A sound place for a starter home

This young couple finally found the right place to start a new family.

The last few years have been quite a whirlwind for Ari and Pinky Peralta. The two have sailed through single life to married life without a hitch — thanks to the foundation they set for their family right in the heart of Serendra.

“We bought two units, actually, when we were still both single,” says Ari, a businessman, who thought that a unit at the then up-and-coming development would be a good idea.

“With the scale model, we saw the garden occupying 65 percent of the master plan,” says Pinky, an interior designer. “It seemed like a really nice respite from what we’d been seeing in the metropolis where all the developments are vertical,” she adds. “Seeing a lot of green — that’s what triggered our buying the units.”

At that time, the area where Bonifacio High Street and One Serendra now stands was a blank canvas, just waiting to be turned into something fresh, new, and exciting for aspiring homeowners. “When the turnover started to near, we began to see everything getting built,” recalls Ari. “It became clear that the neighborhood was going to be something great.” Once official landscaping began, the couple knew that they had chosen the right place to start their home.

Pinky was pregnant by the time they moved in, and the administration readily helped them undertake repairs during the transition period. The accommodating service Ari and Pinky received lasted long after their renovation. “The concierge, the guards, even the maintenance people are very courteous. They know us by name and always extend a hand,” says Ari. “My mom has difficulty walking because of a stroke she had — and I’ve observed that the guards are always very attentive to her,” adds Pinky.

Soon after their move, Pinky gave birth to baby Emilio, who is now a year old. “They call him the ‘Serendra Boy’ because he was one of the first babies born here,” laughs Pinky. The addition to their family was a blessing to the couple, and made them realize what a joy it was to raise a baby within the One Serendra community. “After I gave birth, I could juggle my schedule between breastfeeding and meetings — I could go to clients at High Street and rush back home to feed Emilio,” says Pinky, who appreciates how walkable her new environment is. “The places we lived in before were communities that were car-centric — you had to drive everywhere, and now we can do many things by just walking,” adds Ari.

“Since moving here, we’ve become more physically active,” he says. “I used to be a couch potato! But now, there’s no excuse for not being fit.” The couple swims, jogs during early mornings, uses the gym during overcast days and plays badminton every Wednesday. Even the baby enjoys the outdoors, being taken for morning walks around High Street and the garden, and playing with the neighborhood kids in the afternoon. “We couldn’t do it before, considering the pollution around the city,” says Pinky. “Now, when we wake up in the morning, we can go straight ahead for our jogs.”

The pleasure of living at One Serendra goes beyond the couple, and includes their family and friends, too. “Nowadays, when our friends want to get together, I always volunteer,” says Pinky. “We have the privilege of saying, let’s go to High Street, and everyone agrees!” Ari agrees. “A lot of people visit us now because we’re so conveniently located. They just pop in,” adds Pinky.

In the midst of getting fit, taking care of the baby, meeting new neighbors, and taking care of their furniture-café shop, The Room Upstairs, Ari and Pinky make it a point to spend some quality time together at One Serendra, too. “There was one point when we wanted to experiment on restaurants and try a new one every week,” Pinky laughs. “Now we know which places serve good food!” The couple regularly tries the wines at Cav, the merienda at The Healthy Kitchen, Chelsea’s salads and pizzas, TGI Friday’s burgers, Zao’s Vietnamese fare, and Abe’s Filipino food.

“I used to accomplish very little, being on the road going from place to place all the time,” says Pinky. “But now that I live here, I’m accomplishing so much more.”

One Serendra has certainly become a haven for many city dwellers looking for a leisurely retreat in the heart of the urban jungle. With the clamor for more units at One Serendra, Ayala Land Premier has launched the East Tower, a 39-story structure aiming to redefine high-rise living. Presenting one-, two- and three-bedroom unit options at 66 to 301 square meters, the East Tower merges unparalleled space with lush, landscaped gardens and gripping views of the city skyline. Equipped with the same first-class facilities and excellent service that have given One Serendra its stronghold, the East Tower offers the same mark of excellence carried by all Ayala Land Premier developments as it continually strives to raise the bar in terms of service, design excellence and innovation.

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For inquiries on the East Tower at One Serendra, call 848-5000, e-mail ask@ayalaland premier.com, or visit www.ayalalandpremier.com.