In a new ranking of Singapore’s neighbourhoods, Orchard Road beat out Marina Bay as Singapore’s most popular spot. Orchard Road is #1 because of its many options for food, shopping and lifestyle activities. It is also frequently in the news, with one recent example the neighbourhood’s Paterson Hill, which is today the fifth most expensive street in the world and ahead of even New York’s Upper East Side.
The rankings are compiled from data by feecha, a neighbourhood news app for iPhone and Android. feecha gathers content from newspapers, magazines, websites and apps – from over 1,000 local sources like IS Magazine, The Smart Local and The New Paper – to surface activity levels in each of Singapore’s 180 odd neighbourhoods.
“We want to bring community back to Singapore,” said Jeffrey Yuwono, co-founder of feecha. “We want people to recapture that feeling of belonging to a kampong, where you know everything that happens around you and the people you share common ground with. feecha is a great tool to stay informed.“
Popularity of each neighbourhood is determined by the feecha index, a normalized score from 0 to 100, determined by the number of stories published, viewed and shared in the last 30 days as well as 19 category weightings. The study is based on over 25,000 stories published from over 1,000 sources.
Glitzy Marina Bay is a relatively new neighbourhood, but it is no surprise at #2 given its bevy of celebrity restaurants, night clubs and high-end fashion stores. Attending a play, dining there and showing off about it on social media helps cement its status as Singapore’s second hottest area. Marina Bay has already supplanted Esplanade at #4 in that regard.
Dhoby Ghaut, which includes Bras Basah, is #3 on the strength of its arts and political scene. Tanjong Pagar is #5, followed by City Hall and nightlife-heavy Clarke Quay, all neighbourhoods often frequented by office executives.
Ang Mo Kio is the surprise entry at #10, ahead of posh areas like Bukit Timah and Cairnhill, and arguably the first “heartland” neighbourhood in this ranking. Institutions like Ang Mo Kio Library, Yio Chu Kang Community Centre and Cheng San Community Centre do a good job of organizing programmes for the neighbourhood. Media savvy Nanyang Polytechnic, also in Ang Mo Kio, is particularly vibrant.
The next most happening heartland area at #11 is Tampines, just edged out by Ang Mo Kio. Other top heartland areas include Boon Lay at #15, Geylang at #16 and Yishun at #20.
Surprisingly out of the top 30 is Holland Village. Holland Village may have lots of pubs and bars, but few new things happen there notable enough to receive extraordinary attention.
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Originally Posted by sherlock
