Things you probably didn’t know about Clementi (www.inSing.com)
by inSing Editor, 07 January 2015, (http://www.insing.com)
A tram-like bus that serves condo residents, a beach volleyball court, a hidden playground in a building, and other little known trivia about the estate.
Clementi brings to mind an area filled with polytechnic and university students, and this fairly mature public housing estate has seen an influx of foreigners in the last 10 years. New condominiums such as Trilinq, Clementi Woods and Waterfront@Faber have also “raised” the profile of the area, attracting more upmarket shops and the building of two (soon to be three) shopping centres in the central area alone.
But do you know whom Clementi is named after? Or which playground there still have swings? Do you also know that paper-wrapped chicken “originated” in Clementi? inSing did a bit of exploring around the area to get some answers.
Will the real Cecil Clementi please stand up?
A bust of Sir Cecil Clementi Smith, after whom Clementi was named, in Victoria Concert Hall (wikipedia)
Clementi was named after a governor of the Straits Settlements (territories controlled by the British East India Company) but which one?
There were two governors of the Straits Settlements who have almost the same name. It turns out that they were related. Sir Cecil Clementi Smith (1840-1916) served from 1887 to 1893, while his nephew, Sir Cecil Clementi (1875-1947) served from 1930 to 1934.
The Housing Board (HDB) states that Clementi town is named after the older governor. Moral of the story? Know your “Clementi’s” and don’t get them mixed up.
Clementi’s Burmese enclaves
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
Eateries and minimarts offering Myanmar products have opened up in the Clementi central area over the past few years. inSing asked one of the minimart workers (who declined to be named) why there are so many Burmese outlets in the neighbourhood. While she knows of quite a few expats from Myanmar who live in Clementi and Jurong, she has no idea how it became that way.
There are now three minimarts selling products from Myanmar and two food stalls that serve Burmese cuisine – convenient if you don’t want to head down to Peninsula Plaza for these.
The story behind Clementi Mall’s “water” art installations
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
‘Water Bubbles‘, the art installation at the fountain near Clementi Mall, was the subject of some controversy when it was first put up in 2011.
Surbana Corp, the privatised design arm of the Housing Board (HDB), had commissioned Singapore sculptor Chua Boon Kee to do an artwork. Comprising six pieces made to look like giant blobs of water, Chua was reportedly upset that his art installation had to be relocated for safety reasons.
The housing agency had received feedback that the metal sculptures could get overly hot on sunny days and burn people if they sat on them. Chua was quoted saying: “It will be a pity to break up the cohesion of the sculptures, as the water blobs on the ground and on the fountain are meant to complement one another aesthetically.”
First mixed-use property in Singapore
Opened for business in 2011, The Clementi Mall is reportedly the first development in Singapore that combines public housing, commercial facilities and a bus interchange together in one complex.
The hidden playground
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
Unless you’re a resident at the two 40-floor Clementi Towers HDB blocks (blocks 441A and B) above Clementi Mall, you wouldn’t know about this tucked-away playground on the eighth floor.
It is relatively small compared to the other playgrounds in the area, with only a couple of spring riders, but it does have a rather unusual slide design where children have to slide down with their legs apart instead of together.
It is also rather sheltered from the noise and is a tranquil little area no matter the time of the day. Next to it are exercise stations and a small shaded seating area that serves as a void deck of sorts.
Free transport
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
You may save some bus fare if you intend to get to another neighbourhood mall, West Coast Plaza, from Clementi MRT station, with the free shuttle bus services that operate there.
West Coast Plaza provides this service and the route is arguably the busiest. It runs every 30 minutes from 10am to 9.45pm every day, including public holidays, and picks up passengers from the bus stop below the MRT station, on Commonwealth Avenue West heading towards town. The frequency of the bus increases to every 15 minutes during weekends and public holidays.
Free transport 2
Here is a “longwinded” and cheapskate way to get to Toa Payoh for free (if you really, really don’t want to pay the $1.69 on your Adult transitlink card). The Grandstand mall operates free hourly shuttle services to take shoppers to and from Clementi, weaving through Botanic Gardens, Toa Payoh and the mall.
Hop on the shuttle service at the Clementi MRT station’s bus stop (along Commonwealth Avenue West heading towards town), drop off at The Grandstand, then transfer to another free shuttle service to Toa Payoh.
Of course, if you miss the transfer, you will be stuck at The Grandstand for an extra hour. Bad news if you’re rushing, but good news if you have much time on your hands and keen on saving costs. Check the shuttle bus schedules here.
