Charming, but…

Eastwood City Walk's concept as a shopping area is charming. It was made to look like a cobblestone street lined with three-story buildings on both sides. In truth, it's really just two long buildings connected on one end, but they change the design of the facade every few meters. Each building has wide promenades and even the second level has open corridors so you can look out over the 'street.' There are also balconies in some of the third level spaces to reinforce the illusion of being in a genteel European street. Unfortunately, what makes Eastwood City Walk charming is also the reason why it never succeeded as a shopping area. With the heat and humidity of Manila, no one wants to walk up and down those open corridors to go window-shopping. How many people actually go shopping with a particular item or store in mind? A few specialty shops are still there, plus some cafés and restaurants, but they're all only up to the second level—I haven't seen a shop on the third level in years.

Neon clock tower

Eastwood City is a 16-hectare real estate development of Megaworld Corporation near the crossroads of Quezon City, Pasig City and Marikina City. It's a high-density development with office buildings, condominium towers (currently ten), and a commercial and entertainment center which they call 'City Walk.' When non-residents like us go to the commercial center though, we just say we're going to 'Eastwood.' The place has movie theaters, a bowling alley, and a shopping and dining complex which I think is one of the most interesting in the metro, design-wise. The clock tower figures prominently in many of Eastwood City's marketing materials. It'll probably be used in the materials for that new condo going up.

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It's hard to believe that tiny little bodies can hold so much energy! It's only been two days since my sister and nieces arrived and I'm already exhausted—although in a very happy and satisfied kind of way. I'm just so glad they're not three little boys!

Local

Manila has a local version of the Hollywood Walk of Fame: the Eastwood City Walk of Fame, located in the mixed use complex that is Eastwood City in Quezon City.

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Calling all City Daily Photo bloggers yet again! Time flies by so fast and it's less than a week until our next theme day. The theme for February 1 is Wood. (I'm going to like this one again. I love the many textures of wood!) The poll for the March theme closes on January 31, so please vote and spread the word!

Yet another

Looks like the lovely shopping and dining promenade that is Eastwood City Walk is not enough to serve all the residents and tenants of the many condominium and office towers of Eastwood City. Megaworld, the property developer, recently opened Eastwood Mall in the middle of a ring of towers, some of which are still being constructed. Some of the shops in the Walk have transfered to the mall, including the cozy A Different Bookstore (whose new store is no longer as cozy, unfortunately). The shops and restaurants in the mall are more upscale (Crisostomo is on the second floor of the mall, just above where the young girls are) and seem to be targeted to 40-somethings and older, while those at the Walk are trendier and younger. I guess I don't fit in their demographics—I still like the Walk better.

Legs

I just wanted another photo of Eastwood City Walk, the unique dining and shopping center whose design I like so much. It wasn't until I uploaded the photo that I noticed the two guys sitting across each other on the benches just beyond the arch.

Find more Odd Shots—or post your own—at Katney's Kaboodle.

Splish splash sploosh

In the mall that doesn't look like a mall that is Eastwood City Walk, this fountain stands in the middle of a round plaza called Fuente Circle surrounded by cafés and restaurants. The powerful jet actually produces waves in the basin and causes the water to splash out the sides. I love the sound it makes.

Natural or man-made, take a refreshing dip in Watery Wednesday.

Book aquarium

Last theme day, I showed you the cozy corner inside A Different Bookstore's Eastwood City branch. This is what the shop looks like from the outside. You can't see the couch from this angle—it's on the left side, near the back. The bookstore doesn't have its own café inside but there's really no need for one anyway. To the right of the bookstore is a Starbucks, across it is a Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, and along the open-air promenade is a Café Xocolat. You'll find me at Coffee Bean with a mug of tea latte. The bookstore is open until midnight, and the cafés—well, we've never stayed out there long enough to see them close shop.