There's a certain kind of Singapore that still lives quietly inside Queensway Shopping Centre. The mall opened in 1976, one of the country's oldest, and its octagonal facade still frames the same sunken concourse, the same narrow shopfronts stacked over four floors, the same easy chatter of regulars who have been coming here for decades. Locals call it Singapore's sports mall. That reputation still holds. What's newer is the vintage community that has taken root beside it, turning the building into a two-in-one destination for gear and thrifted style.
If you're wondering how to go to Queensway Shopping Centre from Momentus Hotel Alexandra, the walk from our lobby takes about five minutes. What to do at Queensway is the more interesting question: sneakers, vintage threads, pottery, and a bowl of laksa that regulars have been chasing for over 60 years.
For the Athletes: Rackets, Jerseys, and Pro-Level Gear
Racket sports are the mall's oldest love. Smashsports and Hello Sports have both gone viral on TikTok in recent years, but the real pull is the counter itself. Both shops draw a steady stream of regulars for stringing, restringing, and honest advice from owners who know their equipment inside out. They cover badminton, tennis, and squash, and both have moved with the times, stocking pickleball and padel bats as those sports have taken off.
Football fans usually head straight to Weston Corp, which has been on the mall's map since the 1990s and carries one of the country's deepest ranges of kits and boots. Beyond that, the whole building runs on the same principle: every sports equipment shop here trades on decades of specialist knowledge and prices that reward a walk-in. This is also where a lot of Singapore's quiet sneaker culture lives. Home-grown boutique Limited Edt has kept stores at the mall since the 1990s, and the local sneakerhead crowd still turns up for release drops and hard-to-find pairs. If you're hunting for the best sneaker shops in Singapore, come on a weekend afternoon and take the escalators up slowly.
The Vintage Revival: Thrift Shops and Streetwear
Somewhere between the sports shops, a whole other Queensway has grown. A new generation has turned the mall into a serious thrift shop destination, and sustainable fashion sits at the heart of it. Every shop has its own point of view.
-
Honsieponsie: The rails here run to vintage tops, embroidered shirts, cargo pants, and knit vests, all handpicked with a strong eye for silhouette.
-
Nightingale Thrift Shop: Racks of preloved pieces start from just a few dollars, and the shop's social mission helps fund training programmes for the community.
-
WEARE: Reworked, secondhand, and brand-new pieces share the same rail, most under thirty dollars, styled for the streetwear crowd.
-
Hikari Space: A pop-up-style space rotates vendors weekly, with handmade jewellery, vintage cameras, and finds that change most weekends.
Come once, and you'll want to come back. That's how most people end up hooked.
Get Creative: Arts and Interactive Studios
When the shopping needs a pause, the mall's small studios are a nice change of pace. PotteryPlease! is a warm, informal pottery painting studio where a couple of hours quietly slip by. You pick a piece, sit at a wooden table, and paint at your own speed while the staff top up the paints and answer questions. It's a comfortable spot for a solo afternoon or a low-key date.
A few units away, Pluto Studio runs arts-and-craft sessions across figurine painting, decoden, beading, and press-on nails. Book a slot in advance if you're coming on a weekend, since the tables fill up quickly. It's the kind of place friends duck into on a rainy afternoon and don't emerge from for hours.
The Queensway Fuel: What to Eat at Queensway Shopping Centre
Ask any regular what to eat at Queensway Shopping Centre and the answer starts the same way. Janggut Laksa has been serving its Peranakan-style bowl for over 60 years, ever since the original stall closed on East Coast Road. The broth is coconut-rich and savoury, layered with cockles, fish cake, and prawns, and the noodles are cut short so you can eat them with a spoon. It's still one of the best five-dollar bowls in Singapore.
Two floors up, Queensway Lau Tan Tutu Kueh steams its little rice-flour cakes to order. The classics are coconut and peanut, warm and slightly sweet, and worth eating on the bench outside while they're still hot. Newer flavours like red bean and chocolate are worth a try if the queue moves quickly. Around the corner, Hei Lun Shi Tang serves hearty Taiwanese fare, with a braised pork rice that has become a local favourite. Together, they cover a full day of eating without leaving the building, all at prices that still feel like they belong to another decade.
Ending the Day: From Local Hustle to Hotel Serenity
By late afternoon, the tote bags are heavy and the feet are ready for a rest. Walking back to Momentus Hotel Alexandra takes about five minutes. Drop the bags in your room, kick off your shoes, and take the lift up to the seventh floor. The rooftop infinity pool holds warm water and a wide view across the southwestern skyline, and a twilight swim is the softest possible landing after a full day of exploring.
Round the evening off at Verandah Rooftop Rotisserie, our rooftop dining spot on the same floor, with signature roasts and grilled meats to share. A weekend staycation with us is built for exactly this kind of day. Slow mornings, a full afternoon in the Queenstown neighbourhood most visitors never find, and the walk home short enough that nothing about it feels like effort. Book a room facing the pool if you want the view to travel with you into the evening.