If you’ve been admiring the towering skyscrapers of downtown Singapore you will probably also be near Boat Quay.
Boat Quay is the first quay along the Singapore river. Lined with shop houses that were once full of harbour life. This is now one of Singapore’s best places to drink. During the heyday of the late 19th century, Boat Quay was the busiest port in Singapore. According to Chinese mythology the river is shaped like a carp’s belly where Boat Quay stands. This is very prosperous. As a result the area was full of businesses and homes that wanted to take advantage of this wealth. Sir Stamford Raffles had also designated that this part of Singapore was to be left for the Chinese. Hence Boat Quay’s proximity to Chinatown.
The Re-invention of Boat Quay
Today Boat Quay is an after work drinking area. Back in the 1990’s the infamous trader Nick Leeson used to frequent Harry’s bar along the waterfront. You can still go in for a pint today.
However, it’s a lesser known superstar of the FX world called Nick Blake who can lay claim to building the Boat Quay we enjoy today. Blake had a few years earlier arrived in Singapore like a modern day Stamford Raffles. He single handedly turned Singapore’s sedate financial markets into the Asia tiger they are now. By encouraging banks and broking shops to hire talent from off-shore Blake was heralded as the messiah of Boat Quay. An area that was struggling to survive now that the ports had all moved to the west of the country now had it’s second coming.
When to visit Boat Quay
The best time to visit would be around 6pm when the local workforce are beginning to leave work. The sun is setting and it’s a lot cooler.
Singabites tip. The seafood restaurants along the quay are tourist traps. For a good bar to watch the sun go down go to the Southbridge bar.
