'''Balestier''', '''Newton''', '''Novena''' and '''Toa Payoh''' are in central Singapore.

Understand

Strung along the North-South Line just north of Orchard Road, these four rather dissimilar districts serve to absorb Singapore's urban sprawl and house its inhabitants. None are particularly attractive from a tourist's point of view, but they are popular for short and longer-term stays in Singapore — quiet and reasonably priced, but close enough to be convenient.

'''Balestier''' offers one of Singapore's largest clusters of '''cheap hotels''', second only to Geylang. As you might guess, here too the main customers are patrons of the nearby whorehouses and gambling dens, although they maintain low profile and this isn't really a cause for concern.

'''Newton''' and '''Novena''' are rapidly gentrifying suburbs just north of the city, housing a significant expat population and services geared to them. Just one MRT stop further north, though, is the canonical Singapore heartland suburb of '''Toa Payoh''' (pron. "Tuah Pah-yoh"), housing well over 100,000 Singaporeans in HDB housing blocks.

Get in

Newton, Novena and Toa Payoh are easily accessed on the North-South MRT Line. Balestier does not have convenient access by MRT, although it's possible to hike over from Toa Payoh or Novena stations (10-15 minutes). However, there are quite a few bus services along Balestier Rd, with the most useful ones being SBS 145 to Bugis, City Hall, Boat Quay and Chinatown, 130 to Bugis and City Hall, and 124 to Orchard Road and City Hall.

See

Toa Payoh has no sights as such, but it's an interesting example of the elusive "real Singapore". Just take the MRT to the station and walk around the vast sprawl of '''Toa Payoh Central''', much of which is taken up by an outdoor shopping arcade filled with little neighborhood shops and places to eat.

The Balestier area has two sights of minor interest:

  • Sasanaramsi Burmese Buddhist Temple. 4 Tai Gin Rd. ff Balestier Rd. 65-6251-1717. aily 6:30 AM to 9:00 PM. ree. ttp://www.bbt.org.sg/. Completed in 1990, this is the world's first and only Burmese temple outside Burma itself, equipped with an eye-catching golden spire. Inside, the most remarkable features for the lay visitor are the Buddha statues enhanced with swirling LED halos; be sure to climb up to the third floor to see the largest and most stunning of the lot.
  • Sun Yat Sen Nanyang Memorial Hall. 2 Tai Gin Rd. ff Balestier Rd. 3. ttp://www.wanqingyuan.com.sg/english/. Built in the late 1800s as ''Wan Qing Yuan'' (?__?), the villa was offered in 1906 to Chinese revolutionary Sun Yat Sen, who stayed here eight times while in exile. The villa has been lovingly restored and was reopened to the public in 2001, but the contents of the museum inside are a little dull unless you have a keen interest and solid background in Chinese history.

    Do

  • Singapore Polo Club. 0 Mount Pleasant Rd. us 54, 162, 166 from Novena MRT. 65-68543999. ttp://www.singaporepoloclub.org/. Dating back to 1886, the colonial-style clubhouse is a good spot to quaff a gin tonic below lazy ceiling fans while watching toffs pootle about on the polo field. Practice sessions Tue, Thu, Sat and Sun at 5 PM, plus scheduled competition events, all free and open to non-members. Riding lessons also available, although these are primarily intended for members and residents and various conditions apply. Even if you aren't a polo fan, the daily $19.90 three-course lunches at the Mountbatten Room are a pretty good deal.
  • Toa Payoh Sports Hall and Swimming Complex. 01 Toa Payoh Lorong 6. oa Payoh MRT. 65-62567153. ym $2.50, pool $1. aily 9 AM-8 PM. Huge swimming pools, basic ClubFITT gym, badminton courts.

    Buy

    Most of Balestier's shops — over 40 at last count — are devoted to selling '''light fixtures''' and other interior decoration items. Unless you want to surprise the folks back home with a lovely Singaporean toilet bowl, it's probably best to head elsewhere — both Novena and Toa Payoh have large shopping centers around the MRT stations.

  • Square 2. 0 Sinaran Drive. ovena MRT. ttp://www.square2.com.sg/. Atop the MRT station, Square 2 is consciously modeled on the hip malls of Seoul, packed with 500 small boutiques selling Korean fashions, electronics, accessories and food.
  • Velocity. 38 Thomson Rd. ovena MRT. 65-63505110. ttp://www.novenasquare.com/. Formerly ''Novena Square'', this is by far Novena's largest shopping mall. The main theme is higher-end branded sporting goods, including a large California Fitness gym, but there is also a decent selection of restaurants, a Kopitiam food court and a Cold Storage supermarket.

