The Urban Roamer

A Not-So-Ordinary Valentines Day In The City: The Mystery of “Olivia”

February 16, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

Valentines Day 2014 would have been yet another Valentines Day in the metropolis with all the commercial establishments announcing their Valentine promos, heavy traffic in the streets compounded by the fact that V-Day falls on a Friday and it’s almost payday as well for many, not to mention the lines of vehicles and patrons going to one of those venues along the motel row.

But something began to pop up along the streets of Metro Manila that sent the city abuzz. Billboards appeared on various bus stops among the major thoroughfares of the city, particularly EDSA, just a few days before Valentines Day. The billboards contain the same simple message:

“Olivia, Will You Marry Me? 21414”

A New Beginning

February 9, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

Not many people know this, but I was not a newbie blogger when I first started blogging as the Urban Roamer. In fact, I was already blogging long before that, probably about 5-6 years prior. Admittedly though, my blogging life pre-Urban Roamer days were not that noteworthy as I never got to regularly update my blog. So when I conceived what would become the Urban Roamer, there was this lingering fear that it will fall the same fate as my previous blog. Nevertheless, I was prevailed upon by that need for me to have an outlet of sorts for my interests and passion for the metropolis I grew up in and that dream (or madness) of mine to “make a difference” somehow in making the metropolis better the best way I know how. So when I finally started it in August 2009, I had no idea how far will I go in this new venture, blogging away without seriously considering of its potential.

4 1/2 years after starting the Urban Roamer blog in August 2009, I have been amazed by the growing readership and supporter base that I cannot express how much gratitude I have for your continued patronage and support for this humble blog. Without such support, I would never have been able to churn that much content in a regular basis that even I get to be amazed myself, considering my previous blogging efforts.

Those 4 1/2 years have been a period of so much change as well: from the urban landscape, to the availability of information and technological advancements. Even in my life as well, much has changed as well…if you know what I mean. I have gained so much from those experiences: new insights, knowledge, and ideas that yearn a new outlet for expression. It became apparent that my old blog, as well as the limitations of the system it was in, was somehow limiting me in expressing them.

More importantly, the growing success of the blog has helped boost my confidence in what I can do and in my product. Such success deserves bigger and bolder steps for this product to grow. From this point on, this no longer just a mere blog. It has now become a brand that I intend to develop. So today, I have taken that first step.

To my dear readers, welcome to the new home of the Urban Roamer!

The Mega Fashion Hall: Ice Skating Makes a Homecoming

August 10, 2014February 2, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

Back in the early days of the Urban Roamer, one of the early posts published in the site was a memoriam to the SM Megamall Ice Skating Rink. long considered as a landmark that put the mall and SM as a whole on the map. At that time, SM Megamall was undergoing what could be considered the early phase of its expansion as the Ice Skating Rink and the nearby Bowling area had to give way to more retailers who wish to set shop in the bustling mall.

For the next four years or so, SM Megamall has constantly expanded itself to as far as its property can accommodate, putting up the Atrium expansion, a carpark/office space building, and finally, the Mega Fashion Hall building.

The Mall of Willie

August 10, 2014January 25, 2014 by The Urban Roamer

If you were one of those who watched Willie Revillame during the past few years, even on a casual basis, there was no way you would not have known that mall he was always advertising. You know, the one that bears his name, the Wil Tower Mall, which actually opened last September 2013.

Technically, the mall is not exactly his as this mall was brought about by a joint venture between him and real estate firm Vista Land, which is owned by Revillame’s longtime friend and patron, former Senator Manny Villar. Another thing is that it is not just strictly a shopping mall but a commercial and residential complex of 42 floors and residential towers with the shopping mall as its base.