• Mandaluyong

    Christmas in the City 2014: Policarpio Street Revisited

    Five years ago, during the early days of the site, the Urban Roamer wrote about the Christmas spectacle at Policarpio Street in Barangay New Zaniga in Mandaluyong, Being my first time to visit the place, I was amazed at the spectacle some of the houses there showcased there, undoubtedly done with such meticulousness and dedication for the love of the season. With so much that has happened to the Urban Roamer since then, this Christmas season was a good opportunity to revisit the neighborhood and see what has changed, if any, since that last visit.

  • Mandaluyong

    Greenfield Weekend Market: A Weekend Market in the Greens

    Weekend markets in the eastern side of the metropolis have been growing in popularity in recent years, thanks in part to such events first organized at Ortigas Center by Banchetto, which has since then transferred to the area near Forum Robinsons in southeastern Mandaluyong. Since then, there have been a number of other weekend market venues there in the east, though few has yet to match the legacy of the former. Perhaps, the closest that would have rivalled Banchetto would be the weekend market set up by Mercato Centrale in the area of Greenfield District (right around the corner of EDSA and Shaw Boulevard) called Manda Centrale. Unfortunately, despite the…

  • Mandaluyong

    The Mega Fashion Hall: Ice Skating Makes a Homecoming

    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…

  • Makati,  Mandaluyong,  Muntinlupa,  Quezon City,  Taguig

    The Mercatos of the Metro

    There are a number of food/weekend markets out there in the metro these days. Some may say this growing presence is bordering on oversaturation, while others do not seem to mind that. Especially if they have something different to offer for a discriminating palate. Then there are a few that stand out thanks to longevity and loyal patronage among a growing fanbase. Out of that few, there are those that have stood up well enough to establish by itself a growing network of food markets in the metropolis. Such is the success story of Mercato Centrale.