Evans Lodge

Bearable, Cheap and Affordable.
Free Breakfast in the morning, laundry machines, gym, very open to critiques, friendly staff.
Not my number one choice, but it’s not bad for people who are looking for a place for a short term stay.
Connected to 3 restaurants (Hatched — delicious brunch/​eggs, The Wine Company — a bit more upscale Asian/​Western fusion food, and Mr. Prata — ²⁴⁄₇ Indian/​Asian food with a bit of Western dishes)
Right across from a race track, basketball court, tennis court.
Also, right by the Botanic Gardens — one of the most beautiful places and relaxing places in Singapore.
There are some downsides, such as the building is pretty old, the lighting isn’t too great in the rooms, iguanas might come around because its right by the Botanic Gardens (but they’re harmless), little kids might be running around too, but overall Singapore is expensive and you won’t find much cheaper than this.

Before you start reading, there are 2 quick things to be aware of:
1. Evans Lodge is now Evans Hostel, and apparently is quite different from what it used to be. So earlier reviews should be taken with a grain of salt.
2. Evans Hostel has a new management team and is currently undergoing a lot of renovating. Chances are it will look quite different even a month after this review is written.
I spent approximately 2 months living here, during June and July. While the interior of the rooms was fairly nice (fresh and clean bedding, desk, wardrobe, clean bathrooms, and electric fans and air conditioning), it did still have the feeling of being freshly remodeled, since there was still a faint paint smell left in the room. Also, just because it looks new doesn’t mean it’s not susceptible to previous pests – we occasionally found geckos climbing along our walls or a bug or two.
As for the amenities, most of them are still in the process of being built and the outdoor area in general still looks quite run down. There are tables and such for picnickers and chitchatters, but the «outdoor kitchen area» is just a non-​working sink. The «gym» promised by the hostel is a piece of grass. The «laundry room» is just a few laundry machines and driers plugged against a wall in the corner of the hostel. And almost everywhere, you can see foreign workers walking around, carrying supplies. They also live in the hostel, too, so they never quite leave.
However, there is quite a bit of entertainment at Evans Hostel. For example, you can always play the daily game of «What’s for breakfast?» when guessing at what type of fried carb the caterers bring for Evans tenants. You can also amuse yourself by watching the hordes of elementary school-​age children running around the hostel grounds, wreaking havoc and screaming during the daytime. Or, better yet, visit the three restaurants right next door: Hatched, the Wine Company, and Mr. Prata.
While it wasn’t luxury, it wasn’t too shoddy of a place to live, either. Conveniently located next to the NUS Bukit Timah campus and Botanic Gardens, it’s about a 15 minute walk from the Botanic Gardens MRT station, so it was a fairly convenient and air conditioned location if not anything else.