Clarke Quay is the stretch of the Singapore River where the city's nightlife concentrates — a run of restored godowns (warehouses) and shophouses along the water that once handled the cargo coming up from the harbour and now handle the crowds coming out at night. The river was the original reason Singapore existed, the highway down which goods moved between ship and shore, and the warehouses that line it have been turned into bars, clubs, and restaurants.
The riverside walk runs from Boat Quay, just below the colonial district, up through Clarke Quay to Robertson Quay. Boat Quay, closest to the financial centre, is the oldest stretch, its shophouses now mostly seafood restaurants and pubs facing the water. Clarke Quay proper is the loudest, a cluster of converted warehouses under a canopy that holds the city's main concentration of clubs and bars. Robertson Quay, further upstream, is quieter and more residential, with riverside restaurants and a slower pace.
The river is best seen from the water — bumboat cruises run the length of it, passing under the old bridges and the Merlion at the mouth — or walked at night, when the quays light up and the crowds spill onto the riverside. By day it is calm and the historic bridges and the Cavenagh and Anderson crossings reward a walk; by night it is the centre of where Singapore goes out.