Residences Near CBDs: The Answer to Commuters’ Problems

It seems that traffic jam in Metro Manila is not letting up. The number of cars on the road has increased at a rate faster than newly built and repaired roads. This has added new woes to commuters, students going to class, employees on their way to their offices, or businessmen meeting clients. Moreover, a downpour of 30 minutes or less translates to more hours on the road. EDSA on a normal weekday, sans typhoons and floods, is congested even at 12:00 midnight.

The burden of the weak transportation system falls on commuters. For those who can afford it, the solution lies in choosing to live near workplaces. Metro Manila’s top Commercial Business Districts (CBDs), Makati, Pasig, and Taguig, are seeing an increase in the demand for residential space.

More are opting to rent or buy properties in CBDs rather than have a long commute daily.

Here are the upsides of living in a CBD:

Ortigas CBD, Pasig City

• Pasig is centrally located near CBDs, with Makati on its south, and Taguig on the east. To reside here, you cut commute time to an hour or so on a good day.
• Uniquely Pasig is its river ferry. Going to Makati using the ferry along Pasig River cuts commute time to just 10 minutes.
• Pasig City Museum is a fine repository of Pasig’s culture and history.

Makati City

• Makati condominiums continue to appreciate. A 38 sqm one-room condo unit in Avida Towers sold for Php 1.5M in 2012 just over two years now fetches around Php 6 to 15M.
• Shopping and entertainment are convenient in Makati with at least 60,000 commercial and retail establishments. It is teeming with cafes, fastfood chains, and restaurants. Explore Land Mark and SM Makati, Glorietta Ayala Centre, Cash and Carry Mall, Greenbelt Malls, and Century City Mall. Also another favorite is the Makati Circuit, touted as the next lifestyles hub in Metro Manila.
• Makati has the most number of CCTV per sqm in Metro Manila. It has better security within its outlying residential villages like San Antonio, Dasmarinas, Forbes Park and San Lorenzo to name a few.
• To see fine paintings of National Artists from Juan Luna and Fernando Amorsolo to Napoleon Abueva, and Jose Joya one can go to the Yuchengco Museum. For a rich collection of pre-Hispanic gold as well as ethnic artifacts and historical dioramas, there is the Ayala Museum, and of course Museong Makati with heritage items originally found in Makati.
• The Ayala Triangle is the green patch where joggers and yoga enthusiasts can go to.
• World class educational institutions: For higher studies, the Ateneo Professional Schools, Asian Institute of Management, De La Salle – Professional Schools, and the Lyceum of the Philippines – College of Law.  Other institutions include Asia Pacific College, Mapua Institute of Technology, University of Makati, STI Makati, Makati College, Centro Escolar University Makati, AMA, Don Bosco, Informatics Computer Institute of Makati and the Assumption College.

Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City

• BGC functions as Metro Manila’s 2nd financial district housing the clutch of foreign embassies, multinational corporations, and banks.
• BGC facilitated commercial growth in Taguig with brands such as Nike and Adidas setting shop. Malls and shopping areas like SM Aura, UpTown Mall, Market! Market!, Serendra, Bonifacio High Street, and HighStreet South Block abound. You can find entertainment and lots of restaurants in Burgos Circle, The Fort, and the Fort Strip.
• Several International schools are located in BGC. They include British School Manila, International School Manila, Manila Japanese School and the Korean International School Philippines.
• Taguig has three specialized museums. The Veterans Federation of the Philippines Museum for Museum with its World War II artifacts, the Philippine Military museum which is managed by the Philippine Army and The Mind Museum which focuses on science and technology.

For those who want to experience convenience despite living in Metro Manila, a home near CBDs is the answer.

Author:

Hoppler Inc. simplifies real estate transactions through its advanced online platform and its exceptional network of brokers. It offers top-quality properties in Metro Manila through its network real estate partners.