Got a tip? Send it to us at singapore@coconuts.co.

Joo Chiat, Katong, Marine Parade, Siglap. If you call one of these neighbourhoods home, you’ll remember that…
 

1. PARKWAY PARADE WAS A WONDERLAND

Built in 1984, the seven-storey shopping mall has seen tenants come and go but you’ll most likely remember it for Yaohan, ToysRUs and, of course, Ken-Air Funworld. Go ahead, dig up those old photo albums.
 

2. YOU’VE GOT GREAT LEGS

That’s from all the cycling you did (and probably still do) on those wide tree-lined streets and in nearby East Coast Park.
 

3. YOU LIVED THE CHARMED PARK LIFE…

Speaking of East Coast Park, it was there that you first learned how to skate, built your first sandcastle, took your puppy love on a date, attended CIP-mandated beach cleaning and ate seafood while enjoying the seafront breeze.
 

4. A BALLERINA HAUNTED THE BASEMENT OF KATONG CONVENT…

… cocking rifles and Japanese military commands were heard in the courtyards of St. Patrick’s School and the spirit of a girl murdered at Amber Beacon still descends its spiral staircase at night. All urban legends, of course – or are they?
 

5. YOU KNEW NOT TO ASK FOR CHOPSTICKS WITH YOUR KATONG LAKSA…

…and you know your popiah from your kueh pie tee, went to the basement of Katong Shopping Centre for the city’s best chicken rice and got your sweet treats at Chin Mee Chin and Dona Manis.
 

6. YOU HUNG OUT AT MCDONALD’S

Your after-class treat was anything from McDonald’s at Marine Parade Central and East Coast Park (remember all the nostalgia when the latter closed?). Another popular chain store was 7-Eleven where you and your pals got a Slurpee brain freeze.
 

7. YOU WERE DAMN PROUD OF THE LIBRARY

The Marine Parade Library was the nicest one in Singapore… until the new branch at Orchard Gateway came along.
 

8. YOU TOOK NOTICE OF BEAUTIFUL ARCHITECTURE

That’s from being exposed to those picture-perfect shophouses in Joo Chiat and seaside villas that line East Coast Road.
 

9. YOU NEVER PANICKED ABOUT BEING LATE FOR A FLIGHT

Only got 20 minutes before the counter closes? No worries. Changi Airport’s just one straight pedal-to-the-metal taxi ride down the ECP.
 

1O. PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION WAS A BITCH

For most of your life, the MRT was a foreign concept. Your commute sometimes involved waiting too long for your bus only to see it arrive three in a row.
 

11. YOU’D DESCRIBE YOURSELF AS LAIDBACK

That’s thanks to the wide, open spaces of East Coast Park, your proximity to the sea and neighbourhoods that still have that kampong spirit — all played a large part in shaping you into the cool and chill-out person you are now.
 

12. YOUR LOYALTY IS TO YOUR SCHOOL AND YOUR SCHOOL ALONE

Even in your 20s and 30s (maybe even 50s?) you still identify yourself as a KCian, Patrician, TKGSian, or a Victorian. Not only that, you can also still remember the stereotypes you assigned to the local schools: that one with the wild girls, the other one with the smart but snooty girls, the naughty gangsters, the lians and bengs and the one with the ugly uniforms. Raise your hand if you know who we mean.
 

13. YOU CAN’T STOP TALKING ABOUT WHERE YOU GREW UP

Once an East Coast Kid, always an East Coast Kid.

Special thanks to Loretta Perera for sharing her memories with us. Read more: 10 signs you grew up in Paris Ris.

Are you an #EastCoastKid? Tell us what you remember from growing up here. Tell us on Twitter (@coconutsSG) or Facebook.com/coconutsSingapore. We’ll gladly share your story!
 

READ THE SIGN:

– 10 signs you grew up in Potong Pasir
– 10 signs you grew up in Pasir Ris
– 20 fabulous signs you grew up gay in Singapore
– 10 ideas for ‘me time’ in Singapore
 

Done reading? Sit back, relax and watch Coconuts TV: