 Chew divided his land into building lots and sold them to developers to build houses.Subsequent establishment of some of Singapore’s earliest season houses and holiday bungalows resulted in Joo Chiat becoming a wealthy and upper middle class suburb with a relaxing and scenic locale.Today, Joo Chiat Road is best known for its colourful rows of traditional Peranakan shophouses, dating back to the 1920s and 1930s, that line the narrow street.