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In the bustling city of Singapore, Jackie Goh, an illustrator at 8EyedSpud, splits her time between doodling and capturing life’s moments on film at The Fingersmith Letterpress. One of the perks of living in this compact city? You can drive from one side to the other in just 35 minutes, making it easy to pack a lot into your day; Don’t expect to find any hairdressers on this list, as Jackie hasn’t visited one in 18 years, having become a pro at cutting her own hair.
My favourite spot is Baker’s Bench Bakery. It’s a female-owned joint that serves sourdough bakes in small batches. They’re always experimenting with different flavours, and their staples are reliably solid. I don’t have a specific recommendation because I always try something new each time I pop by. Just opposite the bakery is Grassroots Book Room with a great selection of books. It’s a nice spot to get lost in.
Tiong Bahru Market is a great place to try a huge variety of local food. It’s like a microcosm of Singapore’s cultural melting pot! It’s split into two floors, with a wet market below and all the food options upstairs. If you’re overwhelmed by all the choices and have some time on hand, just pick a store where a decent queue has formed. I always stop by Yong Seng Coffee to get coffee beans. Sometimes, when I feel a little fancy, I’ll pick up some fresh cut flowers from one of the florists on the ground floor.
Chu and Co is a great spot for grab-and-go sammies and bakes. They don’t have chairs and tables for you to dine in, but you are welcome to lay a picnic mat or set up your own camp chairs along their corridor. This is when the pair of chairs in my car boot come in handy. You can also grab coffee from their neighbour The Community Coffee. White coffee is my standard order!
Woods in the Books is my go-to place to pick up gifts for kids and sometimes for myself. I love browsing through the wonderful selection of illustrated books. I always end up “accidentally” buying a book (or two) when I’m there.
Hands down art. Hell’s Museum Haw Par Villa is a quirky museum that’s out of this world (literally). It’s basically an outdoor gallery park filled with tons of strange dioramas from Chinese religions. Trust me when I say it’s weirder than it sounds. One of my favourite dioramas is a mermaid doing a handstand on a fellow mermaid’s head. Yup! It’s wild.
Upper Pierce Reservoir. This is the spot I head to when I want to get away from the busyness of the city. You can bring a snack and sit out under a tree but (speaking from experience) I don’t recommend bringing a whole spread because the fearless monkeys (who are not to be underestimated) will invite themselves to your party. There’s also a nice short hiking route that will take you around the reservoir.
I enjoy being outdoors so when the weather is good I like to longboard along the park connectors in Singapore. A popular route that never gets old is along Gardens by the Bay East. You get to enjoy the Singapore skyline in its full glory without the crowds. If you’re feeling a little more adventurous, there is a 150km Round Island Route that takes you around Singapore. P.S. We’ve only managed to skate 62.5km of that route before melting in Singapore’s heat.
New Bahru is a new creative concept space that’s great for people watching and dog watching. It was formerly an old high school and the original architecture is conserved. I like that you can find a lot of local brands all in one place, including Sojao, which is where I get my bedsheets from!
A great night out in the city would be heading down to Papi’s Tacos to grab some (you guessed it) Tacos and walking a short 10 minutes over to The Esplanade. They usually have live music or other performances happening at their Outdoor Theatre. It’s also fun to watch people come up with crazy poses when they take photos with the Merlion.
I’ve never done a staycation before but if I had to pick a place, I’d like to stay at Lloyd’s Inn. I’m always drawn to small boutique hotels with a down-to-earth vibe. A big plus is that it’s surrounded by greenery even though it’s located right in the heart of the city.
Follow Jackie on Instagram to see even more places she loves in Singapore.
Take a peak inside the home Jackie co-designed with knock knock studio on our website.
