Coolest Decade To Live In?

[Bugatti Veyron]

 

 

I don't know if you remember that at the far end of Automat was Steak Express which was jut opposite the old Mercury Drug Store. Beyond that was Poulex Department Store which can be clearly seen in this photo.

 

By the way since the old Automat was demolished I haven't seen any automated dispensing machines like one still sees today in the US. Back then the Automat had machines that dispensed sandwiches, soft drinks, coffee, even cigarettes. I suppose these automated dispensing machines were expensive to maintain and prone to vandalism.

[Bugatti Veyron]

Travelling across New Jersey one still sees these type of old establishments. I recall how Makati Commercial Center used to look like these establishments.

[Bugatti Veyron]

 

This empty parking lot is now the site of Glorietta 5. Photo was taken from the Intercontinental Hotel.

[muttley]

Yes most of the things you mentioned here are accurate. The others I simply cannot remember. There indeed was a large open air parking lot outside the side entrance of Makati Supermarket that extended towards Pasay Road. I don't remember if Anson's was already there during the early '70's. This parking lot eventually became Park Square 2.

And just to the side of this parking lot was The Plaza which was located just across the original site of Anson's

 

That smaller arcade behind Rizal theater housed Alemars, D'Bankers (barber shop), an appliance store (Automatic??) among others.

 

I really miss the old Makati Commercial Center. I wonder what Makati Commercial Center will look like 30 years from now...

 

Yes, your recollection about the history of the Park Square 2/The Plaza are quite right. The Anson's Pasay Road building was put up during the mid-70s and became popular for staging its own Christmas attraction (like the COD Dept. Store in Cubao) during the 70s.

 

And I might add, maybe Maranaw and the bowling center had a small front entrance parking kaya ganoon yung recollection mo.

 

Yes, your recollection of the smaller arcade behind Rizal Theater is quite right too. Its probably Automatic Appliance Center nga (sometimes I confuse it with Anson's kasi magkamukha yung logos nila). Automatic later moved to its own building where the Rustan's steel parking is currently located.

 

I miss the old MCC (and the old Magallanes Commercial Center) too because it wasn't so stressful to go there back in those days. Just drive to the open carpark in front of whatever store you're going and that's it (just like in the USA). Good times. Unlike today with all the mall buildings, heavy volume of cars and people.

 

As for the future of Ayala Center, currently the developments are focused over at the Pasay Road side. After Fairmont Raffles (West Drive Arcade) and Park Terraces (Anson's, Park Square2), the next to be torn down will be Park Square 1 (to clear the way for Garden Towers). No word yet about Glorietta 3/4, Dusit Thani Hotel and Hotel Intercon.

 

http://www.ayalapropertyexpert.com/gt-map.jpg

Edited February 20, 2013 by muttley

[anna marie]

90s. a bit of the old. a bit of the new. all coming together.

[sonnyt111]

90s. a bit of the old. a bit of the new. all coming together.

 

Yes the 90's were sort of a transition between yesteryears and the present. There has been a signinficant change in Ayala Center in the past 5 years. Now even the covered parking lot at Park Square is closed for demolition/renovation??

 

I hope this venue will still serve as a parking area for the ever increasing volume of vehicles.

[muttley]

Yes the 90's were sort of a transition between yesteryears and the present. There has been a signinficant change in Ayala Center in the past 5 years. Now even the covered parking lot at Park Square is closed for demolition/renovation??

 

I hope this venue will still serve as a parking area for the ever increasing volume of vehicles.

 

Park Square 1 will be demolished to give way to the Garden Tower condominium. As for parking, there's additional parking below Landmark, Park Terraces, and the new Glorietta 1/2.

http://www.ayalapropertyexpert.com/gt-map.jpg

 

@bugattiveyron: I finally remembered the name of the bowling center. It was Coronado Lanes and Barber Shop, the one beside Maranaw and across Makati Supermarket and Sulo Restaurant. After the Landmark group took over this site and the Maranaw site, Coronado moved to the Anson's Greenbelt building at Pasay Rd corner Paseo de Roxas until Anson's was demolished a few years ago to make way for The Residences condominium.

Edited February 21, 2013 by muttley

[Bugatti Veyron]

Park Square 1 will be demolished to give way to the Garden Tower condominium. As for parking, there's additional parking below Landmark, Park Terraces, and the new Glorietta 1/2.

http://www.ayalapropertyexpert.com/gt-map.jpg

 

@bugattiveyron: I finally remembered the name of the bowling center. It was Coronado Lanes and Barber Shop, the one beside Maranaw and across Makati Supermarket and Sulo Restaurant. After the Landmark group took over this site and the Maranaw site, Coronado moved to the Anson's Greenbelt building at Pasay Rd corner Paseo de Roxas until Anson's was demolished a few years ago to make way for The Residences condominium.

Yeah Coronado Lanes. I remember that. Wasn't there a burger joint near there as well? I remember watching movies at Rizal Theater and then grabbing a burger there before going home. Also wasn't there a Philippine Education nearby? Hmm I seen to have forgotten the names of the establishments in that particular area. I even vaguely remember playing with slot cars at Philippine Education. That was way back in the 60's.

