Is Haji Lane in the Kampong Glam district of Singapore its hippest hangout? While having dinner at the Prince Coffee Shop on Beach Road, I took a short diversion into what is possibly Singapore's narrowest street, Haji Lane. It's so narrow that no cars could possibly pass through, only foot traffic. Lined by speciality shops, restaurants, bars, cafes, boutiques, it is also Singapore's most colourful street, a sort of mini-Harajuku.
There are murals lining the buildings, notably around the Mexican restaurant at its southern end. And there are lights from the many shops, that it almost reminds me of old Bugis Street of the 1970s, but without the vice and sleaze.
The shops are varied too, F&B and watering holes mostly (on the southern side), but also cutesy boutiques, photo booths for selfies (a fad for the young), souvenir shops for the indefatigable tourist, a vinyl shop and even a second life for digital cameras. If this were Bangkok, this would be filled with weed "clinics". All you need is time, to wonder this short but interesting commercial alley-way, and you have not even seen Arab Street, Bussorah Street and Kandahar Street.
Here are some photos, with a promise of coming back in the near future. Got to check out those old digital cameras sometime...
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| No hipster district is complete without a vinyl shop. Here it is. |
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| Absolutely no classical. So sad. |
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| Smartphones have made digital cameras so retro! |
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| Guess who I met at Haji Lane? SSO Associate Principal piccolo player Roberto Alvarez, Elena and friends. |
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