As expected, not every resident in the once-tranquil neighbourhood of Tiong Bahru are too happy with gentrification.
According to The Business Times, the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) have been dispatching their officers to hammer out the businesses who’ve come come in droves to set up their trendy little shops in Singapore’s oldest housing estate.
Following complaints from the neighbourhood’s residents, several of these businesses have been ordered to vacate their premises for using ground floor units for commercial purposes without official permission.
Those affected include homeware and design studio Bloesem, retro nail salon Hui Aesthetics, clothing and accessories retailer nana & bird and several more.
Among the residents’ complaints were the significant increase in vehicular traffic, excessive noise and the multiple overpriced cafes that’ve essentially driven rental prices up, gradually pushing out eateries and stores that’ve served Tiong Bahru’s elderly populace for years.
A prolonged rat infestation also plagued the neighbourhood in 2013, blamed on the rapid increase of restaurants over the last five years — so much so that the URA and the Housing Board have been rejecting applications to turn premises into eateries.
Despite unlicensed businesses in Tiong Bahru getting the boot, gentrification rarely ever stops for a breather, and in land-sparse Singapore, it shouldn’t come to a surprise that these little niche boutiques, studios and cafes will be popping up soon in a neighbourhood near you.
Photo: Nicolas Lannuzel via Flickr
