Family Life In Novena

Arriving in Singapore from New York City, LOUISE ALVERSON and her family moved into a Novena condo. Here she explains what drew them to this spot, and why they rented much of their furniture to fi ll up their home space.

- Amy Brook-Partridge

Living the expatriate life is nothing new for Louise; she moved to Hong Kong when she was 21, and stayed for six years before moving to Shanghai for three years, where she met her husband Harry. They then left Asia for New Hampshire in the US while Harry gained his MBA, before moving to New York suburbia with Harry’s post-grad tech industry job. Both of their daughters were born in the US.

So, when a move to Singapore reared its head, Louise wasn’t daunted. “I had worked in business events and conferences when I was based in Hong Kong, and had visited Singapore before. I didn’t need to be convinced about the move; the only difficult part was leaving friends behind and the fact that my little girls had become established where we were.”

Although familiar with Singapore, Louise was not so certain about specific locations to live in. Not wanting to start off in a serviced apartment, the race was on to find a suitable area and condo for the family. During their “look-see” trip, they pinpointed the Novena area due to its proximity to Stamford American International School, and although they decided against the school for their daughters in the end, the location still suits them perfectly. “This particular place is so convenient; it’s close to the MRT, there’s United Square and Velocity malls, and we’re also close to Orchard.” Harry’s work was originally based out of Changi Business Park, so the East Coast was another option, however his company opened a downtown office and Novena became an even better fit.

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