New lifestyle center emerges at Tagaytay

It certainly isn’t the city center where people gather to visit government offices, public market and commercial establishments that stand not far from each other.

Yet, the people of Tagaytay and its foreign visitors flock to this pulsating hub of human activity for a lot more reasons. They’ve turned this now popular Olivarez Plaza into a lifestyle center, if not the center of their collective lifestyle.

“People, local and foreign, come to Olivarez Plaza for a myriad of reasons – buy all their needs at the supermarket and specialty boutiques, go hunting for rare finds and souvenir items at the handicraft section, do value shopping at the El Pueblo tiangge and its electronics and ukay-ukay stores, grab a bite at any of the food kiosks around, enjoy the exotic flavor and aroma of native upland coffee at Café Amadeo, get their cell phones and computers fixed at the I.T. stalls, surf at the internet cafes, have some beauty treatments and makeover at the F Salon, get pampered at the Lynderm Spa and Al Quadri; play badminton at the indoor recreational center or tennis and basketball at the open landscaped courts, attend a conference at the 1000-seat convention center, watch a show at the 500-seat amphitheater, take up a course at the Olivarez College; or enjoy a stay at the 48-room Tagaytay Country Hotel and enjoy the authentic flavors and fusion cuisines of its coffeeshop and restaurant and spend a relaxing moment at the Jacuzzi, garden pool, and its La Costa spa in a Zen-inspired Balinese setting,” says operations manager Ephel Olivarez.

All these facilities and amenities constitute the Olivarez Plaza, a landmark at the left side of the Aguinaldo Highway just a few blocks before reaching the Tagaytay Rotonda.

Thus, the entire complex is within walking distance to banks and fastfood restaurants and just a few minutes away from all of Tagaytay’s famous tourism attractions, with the Olivarez Plaza definitely emerging as one of them.

Its unique role as Tagaytay’s lifestyle center also makes it the venue of various entertainment activities, including the Street Party at 6 to 11 p.m. on Nov. 15, Battle of the Bands every Saturday from Nov. 22 to December, and wedding fair Kasalang Filipino in February next year, among many others. All three events are open to the public and admission is free.