Describe an interesting neighbourhood

IELTS Cue Card/ Candidate Task Card 521 with Model Answer:

Describe an interesting neighbourhood where you have been to.

You should say:

• where it is
• what type of neighbourhood it is
• when you went there

and explain why you think it was an interesting neighbourhood.

[You will have to talk about the topic for one to two minutes. You have one minute to think about what you are going to say. You can make some notes to help you if you wish.]

---

Model Answer 1:

Thank you for choosing this interesting topic for me. I like to think that I have been to a few interesting neighbourhoods, subject to how one defines “interesting”, and I will just pick one of them and describe it as best as I can.

The neighbourhood, I am talking about, is not exactly located in my own town, even though I would very much like it to be. Well, on second thought, I would actually like it to be my own neighbourhood. But, unfortunately, that’s not to be because I just can’t afford it.

Yes, it is an “expensive” neighbourhood, not because it has some nice and fancy buildings, shopping malls, or nice streets, but because it is a very simple neighbourhood where everything looks so “natural”. The houses there look so “old” and the streets there are not even paved. In fact, when I first entered that neighbourhood about a few years ago for the first time, my very first impression of it was that the neighbourhood was an “ancient” village, and I was proved right to some extent. Indeed, it was a two-century-old village where a wealthy group of “merchants” used to live, as was told by my friend whose parents lived there.

Interestingly enough, even though it was a fairly large neighbourhood which had only 30 odd families or houses, living almost a few hundred yards apart from each other. Later on, I was also told that most of those families used their houses in that neighbourhood as some “holiday” or “leisure” resorts except, of course, it didn’t have any ocean, river or lake nearby. Oddly enough though, even though the neighbourhood was a bit too quiet for me, I would never hesitate to live there.

Anyway, I found the neighbourhood to be interesting, mainly because it had ample touch of ancient history. I found it to be cool and unique also because even though it was very much located in the middle of a rather busy town, not many people knew about it as if it was some kind of “mystery island”.



Sample Answer 2:

Introduction:
Thank you so much for this interesting topic. I had been to many cities both in my homeland and other countries, and have had the opportunity to visit some interesting and unique neighbourhoods. For this topic, I'd describe one such neighbourhood that fascinated me a lot.

Where it is:
The neighbourhood I am going to describe is located in Georgetown, which is a city in Penang, Malaysia. Georgetown is a vibrant and lively city that is renowned for its cultural diversity.

What type of neighbourhood it is:
The neighbourhood I visited was an old part of Georgetown, known as the "Armenian Street". It is a historic and culturally significant neighbourhood that is home to some of the most beautiful heritage buildings in Malaysia.

When you went there:
I visited the Armenian Street neighbourhood a couple of years ago, during my trip to Penang. I was fascinated by the rich history of the city and wanted to explore its heritage sites.

Why you think it was an interesting neighbourhood:
The Armenian Street neighbourhood is fascinating because of its mix of cultures and architectural styles. It is a melting pot of cultures, with influences from Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultures. Walking along the narrow streets of the neighbourhood, I could see a wide range of architectural styles, including Chinese shophouses, colonial buildings, and Malay kampong houses. The neighbourhood is also home to many museums, art galleries, and cultural centres, making it an ideal destination for art lovers and history buffs.