    Eat

    Food around here is cheap and plentiful.

  • Newton Circus. ewton MRT. Known for its seafood, but is also one the few places in Singapore where touts and overcharging can be a nuisance — double-check the price of any seafood you order. Still, the hawker centre has always had a special spot in the hearts of Singaporeans, especially those in the heartlands. Other than its famed seafood stalls, the hokkien mee, oyster omelette, popiah, BBQ chicken wings, ice kachang, satay and fried rice are popular with locals. Renovated in July 2006, and has now a better atmosphere and more outdoor seating. No smoking.
  • Novena Peranakan Cuisine. 73 Thomson Road #01-02. ovena MRT, opp Novena Velocity. 65-62561430. 10. The restaurant promises "typical home-cooked ''nonya'' food", and that's what you get, with Peranakan classics like ''ayam buah keluak'' (chicken with keluak nuts) and ''babi pontek'' (pork stew). No frills, but well priced with lunch sets from $3.80 and mains from $6.
  • 2nd Mini Steamboat Delight. 73 Thomson Road #01-04. ovena Garden, opp Novena Square. 65-62550600. 20. Choose chicken (mild) or tom yam (lethal) soup, add in your choice of ingredients and chow away. The menu is vast and includes lots of exotic (and expensive) seafood choices, but if you stick to the basics portions are cheap and generously sized. Try the fish glue ($4), a spicy fish paste that tastes much better than it sounds.
  • Wee Nam Kee Hainanese Chicken Rice. 75 Thomson Road #01-05. 65-62556396. This no-frills restaurant wins no prizes for appearance or service, but it gets packed every evening with crowds who want to sample their famous chicken rice. The roasted chicken is better than steamed, ask for boneless to make it easier to eat. Also try the ''shui jiao'' (dumpling with minced pork and prawns).

    Balestier is locally famous for two products: the flaky bean jam pastry ''tau sar piah'', and the pork rib soup ''bak kut teh''. Thanks to the crowd they serve, most restaurants in Balestier are open until the wee hours.

  • Founder Bak Kut Teh. 47 Balestier Road. 65-63526192. 8. Has a respectable claim to being the first ''bak kut teh'' joint on the road, and is certainly the only one with air-con. The sour pickled vegetables and pig's organ soup are also worth a try. Watch out though: their soup is very peppery indeed.
  • House of Tau Sar Piah. 29 Balestier Rd. 65-65203008. 0.50-0.70/piece. Not necessarily the original, but certainly large and popular. Offers a wide variety of fillings, try the savoury tau sar piah with a salty butter filling.
  • Loong Fatt Eating House & Confectionary. 39 Balestier Road. Arguably the original ''tau sar piah'' shop, which has received Makansutra's highest rating of "Die, die must try".
  • Teo Seng Teochew Porridge. 57-461 Balestier Rd. 65-62563031. AM to 4 AM daily. 4-. Large eatery serving up Teochew-style porridge, which means a bowl of watery soup (or steamed rice if you wish) and lots of tasty side dishes. Best experienced with a larger group, so you can sample.

    Drink

  • Montero's Pub. Newton Rd #01-01. oldhill Plaza. 65-62599053. 8-$10. A Western-style neighborhood pub with pool table and a good selection of beer.

    Sleep

    Budget

  • Fragrance Hotel. 55, 263, 418 Balestier Rd. 65-62526888. ttp://www.fragrancehotel.com/. rom $79+. Singapore's largest chain of cheap hotels has no less than three outlets along Balestier Road, all of which are unexciting but perfectly acceptable.

    Mid-range

  • Quality Hotel. 01 Balestier Road. 65-63559988. ttp://www.qualityhotel.com.sg/. 145. Solid, recently renovated 3-star hotel. Probably the best digs in this part of town. Free shuttle service to Novena MRT and Orchard Rd.
  • Hotel Royal. 6 Newton Road. 65-62534411. 100-. Three-star hotel with a collection of no less than four dodgy nightclubs, which kind of sets the tone. Completed a much-needed renovation in 2005. ''Note'': Don't confuse this with Royal@Queens or Royal Plaza!

    Splurge

  • Sheraton Towers. 9 Scotts Road. ewton MRT. 65-67376888. ttp://www.sheratonsingapore.com/. 250-. Comfortable but rather dull business hotel. There's nothing (except Newton Circus) in the vicinity, but Orchard is just one MRT stop away. Somewhat overpriced unless you get good discounts.

    Contact

  • @ Corner. Goldhill Plaza #01-11. pp Novena MRT on Thomson Rd. Large netcafe popular with gaming addicts. Promotional rates from just $2/hour.