Play beach volleyball
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
Just beside block 367 at Clementi Avenue 2 is one of the few public beach volleyball courts that exist in the public housing estates.
Constructed in 2005, the Volleyball Association of Singapore thought that it would be a good idea to take the sport to the heartlands, and Clementi was one of the first places it chose. Similar courts were constructed in Bishan and Hougang a few years later.
There is a sign saying that the court is a temporary facility that could be removed when the land is needed for development, but so far, that has not happened. The facility is available for anyone to rent at the Clementi Community Centre main office (220 Clementi Avenue 4). Rentals are $10 an hour, $15 for two, $25 for three and $30 for four.
Old-school bakery
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
Located in the cluster of shops at the start of Sunset Way is Balmoral Bakery. This family-run business has been operating since 1965 and is popular for its old-fashioned western-style cakes and pastries. It used to be in Holland Village before moving in 1984 to its present location.
Pastry chef and owner Lim Ming Noong, 69, learned her English pastry recipes from a baker who was working for the famed Robinsons’ department store cafe back in the 1960s. It was frequented by the expatriate community in those days and they have been using the same recipes for almost 50 years.
The no-nonsense sponge cakes with buttermilk frosting is as old-school as it gets. Also popular are the bakery’s chicken pies, egg tarts and “butterfly” cupcakes.
Firefly Park @ Clementi
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
When it comes to heartland public parks, Firefly Park (off Clementi Ave 6 and next to block 304) is as advanced and environmentally-friendly as it gets. Officially opened in 2012, it has two fitness corners, one for adults and another for the seniors, as well as two playgrounds, one for children aged two to five, and another for those from six to 12.
It also has a whole host of other features such as a “chess plaza”, leaf trellises, a jogging track, basketball court and a multipurpose hall. About 170 mature trees were conserved during the building process and 3,000 shrubs and groundcovers were planted to attract butterflies.
Energy efficient lighting and water-efficient fittings are used and a significant portion of the park was built using recycled materials.
Clementi’s “art wall”
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
If you’re ever at block 728, West Coast Road, you’ll notice an abnormally high number of art pieces around the block. These were painted by residents, students from neighbouring schools, Youth Citizens-on-Patrol from the Clementi Police Division, and Special Olympic athletes, and have been put up over the years.
This particular art mural in the picture, called the ‘West Coast Community Wall’, is one of the earliest pieces there since 2003.
Singapore’s largest canvas art installation
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
Pop by block 728 in Clementi West Street 2 and you’ll see a huge art installation that was put up in 2014. Comprising 36 banners, the entire piece, entitled ‘A Peace of Art’, measures 26m by 22m and is Singapore’s largest canvas art installation.
It is also the first-ever community artwork to be displayed on the facade of a Housing Board (HDB) block. A community project in conjunction with Passion Arts Festival 2014, it is a collaboration between 400 West Coast residents and Singapore artist Sun Yuli.
West Coast Park’s massive playground
(Gregory Leow via inSing.com)
The “Adventure Playground” at West Coast Park is easily one of, if not, the largest playground in Singapore with a total of seven play areas catering to children of different ages.
There are too many attractions to mention here, but the two-storey rope pyramid with attached slides is a big draw. Other notable play features include the flying fox (zip-line), obstacle courses and the rope bridge. It also has two or three different kinds of swings, a feature rarely found in neighbourhood playgrounds these days.
Best spot to watch the setting sun
(investnewlaunches.com)
There’s nothing like watching the sun go down while enjoying the sea breeze. The Promenade Lookout Jetty in West Coast Park is just the ideal location in Clementi to do it.
The jetty is located towards the middle of the park and just beyond the sand play area. It is also less crowded than Bedok Jetty, which is on the south-eastern of Singapore.
The Old Empress Cinema
(Facebook / 321 Clementi)
Longtime Clementi residents will be familiar with the Empress Theatre building that had a cinema run by Eng Wah Organization in the past.
Opened in 1980, it was permanently closed in 2006 and was an abandoned building for many years until it was finally torn down in 2013. Come the first quarter of 2015, a brand new shopping centre, called 321 Clementi, will take its place. It will house a 10-screen, 1,300-seat cineplex run by WE Cinemas, which is owned by Eng Wah.
Singapore’s first community farm
(Shawn Danker)
A strip of land at Clementi Avenue 4 made news in 2012 when some hobbyist farmers used the land to grow vegetables and fruit.
Now, it is a model of community bonding, with community farming is actively encouraged in other Singapore housing estates.
Source : http://features.insing.com/gallery/you-probably-didn-t-know-about-clementi/id-ca503101/
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