Worried Wife and Child Accompanying Experienced Expat

[joshuauh]

Firt off, hello everyone, hope everyone is doing well.

I will be given a 2-3 year assignment in Singapore starting next year and am looking for housing for my family.

I'm like a duck to water moving around the world, but this will be my wife's first long-term trip out of the U.S., including our 2 year old son's trip outside the U.S.

What neighborhoods would you recommend for a young family, close to parks, shopping, nightlife etc? Which neighborhoods have the highest concentrations of expats (Uhmerican/Texan Wife )? Any and all suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

All the best....

[JimH5]

Well, I'll stand up for my area. We live in a high rise between the Newton and Novena MRTs. The Residences @ Evelyn. We've been in Singapore for 10 months.

There are a handful of Americans, including a couple that just arrived from Texas a few weeks ago. Not sure if they have any kids. Our complex is a great mix of people from throughout the world, including lots of kids. Singaporeans, Aussies, Americans, Swiss, Germans, Brits, other parts of Europe and Asia. . .

I imagine you could find a place that's "more American" up near the Singapore American School, and that's fine, too.

But for my wife, daughter and me, the fun of being here isn't in insulating ourselves just in a circle of Americans, but to experience a different way of life.

We've never lived in a high-rise before. I can walk my daughter to school each day. We live without a car. Our place is much smaller than in the US, but it's still our home. It's great to listen to my daughter speaking Mandarin and singing Mandarin songs.

To your point, there's essentially no nightlife around us, but easily accessible by taxi or MRT. There is a small playground and large pool in our building, and a playground park near United Square.

Get Skype and a webcam so your wife can stay in touch with family and friends back home, but enjoy being here for those couple of years!

[durain]

close to park, shopping and nightlife, have a look at tanglin. because singapore is small and lots of housing, it's hard to pin point an area with lots of expats. they are everywhere.

[road.not.taken]

If you really want an American neighborhood, there is always the Woodlands (yes, like the one in Houston!) but it is not near anything but the school and the causeway to Malaysia. Way 'up north' and out of the way. If you are considering putting your child into the SAS pre-school at age 3 then it becomes a more viable option. Commute times to the City are beastly (45 - 60 minutes in rush hour traffic).

Lots of Texans spread out here in Singapore though, even an organization of Oilwives. Companionship is easy to find if you look for it, easier if your child is in school -- but certainly not the only way. If you can join the American Club, there are lots of socializing opportunities there. In addition to the Oilwives, your wife can join the American Women's Association to help her get plugged-in with charities, trips, book clubs.

As far as where to live... most people in Singapore live in flats or housing with a wall around it. Residences are therefore more insular. Not a lot of socializing within neighborhoods I find (in other words we have not made many friends simply by virtue of living on the same street -- a few, but not many). The vast majority are business associates, people met through school or at the Club. And a preemptive Sssshhh! to all those who think our friends must all be American: Not true at all, Singapore is a melting pot and as such our friends are: Malaysian, Indian, Pakistani, Teochew, Singaporean, Dutch, Australian, etc... to name just a few.

You might enjoy the Holland Village area, or Tanglin to be within walking distance of Dempsey Road. These are pricey though. Singapore is teeny tiny and it's relatively easy to get around. Do some searching within your budget on some real estate sites (like the one here) and start to get an idea of what your $ will get you.

One thing to consider: if you won't have a car, you may want to be within striking distance of the more 'western' supermarkets. Good luck.

[Topshelf]

Hi there:

My husband is British, I'm American and we just moved here three months ago from Houston. We moved to the East Coast, because we thought it would be nice to live near town (approx. 20 minute commute) but also near the beach. We live in a high rise with a sweeping view of the Straits, which is nice. We send our 5 year old to OFS via the bus. So far, so good on that. We have a car, but my husband takes it to work, so I use taxis or the excellent bus system. My husband was also a seasoned expat and I had no experience living outside the US, although I had traveled quite a bit. The first few weeks were pretty nerve wracking, but it's getting better. The American Club is about 20K to join, so we passed on that, but I do plan to join the American Women's Association in order to find volunteer opportunities. PM when you arrive, and I will be happy to answer any questions you have or introduce you to a few other Houstonians I have met.

[cbavasi]

i agree with joining the AWA - she will find a lot of welcome activities and a very active toddler group as well as toddler activities. we waited about a year to join the american club but have really found it useful b/c of all the activities with the kids. also there is never a shortage of moms with kids at the pool. singapore is one of the (if not THE easiest place) in asia to have as a first posting... i often hear it referred to as "asia-lite" - which is so fitting. your wife will meet lots of nice people here from all over the world - it's an amazing opportunity for your entire family!

[rosborn]

Good for you guys. Moving is always an adventure.
In deciding where to live, you probably need to consider your budget and your desire to have a short commute to work.

We live on River Valley Rd which we really enjoy. We are a short walk to great nightspots at Robertson's Quay. We can walk to Orchard also. We have been here 6 months. If I could choose again, I would also consider around Nassim Rd, Botanical Gardens toward Tanglin and Tanglin.

There are many opportunities to meet people here. AWA for starters but there are many club, playgroups, classes for kids. Your wife should have little trouble but she will need to put herself out there.

We lived in a house in Australia and we debated whether to live in a house or a condo. We picked a condo and it was certainly the right choice. I have met so many people - many with kids - and each day we find someone to play with if we like. Having access to a pool, tennis, squash and gym is also nice.

