Terry Ong

Just a few minutes’ walk or three bus stops away from Novena is Balestier Road and its offshoots like Kim Keat Road and Whampoa Drive—a busy thoroughfare with a treasure trove of experiences. Sure, it may lack Novena’s order and convenience, but it’s precisely in that unpredictable chaos that you’ll find its charms. Many old shophouses can be found here, alongside a multitude of famous old makan places, countless lighting shops (certainly a fixture here), furniture specialists and vintage retail shops that you simply must check out.

14 years ago

city living

By Terry Ong | Feb 18, 2011

Explore Novena & Balestier: Novena Square / Velocity

These two adjacent malls are the most well-known in the area. While Velocity is regarded as a sports hub of sorts, we like Novena Square for its unpredictable food and lifestyle choices.

14 years ago

city living

By Terry Ong | Feb 18, 2011

Explore Novena & Balestier: United Square

Although more family and office crowd oriented, come here for an afternoon perk-me-up at Jalan Kayu—The Prata Café or some tasty local cuisine at Grandma’s (just the way nanna ordered).

14 years ago

city living

By Terry Ong | Feb 18, 2011

Explore Novena & Balestier: Goldhill Plaza/Centre

Located just behind United Square, the vibe around Goldhill is a tad old school (with lots of small scale offices and some dodgy bars), although the selection is anything but.

14 years ago

city living

By Terry Ong | Feb 18, 2011

Streetwise: Novena & Balestier

The great thing about Novena is that most of the lifestyle options are housed within walking distance from one another, namely the three main malls of Square 2, Novena Square and United Square, with a few more interesting options around Goldhill Plaza. The vibe here is pretty posh yet relaxed, befitting of the many expats who reside in the condos around the area. Yet the shopping and dining options prove to be surprisingly varied and interesting.

14 years ago

city living

By Terry Ong | Feb 18, 2011

Adam Kimmel @ Club 21b; Uniqlo's +J

Submitted by mzaki on Fri, 2011-02-18 00:00

Type:

best of

So I’m not one who believes in hype. You know—hype. Fashion’s attempt to convince you that a certain product is cooler than it actually is. But I have to say, after being in the market here for a year or so, the +J collection by Uniqlo has grown from strength to strength and is, well, cooler than ever. The Spring/Summer 2011 collection is definitely a few sartorial steps up from its last Autumn/Winter collection, which was boring and, ahem, impractical, to say the least.

Topics:

shopping

Author:

Terry Ong

Issue Date:

2011 Feb 18 - 00:00

Column Name (Node Reference):

Style Notes

PullQoute:

So I’m not one who believes in hype. You know—hype. Fashion’s attempt to convince you that a certain product is cooler than it actually is.

Images: