MANILA, Philippines - There is something about the south that inspires fierce loyalty that no other community in Metro Manila does. People who grow up here inevitably say they cannot or will not live elsewhere. They talk about how peaceful the suburbs are, how stress-living here is, how everything is within easy reach — schools, mall, churches and hospitals — and how, despite what others may think, it is actually nearer the country’s central business district of Makati.
Having moved to the south about four years ago, I can now say everything is true. It is a different kind of living here, it is away from noise of busy living and you’re able to tune out when you want to, and yet it everything is right at your fingertips.
Ayala Land, which helped shape the south into what is now starting with Ayala Alabang in the 1970s, is building a new community in Muntinlupa. Called South Park District, it integrates residential, retail and business clusters, creating a vibrant sense of community. Its main components include Avida Towers Altura and the soon-to-rise residential towers, South Park Mall (to be operated by Ayala Malls), South Park Corporate Center, and a transport terminal within the development.
Avida takes Ayala Land’s legacy and a deep understanding of how the south works and what people want by building its first large-scale, mixed-use, master-planned development featuring residential and retail areas anchored on a central park called the Grand Lawn.
Located along National Road, Muntinlupa City, the 6.6-hectare South Park District “fulfills that need to have wide open spaces where one can sit back, stroll around and relish nature. Its main feature is the three-part central park, almost a hectare in size. Fronting National Road is the Plaza, an ideal venue for weekend markets and community events. Across the residential towers is the more private residential park, and at the center of it is the Grand Lawn, a sunken garden lined with shrubbery and canopy trees to go with that laid-back, Southern lifestyle.”
Like any Ayala Land development, there is emphasis on using the land in ways that enhance people’s lives, to help them live life and not just exist. These days, time is the most precious thing that families need. Time together for families is sometimes a luxury, even for newlyweds who don’t have children yet, especially when husband and wife are both working.
South Park District’s location and master-planning ensure that residents have time to live. Situated less than a kilometer away from the South Luzon Expressway, it is located on the quieter side of Muntinlupa with views of Laguna de Bay. Nearby establishments include Alabang Town Center, Asian Hospital and Medical Center, De La Salle Santiago Zobel School and San Beda College Alabang. South Park District is also your gateway to Laguna and Cavite.
Inside South Park District, the mall will offer the best of retail, dining, entertainment concepts, cinemas, food court, supermarket and a department store. All these offer rewarding experiences through value-for-money shopping, engaging mall activities and events set in a fun and festive environment. Located on top of the mall is South Park Corporate Center, a 38,000 square-meter office building, which will cater to the office requirements of BPO and traditional locators. The retail and office components will complement the integrated community, providing an ideal environment for home, work and leisure.
South Park District’s mall will also have its own public transport terminal, a dedicated taxi bay and lay-by area for public utility buses and jeepneys, covered walkways and waiting areas for the convenience of the District’s homeowners, visitors, mall patrons and BPO workers.
Avida Towers Altura launched its first tower in December 2012 with 433 units with prices ranging from P1.8 to P6 million. This two-tower cluster has a total of 1,054 units expected to be completed in four years. Six more residential towers are expected over the district’s 10-year development plan.
Avida has also opened its showroom at South Park District featuring Avida Towers Altura’s studio, one-bedroom and two-bedroom model units designed with specific users in mind. The studio, for instance, was designed for a bachelor, the one-bedroom for a couple, and the two-bedroom for a family with a child.