[Bugatti Veyron]

Park Square 1 will be demolished to give way to the Garden Tower condominium. As for parking, there's additional parking below Landmark, Park Terraces, and the new Glorietta 1/2.

http://www.ayalapropertyexpert.com/gt-map.jpg

 

@bugattiveyron: I finally remembered the name of the bowling center. It was Coronado Lanes and Barber Shop, the one beside Maranaw and across Makati Supermarket and Sulo Restaurant. After the Landmark group took over this site and the Maranaw site, Coronado moved to the Anson's Greenbelt building at Pasay Rd corner Paseo de Roxas until Anson's was demolished a few years ago to make way for The Residences condominium.

Another condominium? Darned, I was hoping they would just refurbish Park Square. Ang dami nang condominium sa Ayala Center. Parking areas seem to be getting more scarce or located in heavy traffic areas. Traffic in the Park Square area wasn't so bad. And I liked the location and the way the parking lot was designed. I will miss this place especially since I still remember when it used to be an open air parking space facing Quad back in the early 70's.

 

Seems sentimentality doesn't fit in at all with the plans of the Ayala Group. In all the old photos you posted, the only one that looks the same and timeless is the Intercontinental Hotel. Even Rustan's looks different today. The rest of Ayala Center would be totally unrecognizable to a balikbayan who last saw the place in the early 70's. For all intents and purposes, the Ayala Group changed the entire face of this part of Makati.

[muttley]

Yeah Coronado Lanes. I remember that. Wasn't there a burger joint near there as well? I remember watching movies at Rizal Theater and then grabbing a burger there before going home. Also wasn't there a Philippine Education nearby? Hmm I seen to have forgotten the names of the establishments in that particular area. I even vaguely remember playing with slot cars at Philippine Education. That was way back in the 60's.

 

Big 20 hamburger? It was located at West Drive Arcade (now Fairmont Raffles). Phil. Education, Erehwon bookstore were also located there. By 1983/84, Phil. Education closed down and the space became the first Pilipinas Nissan showroom.

 

Big 20 didn't stay in business long. It tasted quite good though.

Edited February 22, 2013 by muttley

[muttley]

Another condominium? Darned, I was hoping they would just refurbish Park Square. Ang dami nang condominium sa Ayala Center. Parking areas seem to be getting more scarce or located in heavy traffic areas. Traffic in the Park Square area wasn't so bad. And I liked the location and the way the parking lot was designed. I will miss this place especially since I still remember when it used to be an open air parking space facing Quad back in the early 70's.

 

Seems sentimentality doesn't fit in at all with the plans of the Ayala Group. In all the old photos you posted, the only one that looks the same and timeless is the Intercontinental Hotel. Even Rustan's looks different today. The rest of Ayala Center would be totally unrecognizable to a balikbayan who last saw the place in the early 70's. For all intents and purposes, the Ayala Group changed the entire face of this part of Makati.

 

Sentimentality NEVER WAS part of the Ayala masterplan, even with the original masterplan drew up during the time of Joe McMicking. The dictum from the old masterplan was To enable controlled evolution every 20-25 years.

Edited February 22, 2013 by muttley

[maxiev]

Sentimentality NEVER WAS part of the Ayala masterplan, even with the original masterplan drew up during the time of Joe McMicking. The dictum from the old masterplan was To enable controlled evolution every 20-25 years.

Wasn't there a single building in the old commercial center that was declared a national historical monument? Meaning it couldn't be demolished unilaterally? Well to answer my own question, I guess not. For a building to attain national status, I suppose it should have been left standing for at least 50 years. I'm not an expert in the process of declaring a building a national treasure but I imagine the age of the building and its historical significance will be significant factors. I don't think any of the old Ayala buildings have any historical value and they were demolished only 20-30 years after they were constructed to make way for newer developments.

 

Yet, seeing these old photos makes me a bit sad. I long for those long gone days when life was so much simpler.

[Bugatti Veyron]

Big 20 hamburger? It was located at West Drive Arcade (now Fairmont Raffles). Phil. Education, Erehwon bookstore were also located there. By 1983/84, Phil. Education closed down and the space became the first Pilipinas Nissan showroom.

 

Big 20 didn't stay in business long. It tasted quite good though.

No that name doesn't ring a bell. It was something else. Do you recall the name of famous burger joints in the 70's?

[Vegasboy32]

80s and 90s

[muttley]

No that name doesn't ring a bell. It was something else. Do you recall the name of famous burger joints in the 70's?

 

During the 70s, burger places weren't really found except at coffee shops like the one inside Makati and United Supermarkets.

 

Tropical Hut hamburger was way out in the Tropical Hut Supermarket in Ortigas corner EDSA.

 

Burger joints started coming in Makati Commercial Center around 1980 with Big 20 Hamburger. McDonalds entered Makati in 1983. Jollibee too. The first Wendy's was in Makati around that time too.

 

The owners of Makati SM, who held the Orange Julius franchise back then, opened their own burger brand called King Burger and placed it side by side with the Orange Julius counter inside the supermarket.

 

Outside MCC, there was this little place called Bobby MacGee's along Pasay Rd across the present New World Hotel. Pero I've never set foot there. Friends say it was not bad daw.

 

That's all all I can remember as far as old burger joints pre-Glorietta are concerned.

Edited February 23, 2013 by muttley