City Hall MRT escalators bring you up outside a shopping mall with a large Starbucks and McDonald's where you can meet your friends, but if the weather is clear there's plenty to see outside.
Facing the road, you see the padang in front of you. The Padang, a Malay word, is not a paddy field, more like a playing field. In the old days National Day parades and other events would be held here in front of city hall. (In the UK, you will more often find a 'town hall' on the main square or green.) The dignitaries would be watching from seats set up in from of the City Hall.
Nowadays (2019) you can see people on the Padang racing around, desite the heat and humidity, energetically playing all kinds of sports.
Notice the Characterful Cricket Club
To your right is the Cricket Club, a low building with attractive orange roof tiles. Across the road from it is another building with orange roof tiles and a white tower, the old Vic theatre. Nowadays live performances are usually held at the larger and modern stadium just along the road.
See Singapore Recreation Club building
On the opposite side of the padang to the cricket club is the Singapore Recreation Club. In front of the SRC is a small fountain and an account of the club's history. As you walk up the road towards the SRC, you come to a dogleg double road crossing. To your left is the Swisshotel. In the distance, framed by trees, is the cricket stump silhouette of the magnificent triple tower Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore's main landmarks.
The SRC is a members' club with a swimming pool. Sometimes the ground floor conference room is rented to other organizations. I have been there two or three times to the SRC Toastmasters Club. The SRC has a bar where you can sit looking out across the grassy padang, watching the tennis and the team sports. Inside is a swimming pool, open to visitors for a fee. So, if you know somebody who is a member, accept any invitation offered, work out what it will cost them or you, and enjoy.
In a case in the hall they have on sale long full size umbrellas at a reasonable price in assorted colours.
MRT Stations Nearby
Pick up a copy of the free MRT map which is is a rack by the window of the ticket office in most stations. On the back is a mini map headed Approximate Walking Time Between Stations Nearby.
The brisk walker who devised this map for hurrying commuters claims that you can walk to Esplanade on the yellow circle line in five minutes, or Bras Basah in only seven minutes. If you find yourself between City Hall and the other big train hub Raffles Place, note that it is only a ten minute walk from Raffles Place to Chinatown.
To change from the blue Downtown line to the Yellow circle line go to Promenade.
Promenade MRT station platform mural. Photo by Angela Lansbury.
Useful Websites
singaporeair.com
visitsingapore.com
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
Facing the road, you see the padang in front of you. The Padang, a Malay word, is not a paddy field, more like a playing field. In the old days National Day parades and other events would be held here in front of city hall. (In the UK, you will more often find a 'town hall' on the main square or green.) The dignitaries would be watching from seats set up in from of the City Hall.
Nowadays (2019) you can see people on the Padang racing around, desite the heat and humidity, energetically playing all kinds of sports.
Notice the Characterful Cricket Club
To your right is the Cricket Club, a low building with attractive orange roof tiles. Across the road from it is another building with orange roof tiles and a white tower, the old Vic theatre. Nowadays live performances are usually held at the larger and modern stadium just along the road.
See Singapore Recreation Club building
On the opposite side of the padang to the cricket club is the Singapore Recreation Club. In front of the SRC is a small fountain and an account of the club's history. As you walk up the road towards the SRC, you come to a dogleg double road crossing. To your left is the Swisshotel. In the distance, framed by trees, is the cricket stump silhouette of the magnificent triple tower Marina Bay Sands, one of Singapore's main landmarks.
The SRC is a members' club with a swimming pool. Sometimes the ground floor conference room is rented to other organizations. I have been there two or three times to the SRC Toastmasters Club. The SRC has a bar where you can sit looking out across the grassy padang, watching the tennis and the team sports. Inside is a swimming pool, open to visitors for a fee. So, if you know somebody who is a member, accept any invitation offered, work out what it will cost them or you, and enjoy.
In a case in the hall they have on sale long full size umbrellas at a reasonable price in assorted colours.
MRT Stations Nearby
Pick up a copy of the free MRT map which is is a rack by the window of the ticket office in most stations. On the back is a mini map headed Approximate Walking Time Between Stations Nearby.
The brisk walker who devised this map for hurrying commuters claims that you can walk to Esplanade on the yellow circle line in five minutes, or Bras Basah in only seven minutes. If you find yourself between City Hall and the other big train hub Raffles Place, note that it is only a ten minute walk from Raffles Place to Chinatown.
To change from the blue Downtown line to the Yellow circle line go to Promenade.
Useful Websites
singaporeair.com
visitsingapore.com
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. Please share links to your favourite posts.
