People are packing picnic baskets and enjoying the green havens in the heart of the city
Cheryl Faith Wee Straits Times 13 Nov 11;
If you want to have a picnic, there is no need to find a far-off park - go downtown instead. Weekend picnickers are enjoying the green havens in the Central Business District area.
On a Sunday afternoon, it is not uncommon to see groups of picnickers on the field at St Andrew's Cathedral in North Bridge Road.
The tranquil greenery around the cathedral is one of three picnic places spotted by LifeStyle.
The others are Esplanade Park and Marina Barrage. The park is popular with foreign workers while the Barrage is a hit with Singaporeans.
The open field at St Andrew's Cathedral, flanked by tall trees that provide cool shade, holds allure for those seeking tranquillity among the office towers. While cathedral staff say that first and foremost it is a place of worship, they add that if people picnic on the field, they would not be too bothered by it.
Another place picnickers go to is Esplanade Park in Connaught Drive.
The linear park is sandwiched between the Padang and the Esplanade. People spread out newspapers and plastic sheets on the grass and make themselves at home among historical landmarks such as the Lim Bo Seng memorial and Tan Kim Seng Fountain.
Domestic helper Jovelyn Tigalina, 32, goes to the park every other Sunday with a dozen friends. The Filipinos arrive with chicken wings, salted fish, lasagna, crackers, coffee and even a bottle of wine.
Ms Tigalina said: 'We share our food and everybody brings something. If it rains, we will go under the Esplanade bridge or Raffles City mall.'
She added: 'We sit here and talk and laugh. It's our form of happiness every Sunday and it's like a family gathering.'
Confirming the growing popularity of the place, National Parks Board general manager Chia Seng Jiang says the number of picnickers at Esplanade Park has been increasing.
Picnickers are also flocking to Marina Barrage's Green Roof, an open space the size of about four football fields atop the Marina Barrage building. It is especially popular with kite flyers on weekends.
Ms Tay Hui Wen, 25, a brand ambassador, was there with six friends and their pets last Sunday. She said: 'We decided to have a picnic here for humans and dogs. The weather is nice and you can see the Singapore Flyer and kites.'
Besides cookies and potato crisps for themselves, she and her friends bought $65 worth of treats - biscuits and a cake - for the dogs. She added jokingly: 'That's why it seems like the dogs are enjoying things more than the humans.'
Ms Tay said she prefers the Marina Barrage to East Coast Park because she feels it is cleaner. Part of the reason might be due to the fact that Singapore's national water agency PUB provides bio-degradable trash bags for the public at the barrage. On weekends, volunteers remind people to keep the place litter-free.
The sight of swarms of kites soaring overhead against the backdrop of the city skyline makes the Green Roof the perfect place for 19-year-old student Beston Lee to unwind.
'There's no other place quite like this in Singapore with the view and the kite flying. I come here for picnics every few months,' he said. 'I bring my guitar here to play and get into the mood to write some songs. It's easier to talk to my girlfriend here, too, because it is so relaxing we can just de-stress.'
Peaceful refuge by the bay
The first part of Gardens By The Bay has quietly opened, offering panoramic views
Cheryl Faith Wee Straits Times 13 Nov 11;
Anew public garden has sprouted in the Marina Bay area. Gardens By The Bay East is the first of three sections of the $1-billion Gardens By The Bay that will open next year.
Bay East opened quietly last month without an official opening ceremony as the National Parks Board (NParks) plans to further develop the garden first.
However, it is all yours to enjoy for free.
Not many people know about the linear park boasting good views of Marina Bay Sands, Singapore Flyer and Marina Barrage.
The tranquil refuge from the city centre is tucked beneath Benjamin Sheares Bridge.
Getting there by public transport may be difficult as there is not a bus stop in sight. It is mostly residents from the nearby Tanjong Rhu area who are enjoying it now.
Retiree Teo Bee Guat, 54, who lives at Sanctuary Green condominium, which is walking distance from Bay East, goes there every morning, except when it rains.
She said in Mandarin: 'Running on a treadmill in a gym is not as enjoyable as walking here. I enjoy nature and looking at things in the area.'
She usually strolls or jogs along the Skyline Promenade which connects with the Marina Barrage via a gate that is open daily from 7am to 7pm.
The promenade is a 2km path that stretches along the banks of Marina Reservoir, offering a panoramic view of the Singapore Flyer, two large glass domes at the distant Gardens By The Bay South and buildings such as Suntec City Mall.
Another who enjoys the park is banker Pamela Williams, 33, who is on maternity leave. The Australian lives in Tanjong Rhu and does brisk walking while pushing her baby in a pram. She usually reaches the garden at about 9.30am on weekdays.
'I come here from Mondays to Fridays. It's nice and quiet. Normally I am the only one walking around here, there're not so many people,' said Mrs Williams.
Currently, only basic facilities such as parking lots and restrooms are available at the 320,000 sq m Gardens By The Bay East.
However, in the future, it will have water gardens, a water sports arena and an applied research and edutainment centre.
Mr Kenneth Er, chief operating officer of the Gardens By The Bay, which is under NParks, said: 'The full development of Bay East will be carried out at a later stage, taking into consideration the infrastructural works of other projects in the area.'
Gardens By The Bay involves transforming about 177 football fields' worth of prime land by the water into green spaces.
Bay South, the largest of the three gardens, is next to the Marina Bay Sands integrated resort. Among other things, the 540,000 sq m garden will have 25 to 50m SuperTree structures and two conservatories. It is slated to open next June.
Bay Central, the smallest, will serve as a connecting space between the two gardens. It will be open after the other two gardens have been fully developed.
Meanwhile, visitors to Bay East are just glad to have a place to enjoy greenery.
Web designer Malin Pettersson, 39, who lives in nearby Costa Rhu condominium, said: 'I like it. There are trees and water and there is always a breeze here.'
Mrs Pettersson, who is from Sweden, is unfazed by the prospect of more people discovering the garden: 'I wouldn't mind even if it got crowded, it's quite a big space.'
GETTING THERE:
Bay East can be reached by Tanjong Rhu Park Connector, Rhu Cross Road and Marina Barrage via a gate (7am to 7pm daily). Take bus service 158, alight at Rhu Cross Road and walk or take bus service 400 to Marina Barrage and walk. The Marina Barrage also has a shuttle bus service that runs between Marina Bay MRT station and Marina Barrage.
