The Urban Roamer

Newport City and the evolution of an entertainment complex

July 30, 2014September 15, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

It is no secret that Newport City aims to be a premier entertainment complex that boasts of a strategic location, thanks to its proximity to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport whose Terminal 3 is just right across it. In fact, it has been given a certification by Philippine Economic Zone Authority as a Tourism Economic Zone.

One of the components for this complex are the hotels. At present, 2 hotels are now operational, 1 is currently under construction, and yet another 1 is being planned. The fact that 4 hotels are being envisioned to rise here is a sign of how optimistic the developers/partners Megaworld and Genting Group are with the success of this venture.

Newport City: one year later

July 30, 2014September 10, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

It was late August last year when I last visited the young Newport City to check out the entertainment complex there called Resorts World Manila which had its opening that time. Since it was night time and considering the activity that was going on in the development site, I haven’t checked out the area quite much that time. And I did promise to come back to see what’s going on.

It took me a little over a year, but I came back as promised, as an urban roamer who is out to fully explore what’s out there and what’s new at that township development project of Megaworld that is Newport City.

roaming around Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3

July 30, 2014September 4, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

Most of the time, an urban roamer like myself confines himself in his travels in and around the city. But there are occasions that I get to go beyond my “natural borders” like my recent vacation abroad. (which by itself is another story) That particular round trip onboard Cebu Pacific has found me boarding and disembarking at the youngest terminal of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. otherwise known as NAIA’s Terminal 3. Quite frankly, this would be the first time I’ll be able to fully go around and explore a NAIA airport, as my previous airport experiences were limited to the Manila Domestic Airport.

Terminal 3 by itself has a long and “colorful” history ever since building for it began in around 1997. It was supposed to open in around 2002 if not for the long and costly litigation that arose from the original contract for the building terminal which was deemed “onerous” by the Philippine government, not to mention the repairs that had to be done throughout the time. The case was eventually won by the Philippine government a few months ago in Singapore court, as well as in Washington previously; the government hopes to be able to fully utilize the terminal by year-end.

a classic dining ambience experience in the city

July 30, 2014August 29, 2010 by The Urban Roamer

Can you imagine yourself having dinner in a centuries-old house which has preserved and dining in the midst of its furniture and other household items still intact in their old state? We get to read and hear places like these in travel shows and books that deal with places outside the country. But that doesn’t mean we don’t have a dining place like this here in our country, in a city such as Manila to be precise, where much of its old heritage have either disappeared or left to neglect.

It’s one of those (somewhat) best kept secrets in Manila’s San Miguel district, the place where some of the old rich of the city used to live. It used to be a house of that belonged to a gynecologist named Dr. Alejandro Legarda, his wife Ramona, and their four children, built in 1937 and is one of the few houses that stand today which employed the Art Deco style.