The 17 blocks of low-rise brick-clad flats were built by the Singapore Improvement Trust in the British colonial days of 1958 and handed over to its successor, the Housing Development Board (HDB), in 1960.
Located near the old Kallang Airport, the name Dakota was taken from the American transport aircraft Dakota DC-3, which commonly landed at Kallang Airport before it was closed.
Of the 648 two and three-room flats in the 17 blocks, only 60% are occupied presently. Most of the occupants are elderly residents and low-income families under HDB's public rental scheme.
Going to Dakota is like stepping back in time when life slows down...
Kiddie machines of yore - when all it takes is a 20c or 50c ride for a kid to be happy...
When fishing is the time to meet up with your friends, chat and spend a relaxing day...
A notice about a home-run business, operational from Mondays to Saturdays, with Sundays off...
Even the cat has time to slow down and curiously observe what you are doing with a camera...
To add to the nostalgia, a trishaw and an antique Mercedes were spotted too...
But then, maybe some things are different these days...
A foreign worker rests in front of his lorry, taking an afternoon siesta in the noon day heat...
While another, plants something below a tree nearby...
A couple from a nearby condominium bring their newborn out for a stroll...
New blocks of flats amidst a cleaner greener Kallang River, perfect for water sports...
Dakota Crescent will be vacated by the end of 2016 to make way for new developments under Mountbatten's estate renewal plans. Visit it now to enjoy a slice of Singapore-style nostalgia...
