I visited Yong Siak Street in Tiong Bahru in a weekday afternoon. The combination of the intense midday heat and the raletively long distance from the nearest MRT Station, and by the time I reached there I was already sweating so much. There wasn't much shelter along the way either, however I did realize quite a few buildings that are still in construction around Yong Siak Street. There were many people there when I last visited, and quite a number of tourists and expats.
There are many interesting looking stores along Yong Siak Street, like Strangelets and Woods in the Books, that offers a wide array merchandizes which are not commonly sold in stores in Singapore, especially the idea of mixing unconventional retail items of different category together. Besides these stores, there are a couple of art galleries, fashion boutiques, cafes and bakery. From what I inquired from a few owners of the stores, their choice to set up their business in this district is mainly because they want a "quiet" place with lesser competition in comparison to bustling malls/markets.
What does it mean for the area? People seldom consider Tiong Bahru as trendy, in the contrary, Tiong Bahru was known for it's old housing estates, in fact it was the first project undertaken by the Singapore improvement Trust, a government body administrated by British colonial authorities to provide public housing in Singapore. The arrival of these unique "hip" stores and cafes would only attract more people to Tiong Bahru. Tiong Bahru possibly grow to become a more lively and active area. What does it mean for the people? It would mean a more vibrant lifestyle in Tiong Bahru
Right now, Yong Siak Street is not very popular and not many people go there because of how in convenient reach the place is, some customers in Forty Hands also mentioned how would not visit Yong Siak Street again because of distance.
What if better transportation services were provided to gain access to Yong Siak Street? It would not only greatly improve the business in the area but also help Tiong Bahru develop into a more lively area.
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