Holland Village

Holland Village grew after the war as a shopping street for the British forces families housed nearby, and it kept a low-rise, slightly ramshackle character that the rest of the island lost: two and three-storey shophouses, a covered wet market and food centre, and streets of restaurants and bars. Lorong Mambong is the main strip. Redevelopment has added a large complex at one end, which has changed the balance considerably.

History

The area began as a kampung, and Chip Bee Gardens was later built as married quarters for the British military; Holland Road is said to have been named in 1907 after Hugh Holland, an architect and early resident, and the Holland Village MRT station opened in 2011 (Wikipedia, Holland Village, Singapore).

What's there

• The shophouse strip - low-rise streets of restaurants and bars on Lorong Mambong.
• The market and food centre - the working wet market and hawker stalls.
• Chip Bee Gardens - the terraces of shops and studios behind the main street.
• The low-rise character - two and three storeys in a city of towers.

When to go

Year round; evenings are when the strip is busiest. The market is a morning place. Weekends fill the restaurants.

Good to know

Redevelopment has added a large mall complex that has pulled the character towards the generic. Prices are high. The area is small and half a day covers it.

Nearby

Dempsey Hill is east, and the Botanic Gardens are northeast.

Key facts