Changing face of Business district in Spore

[johnny333]

Had to run some errands with my lawyer & broker in the Raffles/Robinson Rd area & noticed many changes. The old multi-story car park at Market Street is gone replaced by an office building. In the past it was the only place you could go to make copies of documents because in the early days those machines Xerox machine were expensive

http://remembersingapore.org/2011/04/22/first-multi-storey-carpark/

There are now many new buildings being built in the area like the huge Asia Square Tower 1 & 2 & surrounding area. I felt so out of place there:(

Rarely go to that part of town now. It was different when I was younger when I would often visit the place because there was the Change Ally, the Arcade, Robinsons Department Store, Rubber House where the British Library was located, ....

 

[laksaboy]

No need to go so far back. That area was vastly different in 2007-2008.

 

[blackmondy]

When I was much, much younger in the early 70s, it has some nice shops selling crockery.....and Robinson shopping centre with the old-fashion gate lift.

 

[laksaboy]

Wasn't born yet in the 1970s, but I heard bell bottoms were all the rage back in the day.

 

[johnny333]

No need to go so far back. That area was vastly different in 2007-2008.

The newer part is I think being built on reclaim land which I think is a waste of $$$. Some of the development includes expensive apartments.

People used to live in the CBD until the PAP gov't chased them away. Now they want to build expensive apartments for the wealthy.

 

[Rogue Trader]

7 or 8 years ago, the CBD was the place I used to go to on the weekends to study. It was like a ghost town.I remember even had trouble finding a place to grab a coffee or a bite.

Not really bothered to find out though... but now I think it has changed...

 

[eatshitndie]

forget the infrastructure and buildings. think about the people on the streets. sinkies were a lot skinnier and youthful back then. look at the bulging waistlines and aging faces of sinkie uncles and aunties today at cbd. very soon, they will need to sleep at corridors in hospitals or be sent to a convalescent home in jb.

 

[johnny333]

forget the infrastructure and buildings. think about the people on the streets. sinkies were a lot skinnier and youthful back then. look at the bulging waistlines and aging faces of sinkie uncles and aunties today at cbd. very soon, they will need to sleep at corridors in hospitals or be sent to a convalescent home in jb.

View attachment 22006

View attachment 22007

I was visiting an office that was in the Asia Square Tower. It has two towers 1 & 2. Citibank has relocated to Tower 1. I saw many foreigners there e.g. Japanese, angmos, PRC Chinese,.... Take a look here:
http://www.thehumanbuilding.com/#!/cover

It is an impressive complex & they are still constructing the neighbouring buildings.

 

[johnny333]

7 or 8 years ago, the CBD was the place I used to go to on the weekends to study. It was like a ghost town.I remember even had trouble finding a place to grab a coffee or a bite.

Not really bothered to find out though... but now I think it has changed...

I used to work in the area in the 90's. Yes it is has changed. There are now many more expensive places to have lunch.

 

[Rogue Trader]

I used to work in the area in the 90's. Yes it is has changed. There are now many more expensive places to have lunch.

I agree with you about the MGC area...When so many people swarm to the south end of the island daily, you wonder it they gave any thought to the planning.

After the great MRT breakdown of 2011, it shows how unbalanced the traffic flow is relative to the location on the island. The CBDs where I've been are usually central where traffic can come from all directions... Ours is tucked away at the southern tips :o Sure our skyline looks nice on night photos... but it's just impractical.

 

[johnny333]

I came across this video about Pearl Centre being torn down. I have included the url for those interested in watching the video
https://www.viddsee.com/video/lost-but-not-forgotten/b3njo

Whenever the PAP decides to seize property there is always a cost to the lesser mortals:( Makes one wonder who these people voted for

 

[Narong Wongwan]

Golden shoe car park was where I hone my parking skills.....the car park lots are especially small and all the right corners from trying to maximize space.

 

[JuliaScissors]

I used to do fishing for grouper and kim bak lor just besides lau pa sat

 

[50000]

Golden shoe car park was where I hone my parking skills.....the car park lots are especially small and all the right corners from trying to maximize space.

Clifford Centre has one of the tightest up/down ramps....for an old building it is understandable....for new buildings, only 1 I noticed so far is Novena Square

 

[johnny333]

I used to do fishing for grouper and kim bak lor just besides lau pa sat

Talking about fishes I remember that the YMCA at Palmer Road was next to the sea. The grounds of that club was huge, I remember seeing at least 2 tennis courts, a basketball court, .... The las time I was there the grounds were in a sorry state, large chunks of the land had been stolen by the gov't.


Anyone remember the old Spore Poly It was nearby & I knew someone who attended the poly. He's long gone, used his poly results to attend a US college & never returned:(

 

[laksaboy]

I came across this video about Pearl Centre being torn down. I have included the url for those interested in watching the video
https://www.viddsee.com/video/lost-but-not-forgotten/b3njo

Whenever the PAP decides to seize property there is always a cost to the lesser mortals:( Makes one wonder who these people voted for

Three major memories of Pearl's Centre:

1) Yangtze Cinema
2) Burger King
3) Chinese medicine shops

Had an auntie who lived at the apartment on top of Pearl's Hill, would visit her every CNY. She's been dead for a while.

 

[blackmondy]

Wasn't born yet in the 1970s, but I heard bell bottoms were all the rage back in the day.

Bell-bottoms were worn mostly by the women back then. Sinkies were into jeans then with brands like Wrangler and Texwood. There were lots of jeans ads on TV back then with nice jingles.

 

[THE_CHANSTER]

I came across this video about Pearl Centre being torn down. I have included the url for those interested in watching the video
https://www.viddsee.com/video/lost-but-not-forgotten/b3njo

My only recollection of going to the Pearl Centre was to catch an R21 movie with all the old uncles back in the 1990s.

Sitting on 'cum soaked' seats which reeked of piss and semen was not exactly a pleasurable experience.

 

[johnny333]

My only recollection of going to the Pearl Centre was to catch an R21 movie with all the old uncles back in the 1990s.

Sitting on 'cum soaked' seats which reeked of piss and semen was not exactly a pleasurable experience.

Have to admit that I have never visited Pearl Centre until recently about 2 years ago when I visited the place. I was in that part of town visiting the General Hospital.

My memories are more about People's Park. Remember Tashing Emporium, eating wanton mee opposite People's Park, accompanying my mom to the textile shops next to PP.