Bukit Timah · Holland
Bukit Timah — leafy enclaves, top schools, and the country's last virgin rainforest.
Once a tin-mining and rubber-plantation hinterland, Bukit Timah evolved into Singapore's premier address for landed living after WWII. The 1962 gazetting of Bukit Timah Nature Reserve preserved the country's last virgin rainforest, while the 1970s saw the consolidation of the district's school cluster. Today's residents enjoy a leafy patchwork of GCBs, prime condominiums and the rare commute that begins on a forest trail.
Attractions
Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Singapore Botanic Gardens (UNESCO), the Rail Corridor and Holland Village's bohemian shophouse strip — all within a 10-minute drive.
Amenities
Cluny Court, Coronation Plaza, and the bustling Bukit Timah Plaza cover everyday needs. Cold Storage Cluny is a destination in its own right. Two new TEL stations (Tan Kah Kee, Sixth Avenue) complete the area's transit overhaul.
Schools
Nanyang Primary, Raffles Girls' Primary, Hwa Chong Institution, ACS (Independent), Methodist Girls' School, NUS High and Singapore Chinese Girls' — Singapore's tightest cluster of top schools.
Food & drink
Cheong Chin Nam Road's late-night zi char, Adam Road Hawker Centre's roti john, Cluny Court's Burger & Lobster, Open Farm Community's farm-to-table room — and a robust café scene along Sixth Avenue.
Lifestyle
Sunday morning is for Botanic Gardens; weekday evenings for the Rail Corridor; long weekends for tennis at the Tanglin Club and dinner at Bynd Artisan.
Entertainment
The Projector at Cathay; live jazz at Wala Wala Café Bar in Holland Village; Saturday markets at Dempsey Hill.