Where to rent a condo in Manila (Long term)
I am staying 6+ months in Manila so my priorities are going to be different then short term guys. I prioritize lifestyle and convenience.
All these things are personal preferences that I have found to be important to me. I am not making an argument as to why this is the best spot for everyone or that you should absolutely live in the same area. Your ideal spot in Manila is likely to be different.
This is going to sound insane to most guys with little experience in SE Asia but a huge priority is to live near a mall. Almost no where else would that be a priority but here in Manila life seems to revolve around malls and I want to live a short walking distance to one. Some reasons why...
- It is an easy meet up point with girls.
- Restaurants, coffee shops, movie theaters and day game all in one spot.
- Most malls have supermarkets. This is a big priority for me. I try to eat healthy and if I live next to a supermarket I am much more likely to cook at home. If it requires me to get in a taxi and becomes a hassle I end up eating out all the time.
- Easy place to go be social. I work, sleep, and eat in my condo. If I have to get in a taxi every time to get to a mall it would feel like a huge effort and I would end up spending more time in my condo. Having a mall a short walk away makes getting out of the condo much easier.
If you want to live in the bubble and next to a mall that leaves you with Greenbelt and Rockwell in Makati or Market Market and SM Aura in Fort Bonifacio. Other places to consider are Eastwood in Quezon City and Ortigas Center.
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Eastwood in Quezon City is great for someone who wants to be away from almost all tourist. Not a lot of white people in this area and the few who are will not be tourist. It is a big mall surrounded by condos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastwood_City
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Ortigas is a big business area with a ton of call centers. Which means lots of girls 20-30 years old working there. It has several malls the big one being SM Megamall and many condos. Lots of activity in this area.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ortigas_Center
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Greenbelt in Makati I already talked about in this post...
http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-29738-...#pid581200
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Rockwell in Makati is one of the nicest areas in Manila. It has the Powerplant mall that is surrounded by luxury condos. I considered this place but decided I didn't care for the location. It is on the edge of Makati and not much surrounds it. Once you leave Rockwell it is a bit of a journey to get anywhere.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rockwell_Center
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Market Market and SM Aura are malls right next to each other in Fort Bonifacio. I decided this was my preferred area to live. Market Market is more of a filipino style mall that is always crowded and not high end. SM Aura is brand new and is more of a "luxury" mall so it is really nice and not nearly as crowded. This mall has a nice supermarket on the bottom floor.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market!_Market!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SM_Aura_Premier
Also within walking distance is Bonifacio high street. This area is an outdoor shopping area and lots of places to eat. It is one of the most pleasant places in Manila to walk around and people watch.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonifacio_High_Street
If you want to be walking distance to all of this you have a few options. First is Serendra which is a huge complex of condos right between the malls and high street. It is very nice but comes with a high price. Ideal if you have the money but you are not going to stay here if you are on a budget. There is also two other towers within walking distance called South of Market and Infinity Tower. There are lots of other condos in Fort Bonifacio but they are no longer a comfortable walking distance to the malls and high street. Once you have to start driving/parking or taking a taxi things just become a bit more of a pain.
The other advantage to living in this area is you are near most of the high end clubbing. Prive, Hyve, Haze, Draft, Urbn, Skye, etc...
Downsides ---> $$ It is going to be more expensive to live here. Condos cost more to rent, restaurant and clubs are of a higher class, fewer lower cost alternatives for anyone on a tight budget. It is still cheap compared other cities in the world. You could pull it off on a budget of $2,000USD if you just watched your spending.
1. Market Market
2. SM Aura
3. Bonifacio High Street
4. Burgos Circle
5. Serendra
6. South of Market, Infinity Tower
scotian has already done an amazing job detailing the area so do yourself a favor and read his post.
http://www.rooshvforum.network/thread-22906.html