Queenstown Today

[Merl Haggard]

YES! In the past many illegal push stalls ourside Venus and Golden City cinemas. Love to go midnight shows on Saturdays.



Alright! The fountain. Before there are no road junctions only circles, the one at Tanglin Halt is I think Princess Circle and the one with Alexandra Road is Queens Circle or could the the other way around. During National Day sure got decorations and lights in the circles.



The hawker centre is part of the Chap-Si-Lao market I believe and the Lor-Ark (braised duck) noodle is very good. The community centre I thing is has a cooperative and all Q'town people goes there to buy rice.

Queenstown reminds me of S'pore most notorious gangster and kidnap-king, Lim Ban Lim aka thow-hong Lim who was gunned down by CID SS officers at Margaret Drive in the late 60's.

In the 70's someone walking along the Commonwealth Ave Rd was used as a practice target and shot dead by a would-be assassin from one of the high rise HDB flats.

For security reasons, that year LKY was advised not to attend NDP celebrations and he took off to Tokyo.

 

[Froggy]

Hey guys, I'd like to dedicate a nice song to all of you here

[video=youtube;34I-3KPKpLE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34I-3KPKpLE[/video]

I am in Dempsey's The Wine Company now. Anyone want to join me for a drink?

 

[Seriusly]

In the early days, Princess House was the Min of Education before it shifted to Kay Siang Road. Behind the Princess House, there were a hawker centre & community centre.

Some of the stalls were quite good.

 

[songsongjurong]

6C !!! when (then) dunhill ciggy can be bought PER STICK....to me, 6C was THE PLACE for fighting ground for the purple blouse sec school

 

[apogee]

There used to be quite a number of stupid boys in Queenstown Sec School in the early 60s who think a world of themselves.

 

[freedalas]

Has to be the 金冠酒楼 (Golden Crown) on the 3rd floor of Tah Chung Emporium (first photo above). This is the one and only chinese restaurant in Q'town in the old days.

It was indeed Golden Crown. Like u and Laksaboy, I have plentiful fond memories of that restaurant. Pity that it's gone now.

 

[freedalas]

I missed the duck noodles at the hawker centre. It was sold by an elderly couple. The soft boiled eggs at the corner was excellent, you had to wait 8 minutes for the perfect soft boiled eggs to be readied

The duck noodles stall has also moved to Mei Ling Street Food Centre. Still being run by the same elderly couple (the man is bald and with spectacles right?) Still long queue every day.

 

[youth123]

YES! In the past many illegal push stalls ourside Venus and Golden City cinemas. Love to go midnight shows on Saturdays.



Alright! The fountain. Before there are no road junctions only circles, the one at Tanglin Halt is I think Princess Circle and the one with Alexandra Road is Queens Circle or could the the other way around. During National Day sure got decorations and lights in the circles.



The hawker centre is part of the Chap-Si-Lao market I believe and the Lor-Ark (braised duck) noodle is very good. The community centre I thing is has a cooperative and all Q'town people goes there to buy rice.

Ya, it was a 14 floor market/hawker centre. And the coop at the cc was where pple buy subsidised rice. I also remember the coffee shop at the red brick 14th floor hdb flat for selling fishball noodles.

 

[youth123]

Oh yes the KFC youth123, used to have many dates with my late wife there. hmmmmmmmm sweet memories



The guy with the gold chain is the one inside the hawker centre not the Hup Kee that we are referring to which is on the outside row.

The KFC was a popular hangout place even till 90s, until it closed down in 2000. I remember that the Queenstown/Queensway cinema closed down first before the bowling alley, KTV lounge & the KFC. I started to hang around Queenstown area in the mid 90s, that time Tah Chung Emporium kena 97 currency crisis and kaput. The Golden City & Venus cinemas had already become churches. The Golden Crown then shifted to Safra Bt Merah, the popiah shifted to the hawker centre in 2000 when the whole building was demolished. The 2 storey wet market was struggling & the hawker stalls on the outside still selling cooked food, including that popiah skin stall. But hor, the 2 storey shophouses which had a Maybank branch was being torn down in 1999. Most of the shop at the void deck of blk 6C & 39A started to shift away liao by 2000 and the whole place became deserted.

 

[cocobobo]

Took down a few months ago my brother told me. You from there? Me from there.

me from bt merah. but my hangout was qtown library, emporium, the ice kachang stall below, and the bowling alley

 

[Froggy]

6C !!! when (then) dunhill ciggy can be bought PER STICK....to me, 6C was THE PLACE for fighting ground for the purple blouse sec school

Queensway Secondary School, guess its the only school with purple skirt & white blouse.


Photo taken from their purple colour school website

There used to be quite a number of stupid boys in Queenstown Sec School in the early 60s who think a world of themselves.

Why you say have stupid boys in the 60s? Can share info?

It was indeed Golden Crown. Like u and Laksaboy, I have plentiful fond memories of that restaurant. Pity that it's gone now.

After moving out of Tai Chung Emporium, it moved to the Q'town driving range new the Q'town Remand Prison. This driving range is closed now. I googled and it says that its now at 108 Depot Road don't know true or not.

 

[Froggy]

The duck noodles stall has also moved to Mei Ling Street Food Centre. Still being run by the same elderly couple (the man is bald and with spectacles right?) Still long queue every day.