Once you find your place to live, do a scout for nearest shopping malls nearby for classes and sign-up your toddler for something fun.
We also have a 2 year old we go to a great gym class at UE square, which is near us. Once your wife arrives, consider placing a post here about things to do in your area. She will surely get responses and possibly make great friends.

Best of luck!

[joshuauh]

Guys, thank you very much.

This board is a great display of what i love about expat life. How close and caring everyone is towards each other, something you tend not to get back home even amongst neighbours.

I think we will be looking for a house, for the following reasons:

A yard/patio. As most Houstonians/Texans/American Suburbanites might be aware of, we tend tohave big yards at our places back home, now I'm aware that the possiblilit of a big yard is greatly diminished, thats ok. But our son loves to just run and play outside in the mornings, and afternoons (the heat/humidity is crazy here during mid-day lol, and probably the same in Singapore). We would like for him to be able to continue to do so. He is such a boys boy, he likes to climb, and pull leaves, and play with his toys all through the yard, and living in a condo/high-rise would probably limit that quite a bit.

I will be officing near Caltex house (sorry zooming in on Google Earth just now), which is down near Collyer Quay, Fullerton and Chulia Street, so a reasonable commute home would be nice (In houston thats anything under an hour! lol).

Again, thanks everyone, we really appreciate the responses, if the office location helps anyone suggest anything new, or reinforce their previous suggestion, please feel free to do so.

We look forward to being out there soon.

All the best.

[cbavasi]

i think one of the biggest complaints i hear from expat wives is the lack of yard space. depending on your budget this may be difficult to get around. personally i've lived in apts/big cities since i was 17 so i'm not an expert on what is considered optimal greenery - but there are quite a few condo complexes that have lots of running around space (in my opinion). again, depending on your budget you may have more to choose from. i think the biggest favor you can do for your wife is not to build her expectations up too much. when we were due to go to indonesia - a country i knew very little about - my husband (who'd previously lived there in the 90s) really painted a pretty bleak picture. i think i was expecting the worst and was actually pleasantly surprised with what i found. not that you need to do that - but i think making sure that she knows that this is a city and all the "big big big" american stuff (homes, cars, washers, refrigerators...etc) are not really the norm may help the shell shock of such a big move. check out tanglin park, regency park, ardmore park, draycott 8, spring grove, the claymore. these are all central complexes with great playground/pools and lots of kids. you may also want to check out houses in the bukit timah area - there are small yards and i know a lot of people who have moved out there from condos. but you would need a car. make sure you tell your agent exactly what you are looking for and what your needs are so that you aren't stuck looking at modern places with no playspace and unsuitable surroundings for kids.

[road.not.taken]

joshuauh, you may want to consider a Black & White house if your budget allows. Some have enormous gardens/yards (and the gardening bill that go with them too I'm afraid). They tend to be cheaper than other bungalows of similar size but there is a good reason for that: some are downright rustic, others more 'improved' but they are all old and generally have lots of running around space. Some people choose to live near school just for the access to the green spaces. They are definitely not for everyone though, even if money is not the issue.

[joshuauh]

This may sound like a silly question... but why are they called "black and whites"?

[PhoenixT]

This may sound like a silly question... but why are they called "black and whites"?

Because, literally they are painted Black and White.

Joshuah- B&W's will give you the personal space that you and your family are hoping for but I'm not sure how often they come on the market.

Living in a house will have its trade-off from living in a condo area as it'll be more isolating. Definately encourage your wife to join the AWA in order to meet others.

Best wishes on your move.

[joshuauh]

hahaha... i thought so..

but had to ask..

"the only dumb question is the one never asked"....

thanks alot.. the family is sort of accustomes to the day to day isloation of owning a home.. here at hoems.. you greet your neighbour maybe once a week.. lol, we tend to be the only family who actually enjoyes their patio, back yard, and takes walks through the nieghborhood most afternoons

plus.. BBQ's... we grill 2-3 times a week... everything from chicken, to seafood, to beef, to veggies... we can't walk away from our grill... and we'd miss that quite a bit living in a condo... (don't think lugging all your things to and from central pits would be soemthing i'd look forward to..)

I will def take your advise on encouraging her to join the various groups...

again.. thanks everyone for you replies...

[Isambard]

Hello there,

With regard to BBQs you can live in a condo with sufficient balcony space to BBQ at home. When we were property hunting we found that the older blocks we looked at tended to have bigger balconys (and were bigger generally inside too). We BBQ 2-3 times a week on ours.

Best of luck with your move.

[QRM]

Hello there,

With regard to BBQs you can live in a condo with sufficient balcony space to BBQ at home. When we were property hunting we found that the older blocks we looked at tended to have bigger balconys (and were bigger generally inside too). We BBQ 2-3 times a week on ours.

Bet the vegetarian neighbours above you appreciated it, To me it is very inconsiderate to do that, unless you are on the top floor. It must rank high up there on the list of annoying neighbours, like hanging laundry out, and walking around your flat with clogs.

Once and while fair enough but 3 times a week is really taking the piss.

Should have the courtesy to warn the neighbours in advance of potential smoke fallout. Most places have a no bbq rule and that's why they provide a bbq pit away from the building.

Sounds like the sort who a while back set fire to the plane by having a bbq in the back of it.