Aiming for the stars at Tropicana Garden City

MANILA, Philippines - Celebrity makeup artist Michael Celestino is on top of the blossoming new Marikina, the city he grew up in. He is a unit owner at Toledo, the first tower to rise in Tropicana Garden City — a residential condominium community located along Sumulong Highway.

Master-planned by Horizon Land, a subsidiary of Federal Land, the 17-hectare township development in Marikina adopts a Mediterranean-Castilian design, and once completed it will feature a nine-tower condominium community, a retail zone, and easy access to lifestyle attractions, local activities and events, and a range of transport options owing to its kilometer-long main thoroughfare frontage. The place is inspired by live-work-play destinations abroad like San Francisco’s Embarcadero Center and San Jose’s Santana Row.

Celestino points out the role that his new residence plays in marketing his own talents. He says he was convinced to call his home at Tropicana Garden City with two benefits in mind. “First, I consider this an investment in my profession. It helps upgrade my image among my clients,” he says of living in a cosmopolitan development such as a city condominium.

Celestino has reached heights he had not dreamed of. He is presently a makeup artist in the hit noontime show Eat Bulaga! and provides professional makeup services for GMA Network talents. His personal bridal hair and makeup career also got a big boost early on when he brought home the 1st runner-up trophy at the “Hair Asia 2011. “

“Second, my fellow tenants are also potential customers. If a neighbor has to attend an occasion tomorrow, I can either go up to her place or she can just come down to my unit. My room transforms into a mini salon sometimes,” he explains.

The residential buildings in Tropicana Garden City offer units that comfortably accommodate families of any size, whether they are newlyweds, young families, or like Celestino, happily on their own. “If you’re living on your own, you’ll feel safe living in a condo. All the guests here are monitored,” he says.

Within the secure and family-friendly premises of the community are amenities that include a swimming pool, children’s play area, clubhouse, function rooms, gym, daycare, library/study room, game room, picnic area, jogging path, meditation area, and landscaped gardens, offering Marikina residents an updated, upscale lifestyle.

A graduate of fine arts and fashion design, Celestino describes himself as meticulous and artsy. His artistry and attention to detail are evident in his unit’s calming earth-tone interiors that he decorated with lime and orange accents. His favorite spot is his bedroom which he completed with a backlit headboard that extends to the ceiling to expand the space visually.

“You can’t just stick to where you are — you have to upgrade your life,” he says.

For more information, call 806-3953 or 681-0111 or visit www.tropicanagardencity.com.ph or.