New Bahru is the old Nan Chiau High School. There was a preview over the weekend. However, I decided to visit New Bahru on the Monday after the preview. I have been seeing some videos about the preview and it looked like an exciting location. Hey but then the only decent preview on YouTube about New Bahru was by The Straits Times. I do not believe everything I read and see in The Straits Times. I had to see this for myself.
If you are not familiar with the term New Bahru, this is the former development called The Herencia @ Robertson Quay. I am not sure whether the name The Herentia is now defunct. New Bahru is run by the Lo & Behold Group. Whatever the case, New Bahru is at 46 and 58 Kim Yam Road. It is close to Robertson Quay and not at Robertson Quay. The nearest MRT station should be Clarke Quay MRT Station.
On Google Maps, New Bahru is 1.5 km from Clarke Quay MRT Station. A 21-minute walk is not exactly ideal under the sun or rain. Perhaps in the evening, this would be a scenic walk. However, New Bahru must have something unique to draw people to its location. It cannot just be a mash-up of local brands. That is what The Straits Times is calling this place. A place for local brands. I mean in this digital age do we need a physical place to showcase local brands? Are local brands not best served with a strong online presence? Especially when rents are exorbitantly high for growing brands?
From Kim Yam Road you will see this building.
Apparently, they are afraid you will not know that this place is New Bahru so they wrote New Bahru five times on the same wall.
Coming into the compound, there is this vast carpark right in the middle. The playground on the left has Oatside plastered on it. I have no idea why. Did they build the playground? Or are they trying to get children to consume out beverages?
This looks like what was previously the main entrance to the school. Perhaps the school’s administrative office would be here. Maybe many students from Nan Chiau High School might have visited the sick bay during the less popular lessons. The sick bay was the best place to be for me during Chinese classes.
CS Fresh was open for business. Many other businesses were not.
Kitchen on the go but currently there were not many people patronising. Perhaps in the near future!
Kiztopia Prestige put up a sign that they were open. However, I could not enter the small block. Or perhaps I could not find how to get there.
There was a restaurant on the ground level that was open. That was, from what I saw at about 430 pm on a Monday afternoon, the only restaurant that was open in New Bahru. 
I like it that the operators are preserving the structure and layout of the building. Going up to the 2nd level, you will be greeted with these doors that lead to the school hall. That should be a nice place to hold events or pop up stalls. 
It seems like Curious Creatures is expanding very aggressively in Singapore. They are located on the 2nd level of New Bahru.
There are some shops on the 2nd level selling fashion.
I would not want to be called this. However, I had no idea what Soilboy was selling. Plants perhaps? It did not look open so I had no way of knowing what they are doing or selling.
Many shops were still hoarded up.
Some were almost ready for operations.
This studio showcasing artists with disabilities is located in the corner on the 2nd level.
On the upper levels there was a gym.
A pilates studio. Why off duty? Then who teach?
And a ballet studio.
The building on the left is a serviced apartment by Alma House. I guess that some patrons for the stalls at New Bahru would come from Alma House. It is not operational as of today.
There are about 40-plus tenants in New Bahru. Less than a fifth are operational as of 24th of July 2024. I wonder why they decided on having a soft launch when the actual opening is in September 2024.
As of today, as Wilber would say, New Bahru is not ready.
I really want such a place to work out. I love old architecture. This is better than demolishing the old Nan Chiau High School and replacing it with some swanky new condominium. I do hope that the operators have a decent concept in place.
Check out our walk-around video by Wilber.
Yours sincerely,
Daryl
p.s. I have an idea! Get ArtBox to hold its event here! There is so much space and the school hall can hold some interesting activities.
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