In the evenings and at weekends there were always cultural events; with such diverse attractions as classical western music, an exhibition of Malay art or a Chinese opera in the street, it was difficult to get bored. Perhaps most impressive, however, was the remarkable transport system, with excellent roads, a swift and efficient bus service and a state of the art underground system which could whisk commuters from the suburbs straight into the heart of the city.(This was extremely important as the government banned private cars from entering the central business district during the morning and the afternoon rush hours in order to reduce congestion on the roads and pollution from the exhausts.)

Of course, living in a city like this has its disadvantages as well. For a start, the cost of living can be very high, renting an apartment for example is very expensive. And as the city is expanding, there are a lot of building sites where new apartments are continually being built to deal with the population explosion which is a direct result of the government encouraging people to have more children.

Fortunately, Singapore doesn't suffer from problems that are common in many cities such as drug abuse, which is partly the result of the government imposing very sever punishments on anyone bringing narcotics into the country, so it is safe to walk the streets at night In fact, the inner city housing estate there are probably the safest and most orderly in the world.

Singapore wouldn't be ideal for everyone, however, especially if you come from the countryside and are used to a rural lifestyle. The traditional villages that were once common have disappeared as the residents there realized there were no prospects for their future and moved into new government housing in the city.

Nowadays, there is very little productive land around the city, which means that Singapore imports almost all of its food. And despite a green approach to city planning, the urban sprawl which has eaten into the countryside has had a detrimental effect on the environment.