T TALK STREE

HOOD ’ THEIR IN TO LIFE GUIDE R’S INSIDE AN

THE SPECIFICS Where do you live?

Surrey Road.

Exact words you tell a taxi driver to get home?

“Just off Newton Road, next to Hotel Royal.”

What’s the name of your neighbourhood?

Newton Road.

Closest MRT station?

We’re right in the middle between Newton and Novena stations.

How long have you lived here?

Three years.

Why here?

It was the best compromise – somewhere that was equidistant from both my workplace and my partner’s. Also, it’s close to a supermarket and a bus stop, and a stone’s throw from Orchard Road.

THE SUPERLATIVES

Your hands-down favourite neighbourhood joints are:

Pete’s Place at the Grand Hyatt, which is five minutes on the bus from us, does amazing pizza. If you’re feeling lazy, they’re on Deliveroo and the pizza always arrives piping hot. The Clueless Goat is a great breakfast spot; you can’t beat the smashed avocados and poached eggs on sourdough toast. Nickeldime is a draft house with craft beers from all over the world; keep an eye out for their food specials, such as one-for-one meatballs on Wednesdays. It’s hard to resist a prata from Jalan Kayu Prata Café in United Square on a hungover Sunday afternoon. Skyve is a winner for brunch, lunch or dinner and is nestled away in a quiet spot on Winstedt Road.

You won’t find better local food than at:

Newton Circus Hawker Centre.

The strangest thing you’ve ever seen on your street is:

A taxi stuck between a wall and a signpost. (Not sure how it even got there!)

We love a good bargain. The best deals in your neighbourhood are:

Little India is a 20-minute walk away and the Tekka Centre has a wide range of seafood, spices, fruit and vegetables, and fresh flowers.

The guiltiest pleasure in your area is:

Brian my partner is partial to a Kopi-o from Toast Box every Saturday morning and I love a Vietnamese baguette from Banh Mi 888 in United Square.

One thing you’d never change is:

The close proximity to a bus stop. There are really good connections to most spots in Singapore from right outside our front door.

But one thing you wouldn’t mind seeing go is:

The incessant car- horn beeping from people whenever traffic builds up. It’s a busy spot with lots of “enrichment classes” taking place nearby. People just love to double-park – blocking the road when dropping their kids off.

The city gives you $5 million to soup up your street. You use it to:

Bring in lots of new bars and restaurants, as the choice is quite limited. We’d love if our neighbourhood became the next Tiong Bahru. Also wouldn’t mind some air conditioning on the under-passage to Novena MRT – the walk to and from the train is sweltering.