So it seems that many moved to this Mei Ling Street market here is the count:

a. 新记 Chicken Rice
b. Hup Kee fishball noodles
c. Duck noodles (beside the Hup Kee fishball noodles in the old place)
d. Shanghai Dumpling & Sweet/Sour soup

The KFC was a popular hangout place even till 90s, until it closed down in 2000. I remember that the Queenstown/Queensway cinema closed down first before the bowling alley, KTV lounge & the KFC. I started to hang around Queenstown area in the mid 90s, that time Tah Chung Emporium kena 97 currency crisis and kaput. The Golden City & Venus cinemas had already become churches. The Golden Crown then shifted to Safra Bt Merah, the popiah shifted to the hawker centre in 2000 when the whole building was demolished. The 2 storey wet market was struggling & the hawker stalls on the outside still selling cooked food, including that popiah skin stall. But hor, the 2 storey shophouses which had a Maybank branch was being torn down in 1999. Most of the shop at the void deck of blk 6C & 39A started to shift away liao by 2000 and the whole place became deserted.

wow youth123, you very detail la, which block do you live if I may ask.

me from bt merah. but my hangout was qtown library, emporium, the ice kachang stall below, and the bowling alley

The ice kachang you mention is it the one selling checg-teng also at the Margaret Drive Food Centre? If it is then I want to say a few stalls away (during the old days 1977 or so) have drink stall selling pineapple water and also a meesiam stall. Always go there on Saturdays after scout to have meesiam and pineapple water.

 

[CakeLengKia]

still remembered in my poly days in thr early 2000s' i frequent the place very often when i took a read at the queenstown library and go there jalan jalan

 

[Capano2121]

Though i did not grow up in Queenstown & surrounding area, it has memories for me that up till now still leave a sour taste in the mouth! Back in the 90's staying at Pasir Panjang Rd, my ex wife & i would be at Golden Crown Restaurants every Sunday morning for dim sum and after that take a walk over to NTUC for our weekly grocery shopping and sometimes might just pop upstairs to buy some travel stuff! In the new Millenium it started changing & crumbling and i've never gone back there again! Now the whole place is emptied out! I guess i've really stayed overseas for too long for the past 7 years after my divorce!

Well! PAP needs the space to house the new dogs & contain the new shit! Our past memories would never need to be sacrificed if it was not for the artificial inflation of the GDP to justify their existence! Singapore was progressing in leaps & bounds with less than 3 million in population! Was there a need to double it over night? Was there a need to screw up the whole population? Was there even a need to change?
I grew up in Singapore, left for my studies in UK and return to honour my scholarship agreement! Things changed then in the 90's but at a slow & comfortable pace! PAP was only obsessively hungry for power then! The new millenium brought changes which were totally unacceptable and people started changing and my wife also started changing and we realise that after being together for 16 years & married for 11 years, we are no longer suitable for each other, i tried to get back with her but the thought of her betraying me & ripping me off my wealth during the divorce proceeding, i could never forgive her again! But then, i still missed the days when we were still married & poking fun at each other! And the disappearing of Queenstown signifies that we may wish for things to remain unchanged but it is just plain impossible! And things once lost will never return! I shall remain in exile!

 

[Kohliantye]

All photos taken from MRT train,

Tah ChunOng Departmental Store bus-stop. Behind the green space used to be Tah Chung and further is what used to be the food centre. See the road behing the bus-stop? Used to be carpark of TAH Chung.

2-Storey market, see behind building is the Q'town Polyclinic. Van driving on same carpark drive way from Tah Chung.

Q'town Cinema & Bowl, NTUC is gone, blk 39A (bird shop) is gone. Now could see Q'town library clearly. Strange why cidnema still don't tear down.

Best to keep cinemas.
Big Hall.
Can be used by another Mega Religious Centre.
Doing very good business in Singapore.
Religious and Hence EXEMPTED from taxes

 

[Kohliantye]

By the way, any forummer remember the fatal shooting of a young Chinese lady at a bus stop in Queenstown in early 70's
A weapon, believed to be a rifle was used.
The poor girl was shot upon and died.
Has anyone been arrested till today?????????????

 

[Froggy]

But then, i still missed the days when we were still married & poking fun at each other! And the disappearing of Queenstown signifies that we may wish for things to remain unchanged but it is just plain impossible! And things once lost will never return! I shall remain in exile!

Thanks for sharing Capano2121. I hope you don't be too hard on yourself as I need to remind myself constantly too.

By the way, any forummer remember the fatal shooting of a young Chinese lady at a bus stop in Queenstown in early 70's
A weapon, believed to be a rifle was used.
The poor girl was shot upon and died.
Has anyone been arrested till today?????????????

I've lived there since 1971 but I really cannot recall this incident at all. hmmmmm

 

[youth123]

wow youth123, you very detail la, which block do you live if I may ask.

No, I dont live in Queenstown area but my poly buddies live there until now. That's why I know a bit of Queenstown history. Because I saw a lot of deserted flats around the 14 floor area in the mid 90s, I started to get curious about Queenstown & I asked my buddies about their childhood memories of this place.

 

[Froggy]

wow youth123, you very detail la, which block do you live if I may ask.

No, I dont live in Queenstown area but my poly buddies live there until now. That's why I know a bit of Queenstown history. Because I saw a lot of deserted flats around the 14 floor area in the mid 90s, I started to get curious about Queenstown & I asked my buddies about their childhood memories of this place.

Thank you for your contribution. Really brings back good memories.

 

[youth123]

By the way, any forummer remember the fatal shooting of a young Chinese lady at a bus stop in Queenstown in early 70's
A weapon, believed to be a rifle was used.
The poor girl was shot upon and died.
Has anyone been arrested till today?????????????

Maybe this blog can give you more details on this incident? http://goodmorningyesterday.blogspot.com/2009/04/mysterious-shooting-incident-in.html