Photo360_Team46 - Holland Village, Singapore

Dubbed the “bohemian enclave” of Singapore, Holland Village is a microcosm of Singapore life, a curious mix between old and new. Traditional coffee shops and a wet market jostle for space aside ritzy wine bars and fine dining restaurants.

Located in a small commercial enclave near the Buona Vista MRT Station close to the Queenstown area in Singapore, Holland Village is a popular venue for younger Singaporeans and expatriates. It is dominated by and often visited solely for its eateries and watering holes, along with some specialist shops selling non-traditional wares.

Holland Village was named after Holland Road which in turn was named after Hugh Holland in 1907. Hugh Holland was an early resident in Singapore, he was an architect and an amateur actor. The roads Holland Avenue, Holland Close and Holland Drive were officially named after the principal road in 1972. Holland Road is known as hue hng au in Hokkien, meaning "behind the flower garden". The "flower garden" refers to the Botanic Gardens.

Many food chains in Singapore, such as Crystal Jade, BreadTalk, The Coffee Bean, Burger King, Subway, Indochine and Häagen-Dazs, are located in Holland Village. A 24-hour kopitiam, a market and a food court are also present with food stalls selling local and western dishes. Other eating places include Swensen's, Thai Express and several dessert, Western cuisine and Japanese cuisine outlets. The gentrification of the Holland V area is characterised by the more up-market dining options such as the numerous ethnic restaurants as well as franchises such as Marmalade Pantry and Tapas Bar.

Other prominent bars include Tango's, Baden and Harry's Bar. However, Wala Wala remains the grand dame of the bars along the Lorong Mambong stretch. This decade-old two-storey stalwart packs a crowd that ranges from varsity students to yuppies with its laid back atmosphere and nightly live music.

Holland Village also has a great variety of commercial amenities ranging from a Cold Storage supermarket branch (part of The Dairy Farm Group), to antique shops.

Other commercial amenities include banking services, Guardian Pharmacy, 7-Eleven and a photo processing shop called Photo Finish. There are two shopping centres in Holland Village, Holland Road Shopping Centre and Holland V Shopping Mall.

For more information, please visit:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holland_Village,_Singapore