Asia because the regional head quarters of many international banks and Multinational companies are all domiciled here. The OUB Centre, Republic Plaza and UOB plaza, each of them towering to 280 meters in height and sharing the title as the tallest buildings in Singapore, are located in this area.
Not letting the skyscrapers overwhelm the downtown core and adding aesthetic appeal, the Singapore River serenely winds along the Fullerton Hotel , which is housed in the renovated old General Post Office building and Merlion, a tourist icon before emptying into the Marina Bay. The River was once the lifeblood of Singapore, because the boats loaded with trading goods landed along the quays it was a thriving center of commercial activity and played a key role in the economic prosperity of Singapore.
Singapore being a colorful garden city, where the neighborhoods are safe and secure one can find that the overall atmosphere here is a fine blend of commercial modernity and traditional tranquility. Singapore is no doubt an ideal place to live, work and play.
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