Singapore Expats

Hey Guys,

I'm a 23 yr old single kiwi male moving to Singapore with work in Jan from NZ.

I'll be working at 51 Anson Road, Tanjong Pagar, and looking for a good area to live.

My budget is $2k/mnth. I've been recommended by work to stay in a condo in Woodlands - is that too far away?

Are there any areas that you can recommend for the price/based on work location?

Thanks in advance.

jamestheseg wrote:Hey Guys,

I'm a 23 yr old single kiwi male moving to Singapore with work in Jan from NZ.

I'll be working at 51 Anson Road, Tanjong Pagar, and looking for a good area to live.

My budget is $2k/mnth. I've been recommended by work to stay in a condo in Woodlands - is that too far away?

Are there any areas that you can recommend for the price/based on work location?

Thanks in advance.

If you look at Singapore on a map, trace the point in the island where it is longest from north to south. You'll be working at the southern tip, Woodlands is the northern tip. Basically yes, it is far.

I know someone who found a studio for $2k in River Valley. It's Hong Kong tiny, but thats a good area for someone your age.

If you're not opposed to renting a room with roommates, you can pick pretty much anywhere on the island at that price.

Agreed. You could well be better off getting a room in a flatshare. Reckon your HR suggested Woodlands because it is one of the (few) areas you could afford a condo home on your own on your budget. But the commute would be, erm, 'unenviable'.

(Try looking into the mirror and keeping a straight face whilst saying this):

[Scene: One of the Quays, Thursday night, (just gone midnight), you chatting with a girl you've been working on for a couple of hours...]

You: So d'ya fancy coming back to my place?
Her: I could be pursuaded [she giggles shyly], where dya live?
You: Woodlands
[Sound effect: arm of record player digging a discordant trench through a cherished piece of vinyl]

+1

JR8 wrote:Agreed. You could well be better off getting a room in a flatshare. Reckon your HR suggested Woodlands because it is one of the (few) areas you could afford a condo home on your own on your budget. But the commute would be, erm, 'unenviable'.

(Try looking into the mirror and keeping a straight face whilst saying this):

[Scene: One of the Quays, Thursday night, (just gone midnight), you chatting with a girl you've been working on for a couple of hours...]

You: So d'ya fancy coming back to my place?
Her: I could be pursuaded [she giggles shyly], where dya live?
You: Woodlands
[Sound effect: arm of record player digging a discordant trench through a cherished piece of vinyl]

Then he responses: Woodlands is the location of SAS. I don't have wife and any kids yet but I am very serious about family, their future well-being and education.

Besides, I think the odds are 50-50 the girl will be living there, or in CCK, or Yishun or even JB so she may be pretty enthusiastic If I would be afraid of anything with this location is if he gets a cab from the Quays at night to go there.

JR8 wrote:Agreed. You could well be better off getting a room in a flatshare. Reckon your HR suggested Woodlands because it is one of the (few) areas you could afford a condo home on your own on your budget. But the commute would be, erm, 'unenviable'.

(Try looking into the mirror and keeping a straight face whilst saying this):

[Scene: One of the Quays, Thursday night, (just gone midnight), you chatting with a girl you've been working on for a couple of hours...]

You: So d'ya fancy coming back to my place?
Her: I could be pursuaded [she giggles shyly], where dya live?
You: Woodlands
[Sound effect: arm of record player digging a discordant trench through a cherished piece of vinyl]

Haha I like that!

x9200 wrote:Then he responses: Woodlands is the location of SAS. I don't have wife and any kids yet but I am very serious about family, their future well-being and education.

Besides, I think the odds are 50-50 the girl will be living there, or in CCK, or Yishun or even JB so she may be pretty enthusiastic If I would be afraid of anything with this location is if he gets a cab from the Quays at night to go there.

Well with that 50% midnight surcharge, any cab driver would be glad to take him in!

the lynx wrote:

x9200 wrote:Then he responses: Woodlands is the location of SAS. I don't have wife and any kids yet but I am very serious about family, their future well-being and education.

Besides, I think the odds are 50-50 the girl will be living there, or in CCK, or Yishun or even JB so she may be pretty enthusiastic If I would be afraid of anything with this location is if he gets a cab from the Quays at night to go there.

Well with that 50% midnight surcharge, any cab driver would be glad to take him in!

Go, try and report here your rate of success Not sure how much has changed since I've been living in CCK but these few good years ago it was a serious problem. 50% or not, they have to get back and getting back empty does not help the business. They are so much better off with doing few km radius rides around the central part (or so they say).

If you haven't noticed, even after midnight, when a Taxi rolls up they roll down the window to ask you where you want to go. While it's illegal, they have 100 excuses why they cannot take you to your destination, even though they don't have a changing shift sign in the window.

What x9200 is very true. However, there is a solution if there isn't a changing shift sign displayed. Never, but never stick your head, or walk to the open window to find out what the driver wants to say. Instead, just get into the back of the taxi and then tell the driver where you want to go. If he balks, then tell him to either take you to your destination or to the nearest police station. The police will tell he to take you to your destination and will probably give you a card with a name & number on it if he doesn't. Then he will probably lose his vocational license. It works. I've used it several times. I had one who did take me to a police post once in AMK and that's why I know what happens there as well. Normally, they will just take you to your destination rather than gamble on losing their vocational license.

I would not do that in this particular situation unless for some weird reason you are completely sober Probably not the frequent case when going back after midnight from this particular location.

Woodlands is as far as it can get without tripping over the border, dude !

I am putting up near Upper Bukit Timah and already feeling far from the action...

sundaymorningstaple wrote:If you haven't noticed, even after midnight, when a Taxi rolls up they roll down the window to ask you where you want to go. While it's illegal, they have 100 excuses why they cannot take you to your destination, even though they don't have a changing shift sign in the window.

What x9200 is very true. However, there is a solution if there isn't a changing shift sign displayed. Never, but never stick your head, or walk to the open window to find out what the driver wants to say. Instead, just get into the back of the taxi and then tell the driver where you want to go. If he balks, then tell him to either take you to your destination or to the nearest police station. The police will tell he to take you to your destination and will probably give you a card with a name & number on it if he doesn't. Then he will probably lose his vocational license. It works. I've used it several times. I had one who did take me to a police post once in AMK and that's why I know what happens there as well. Normally, they will just take you to your destination rather than gamble on losing their vocational license.

After being rejected by three taxis in a row on a frenzy chase of an appointment, that move seems to be more tempting than ever. I even got 'kicked out of the car' after I sat in and told the driver my destination and he didn't want to take me.

jamestheseg wrote:Hey Guys,

I'm a 23 yr old single kiwi male moving to Singapore with work in Jan from NZ.

I'll be working at 51 Anson Road, Tanjong Pagar, and looking for a good area to live.

My budget is $2k/mnth. I've been recommended by work to stay in a condo in Woodlands - is that too far away?

Are there any areas that you can recommend for the price/based on work location?

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

I would say, anywhere along the green line, between Kallang and Kembangan MRT stations. A good mix of local and foreign population + proximity of east coast park and see for a little more wind ...

Cheers guys for all your advice. I've found a place in River Valley - moving over next week!