Where have all the hipsters gone? Once bustling, Tiong Bahru’s streets are now quiet

Detailed summary

Businesses in the neighbourhood are hoping to revive the estate's vibrancy, but residents are enjoying the peace and quiet after years of putting up with crowds.

Businesses in the neighbourhood are hoping to revive the estate's vibrancy, but residents are enjoying the peace and quiet after years of putting up with crowds.

Think of Tiong Bahru and low-rise white flats trimmed with grey or brown nestled among cute lifestyle shops, bustling cafes and hipster restaurants come to mind.For the operator of Drips Bakery, which has been in the area for 16 years, that's exactly how they remember the neighbourhood in its heyday.But in recent years, the lack of vibrancy in the estate has led to dwindling footfall.

"Tiong Bahru has slowly lost that hipster attraction," said Drips' founder Jessica Tan.

With sales declining by 25 to 30 per cent compared to before the COVID-19 pandemic, the cafe, which used to be able to seat up to 60 people at its Tiong Poh Road outlet, has downsized to a takeout-only outlet in nearby Seng Poh Road since last year.

Once bursting at the seams on weekends, the business now primarily serves residents and office workers in the area.

"The footfall in Tiong Bahru has dropped so much, it was impossible to sustain the cafe," said Ms Tan.

Further down the road at Hello Arigato cafe, revenue has fallen by 10 to 15 per cent this year compared to last, said its co-founder Colin Chen.

While rising fuel prices have impacted food and beverage (F&B) spending islandwide, his Tiong Bahru outlet is faring worse than his outlets in Joo Chiat and Upper Thomson, which have seen sales fall by 5 to 10 per cent.

These two cafes are among the eight businesses whose owners told CNA they have seen fewer customers in the area, which was once a go-to destination for shoppers and cafe-hoppers.

Opening of the article, excerpted from CNA. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.