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Exploring Singapore: Shophouses

February 4, 2018 in EXPLORE, SINGAPORE

Hello and here’s to February! Here’s also to more updates and catching up with all the adventures I have yet to share! The absence from my blog really annoys me and it’s been due to circumstance and not out of choice.

So, as I move on to better things in regular life, I’m going to pick up blogging again! If you’re reading this, thank you for stopping by today, and I hope you enjoy the city explorations here. :)

City Girl City Stories: Shophouses

In this post, I’m sharing some snapshots I took of a particular architectural building type called the shophouse! Commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia, I’m quite fascinated by these colourful heritage buildings! I understand there is plenty of history and changes in the shophouse, and one of these days when I find the time, I would love to read more about them. (If you’re interested, there’s this book called Singapore Shophouses by Julian Davidson filled with detailed information and photos of shophouses!)

City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses

I found out about this stretch of shophouses located on Emerald Hill Road, in the Orchard area of Singapore, and when I moved back last year, decided to wander down the street when I was in the area. Just to add, I am aware that there are many neighbourhoods/areas in Singapore to spot shophouses, but since I mainly only visited this stretch, I don’t have pictures from other neighbourhoods. (See end of post for links to more information about shophouses and where to spot them in Singapore.)

City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses

For a very brief idea of what a shophouse is like, it is a very narrow low rise building when you view it from the front, but has a very long interior space and usually are two to three floors high. Originally, they were used with a dual function: as a shop downstairs and a residential space upstairs, explaining the name!

City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses

Today in Singapore, they serve both commercial and residential purposes, housing offices, homes, restaurants, bookstores, cafes etc. As I walked further into Emerald Hill Road, I believe most of the shophouses I saw were residential homes and it was an interesting feeling walking around what felt like a small neighbourhood when just beyond this small section, are sprawling shopping malls and crowds of shoppers and tourists!

City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses

To end, I’d just like to say that if I lived in a shophouse, I’d like to imagine that mine would probably be a pink or yellow one! How fun would it be, to come home to something so bright everyday? :)

City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses

Read more about Singapore’s shophouses here and here!

City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses
City Girl City Stories: Shophouses

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HELLO, I’M KYLENE

HELLO, I’M KYLENE

I’m a Hong Kong born, Singapore raised city girl. I have lived, studied and worked in both cities and am currently based in sunny Singapore. Welcome to my personal blog, where I share my city adventures. :)
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