Araneta City

a few other remnants of Old Cubao

by

In the midst of a continuing evolution of Cubao’s landscape brought about by modern trends and a recent redevelopment bid, it is interesting to see some of the structures that have become known as landmarks of old Cubao still manage to survive.

But the survival of these structures can either be a good or bad thing, especially in a place as ever-changing as Cubao. While it’s good to see some old “architecture” surviving in this part of the city, they can also be a bane as it can hamper the development of a certain area, especially if they are what can be called as “eyesores.”

DSC01737

Unfortunately, a number of old buildings that still stand in Cubao, particularly some of the ones located along EDSA and along Aurora Blvd., are eyesores by themselves which do not complement much to the atmosphere Cubao has been hoping to project. Worse, some of them have become favorite grounds for unsavory elements that have pretty much damaged Cubao’s reputation over the years.

Read more

the “Farmers” of Cubao

by

For those who were fortunate to have witnessed Cubao’s old glory from the 1960’s-1980’s, it seemed far-fetched to entertain the idea of a possible demise of this colorful district. But by the 1990’s, this idea became an unfortunate reality as Cubao became endangered thanks to the shifting tastes in entertainment trends, the rise and the mushrooming of the shopping malls,(spearheaded no less by SM which ironically has a presence in Cubao as a department store) and the competition waged by rival commercial districts, particularly the malls of Ortigas Center and Makati’s old Quad and Greenbelt shopping centers that have been revamped to become the classier Ayala Center. The deteriorating peace and order situation did not help either as old patrons found themselves avoiding Cubao due to incidences of theft and other petty crime.

cubao
The Urban Roamer’s old Cubao map: the ones marked in regular font are the ones still existing in Cubao today

In the midst of all these, Cubao still managed to survive thanks to the presence of Araneta Coliseum and the reinvention of some of the old retail establishments to become retailers of second-hand imported goods, otherwise known as wagwagan and ukay-ukay stores. At one point, Cubao could be consider the metropolis’ leading ukay-ukay center of sorts. But this reinvention was short-lived as Cubao’s developers decided to take a new route in revitalizing Cubao, in the process forced the closure of these establishments and killed whatever potential Cubao had as a possible shopping haven for second-hand goods that may rival those found in Hong Kong.

Read more

reminiscing Cubao: C.O.D. Cubao Department Store

by

This 2010 Christmas season, I thought it would be appropriate that The Urban Roamer’s Journal pay tribute to what was once one of the premier, if not THE premier, Christmas destinations in Metro Manila: the commercial business district of Cubao in Quezon City.

On a personal note, I was fortunate enough to experience memorable Christmases past in Cubao in its past glory and be dismayed by its decline over the years, but at the same time hopeful for some future memorable Christmases to be witnessed in Cubao in the midst of its bid to recapture its old glory.

Long before malls became the premier shopping destination, it was the department stores who were considered the apex for the shopper. Back then, competition among department stores was thriving, cutthroat as some might consider. No other example of that competition was witnessed in those days than in the commercial district of Cubao in Quezon City.

Even as the advent of malls in the area with Ali Mall and Farmers Plaza by the 1980’s, the department stores at the time were still kings. But  for many shoppers like my family, one department store stood out among the rest: the C.O.D. Department Store.

Read more