Living
Tanglin
Situated between Holland Village and Orchard, Tanglin is a quiet, sophisticated neighbourhood characterised by grand houses, often with sizeable gardens and tall fences for privacy. The area is home to a number of foreign embassies and high commissions, some housed in stately mansions that add to the opulent feel of the neighbourhood. The Singapore Botanic Gardens are in the area but you’ll have to venture outside its boundaries to find much in the way of eating, drinking and entertainment.
Healthcare
Safety & Annoyances
Accommodation
Here you’re looking at landed houses with large gardens and even larger rents. When you’re rubbing shoulders with foreign diplomats and Singapore’s well-to-do, you have to be prepared to pay for the privilege. Rents for a small bungalow start at $8,000 but rapidly rise to $16,000 and up for larger houses. There are plenty of modern condos on the eastern side of the Tanglin area along Nassim, Cuscaden and Grange Roads, where rents range from $4,000 to $16,000.
Shopping & Amenities
Tanglin Mall is the main shopping location in the neighbourhood, with a full range of clothing stores, restaurants, a Market Place supermarket and a few great antique shops. Nearby is Tanglin Shopping Centre and a strip of stores that includes a good bicycle shop (Treknology Bikes). The laid-back yet trendy Dempsey Road area is a great place for poking around in antique stores or picking up a few bottles of wine.
Entertainment & Leisure
With a few small exceptions, Tanglin doesn’t have much happening in terms of nightlife. There are a few hip wine bars and tasty eateries in the Dempsey Road area and the Botanic Gardens are home to lovely restaurants surrounded by greenery. The Gardens themselves are excellent for walking in, particularly if you’re interested in the local plant life. Also in the neighbourhood is the Tanglin Golf Course, a members-only club.
Healthcare
Tanglin is one of the hubs of medical services. Gleneagles Hospital is one of Singapore’s top private hospitals and has specialist outpatient clinics as well as an accident and emergency department. The Camden Medical Centre houses a number of specialist clinics. There are also many service providers on the upper floors of the Tanglin Shopping Centre, including physical therapy and chiropractic clinics.
Education
Both the Overseas Family School and International School Singapore (elementary and middle school campus) are on nearby Paterson Road. The Chatsworth International School is a bit further down Orchard, but still only a short drive away. The schools along Bukit Timah Road are also easily accessible.
Traffic & Parking
Traffic around Tanglin is mostly limited to residents. Tanglin and Holland Roads are the main thoroughfares, and neither are particularly busy outside of peak periods. Parking isn’t an issue for the landed houses and the condos in the area all have ample carparks.
Safety & Annoyances
One of the most affluent neighbourhoods in Singapore, Tanglin is also one of the safest. And with so many of the embassies here it’s bound to be secure. There are simply no major annoyances – even construction work isn’t as rampant as it is elsewhere.
