About 15 Bangkok Lane
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| Picturesque Bangkok Lane - Photo courtesy John Ma |
Background
A labour of love... this double-storey cottage is one of 41 built in the late 1920s by philanthropist Cheah Leong Keah and still retains much of its original form & structure. You could say the architect of the time successfully infused Asian and Western design in the houses. Cheah built the homes and laid the trust to keep the families together and until today, uncles and cousins live just across the road. If the whitewashed walls could talk, you'd be host to a thousand tales! Born in Swatow, China, Cheah began by making and repairing horse carriages. His family was already in the trading business and owned a sundry shop on Penang Road. The Chin Seng & Co. brand became synonymous with bespoke handmade carriages and that reputation may have paved the way for the family business to flourish into one which pioneered the motor industry in the Straits Settlement of Penang.
Source: Internet Archives
Cheah's next entrepreneurial venture was into rubber plantations, however that soon languished with World War 1 and the repercussions of the Great Depression. That early start laid the foundation for his next venture as a property developer.
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| Le Coq @ 15 Bangkok Lane |
The eclectic Bangkok Lane community included a vibrant mix of people who ran cafes from their kitchens, fashion designers, The Palanquinn & Dwell boutique heritage hotels (now defunct),
fashion designer Richard Rivalee who turned his house into a boutique BnB, an interior decor, florists and many more.
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| An intimate music gig held at Le Coq @ 15 Bangkok Lane |
Location
The cottage is snuggled right in the heart of suburb called 'Pulau Tikus'. Behind it, is the famed Wat Chayamangkalaram (reclining Buddha) Thai and Burmese temples. Just 100m away is the Pulau Tikus wet market where locals go to market, and surrounding the area are coffee shops serving up hot food from as early as 7am. A 15-minute stroll away is Gurney Drive (where Grandpas used to go swim and Grandmas would tell tales of dolphins swimming beside their men in the 1960s) and the shopping mall paradise at Gurney Plaza. You'll likely stumble onto my favourite Crepe Cottage on 77 Gurney Drive. Don't miss their scrumptious pancakes/crepes especially the Penang Special for dessert. They open from 6pm-1am daily but do check as they rest one day in the week and I'm not sure which.Visit these blogs for more references:
Newsletter 104.indd (pht.org.my) (page 6)
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