Thursday, February 11, 2010

Makati - Rockwell Center

Rockwell Center is one of the newest multi-use developments completed in Makati. Rockwell is a self-contained mini city within a city with its own mall, security force and even maids, patrolling the grounds. Within Rockwell, are mulitple condominium developments popular with expats and the local business and society elite.

The Joya Lofts and Towers are the newest addition to Rockwell Makati. The towers were handed over in 2007 and feature a north and south tower, sharing a pool deck on the 7th floor. Across from the Joya Lofts and Towers is Manansala Tower. Both Joya and Manansala Towers allow you to buy the unit and live in it, but they also have units which are rented on a nightly or monthly basis to occupants.

The older towers in Rockwell include Rizal and Amorsolo Tower. Next to Rizal and Amorsolo Tower is the graduate law school for Ateneo de Manila University. The crown jewel of Rockwell Center is the Power Plant Mall, one of the most luxurious malls in all of Manila.

Power Plant Mall is a 4-story mall with a basement dedicated to dining and 3 floors of retail and entertainment space, anchored by a multiple screen movie theatre and a large Fully Booked outlet. Numerous coffee shops including Starbucks and Figaro line the halls of the mall with retailers, mostly highend occupying the rest of the space. Salvatore Ferragamo, Coach, Cole Haan are some of the luxury brands in Rockwell Center Makati. Also within the Power Plant Mall is the Collezione store, where you can now purchase those very popular polo shirts with the Philippine flag.

Also home in Power Plant Mall is the Team Manila store, which sells the iconic graphically designed logos of Jose Rizal with aviator shades on.

Rockwell Makati is almost nearing its 10th anniversary and when that time comes, it will also be time to open and innagurate One Rockwell, the newest premier condominium tower going up in Rockwell. This is one of the largest condominium towers in all of the Philippines and will be located across the street from the Nestle and Lufthansa office buildings in central Rockwell.

Even with One Rockwell going up by 2012, there is still additional space and room for expansion in Rockwell. There are talks of also possibly extending Rockwell across the Pasig River into Mandaluyong, where the Lopez family, which owns Rockwell, owns additional land.

Regardless of Rockwell Makati's future plans, it continues to be a quiet oasis amidst the chaos that is sometimes living in the Philippines. Rockwell is located just a short drive away from Ayala Avenue, Greenbelt, The Fort, Ortigas Center, and EDSA is easily accessible via a private road.

If you're considering living in the Philippines and are looking for a place to live, Rockwell Center should be high on your list. Typical 1 bedroom condos rent for 35,000 PHP per month unfurnished and you can probably find cheaper deals on Craigslist Manila or Sulit. Alternatively, you can look at renting a home in Bel-Air village, which is a privated gated community next to Rockwell.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Makati Apartelle

Makati's not a big city measured in distance but crossing one part of the city and going to another during rush hour can often take 20 to 30 minutes. So, this guide for staying in Makati is designed primarily for the following people: business travelers, traveling families, massage tourists, and maybe even some backpackers who are looking for apartelles in Makati.

Here is a partial list of Apartelle's in Makati

Perla Mansion, Makati City
117 Carlos Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City

- Ascot Residence Makati City
6/F Glorietta 4 Ayala Center Makati City

- Amorsolo Mansion, Makati City
130 Amorsolo cor. Herrera Sts., Legaspi Village, Makati City

- BSA Suites, Makati City
103 Carlos Palanca St., Legaspi Village, Makati City

- BSA Tower, Makati City
108 Legaspi St., Legaspi Village, Makati City

- Citadel Inn Makati City
5007 P. Burgos St., Bel-Air, Makati City

- Fraser Place, Makati City
Forbes Tower, Valero St., Salcedo Village, Makati City

- Gilarmi Apartment & Suites, Makati City
6749 Ayala Avenue, Makati City

- Makati Prime Tower Suites, Makati City
Kalayaan Avenue corner P. Burgos St., Bel-Air, Makati City

- Sunnette Tower Makati City
Durban St. Corner Makati Ave., Makati City


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But, really, it's six of one, half dozen of another. It is how to make capital working from home with your Makati Apartelle. Get over this belief: I have lost my mind when it draws a parallel to condominium makati. Oh, things are OK now. Is it right for Makati Apartelle? Makati Apartelle is for the bargain conscious.

Makati - An Introduction

The City of Makati, or simply Makati, is one of the cities and municipalities that make up Metro Manila, the greater metropolitan area of the national capital of the Philippines. It is the major financial, commercial and economic hub in the Philippines, often referred to as the Financial Capital of the Philippines since many global companies have their offices and headquarters in the city. Makati is also home to the influential Makati Business Club and the Philippine Stock Exchange. Ayala Avenue, running through the heart of downtown Makati Central Business District is often called the Wall Street of the Philippines and is home to thousands of call center employees.

I've lived in Makati for over 3 years and I can say its not unlike many major metropolitan capitals - there is the traffic, the glitz, and the masses - common in everyplace from New York, to Paris, to Hong Kong. During the daytime, hundreds of thousands of people are added to the Makati population, working at the downtown's many office towers and business villages such as Legaspi Village and Salcedo Village. But during Saturdays and Sundays, the streets are quiet and you can take advantage of things like the Salcedo Village Saturday morning market for all sorts of delicacies to quiet walks in Ayala Triangle Park. Numerous bars and restaurants line the streets of Salcedo Villages making it feel like a quiet part of New York City on some Saturday afternoons.

Makati is noted for its highly cosmopolitan culture, also being a major cultural and entertainment hub in Metro Manila. Many expatriates live and work in the city. Makati is also home to many first-class shopping malls, which are located at Ayala Center and Rockwell Center. Makati also has the tallest buildings in the Philippines like PBCOM Tower, G.T. International Tower, and the 6780 Ayala building.

The city also has many of the country's five-star hotels like The Peninsula Manila, the Shangri-La Hotel Makati and the Intercontinental Hotel Manila. Coming soon is a Raffles hotel as well as a Fairmont Hotel across from Greenbelt 3 which will make the Greenbelt area the core of five-star living during your stay in Makati.

Independent business travelers staying in Makati also benefit from budget hotels like the Saint Illian's Inn, The Tower Inn, El Cielito Inn, The Copa Businessman's Hotel, and The City Garden Suites, while serviced apartments like The Salcedo Suites, Rockwell Suites, Fraser Place Manila, Jupiter Suites (Jupiter Arms Hotel) and The Oxford Suites are gaining in popularity among business-minded travelers as well staying in Makati.

If you have any questions about staying in Makati, leave a comment and I'll do my best to reply as quickly as I can.

Downtown Makati from the Shangri-La Tower