Manhattan Gardens

Manhattan Gardens
Location	Araneta City, Cubao, Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines
Coordinates	14°37′15″N 121°03′12″E / 14.6207°N 121.0532°E
Status	11 out of 18 towers completed
Groundbreaking	2007
Constructed	2011–present
Estimated completion	within 2030 (targeted)
Use	Residential
Website	www.themanhattangardencity.com
Companies
Contractor	BF Corporation (Parkway and Parkview) ; Millennium Erectors Corporation (Heights and Plaza)
Developer	Araneta Group; Megaworld Corporation
Owner	Araneta Group; Megaworld Corporation
Planner	Deshazo Group ; Jones Lang LaSalle Inc. ; Colliers International
Technical details
Cost	₱15 billion (US$296.16 million)
Buildings	Manhattan Parkway (28-storeys) ; Manhattan Parkview (31-storeys) ; Manhattan Heights (Tower A & C- 30 storeys, Tower B- 35 storeys, Tower D-25 storeys) ; Manhattan Plaza (40-storeys)
Size	5.7 hectares (14 acres)
No. of residents	over 12,000 (as of 2020) ; over 36,000 (once completed)
Proposed	2000

The Manhattan Gardens, also known as the Manhattan Gardens at the Araneta City is a 5.7-hectare (14-acre) transit-oriented residential development located at the Araneta City in Cubao, Quezon City. The project is a joint-venture project between the Araneta Group and the Megaworld Corporation, with 11 out of the 18 buildings completed, and 1 tower under construction.

History[]

The Manhattan Gardens, formerly named as the "Manhattan Garden City" before the Araneta City brand relaunch,^[1] was part of the Araneta City master plan unveiled in 2000. Plans for the project consists of a retail component, known then as the "Manhattan Mall", consisting a two-storey mall with 19,000 m² (200,000 sq ft) of retail space, and a residential development with direct connections to the MRT 3 Cubao and LRT 2 Cubao stations, and other properties at the Araneta City. The project consists of 18 residential towers, which will have 9,000 estimated units upon completion and will soon house over 36,000 residents.^[2]

The site of the Manhattan Parkway was originally the site of the Matsuzakaya Department Store, which became the first Japanese Department Store to open in the country during the 1960s, located alongside the Rempson Department Store, currently occupied by ABE International Business College, while the site of the Manhattan Parkview was the former Nation Cinerama, one of the first original movie theatres to open in the area. Meanwhile, the location of the Manhattan Heights sits on abandoned car accessory shops, and the former site of the Araneta Center Bus Station, the first integrated bus terminal in the country, completed in 1993, before being relocated to the old Rustan's Superstore building at Times Square Avenue in 2011, while the Manhattan Plaza is located adjoined to the old Rustan's Superstore, currently occupied by the Araneta Center Bus Station, located on Times Square Avenue, completed in 1974. Rustan's relocated its operations to the Gateway Mall following the mall's opening in 2005.^[3] ^[4]

As the Araneta Center began deteriorating in the 1990s, the shops within the area began to shut its doors due to financial issues, political uncertainties, and rising competition from newer malls within Metro Manila. The demolition for the old buildings to give way for the new project began in 2006, and was completed in 2007, while the overall construction of the complex began within 2007, with the completion of the Manhattan Parkway, and in 2011, as the Manhattan Parkview and the Manhattan Heights followed suit. The targeted completion of the entire residential development is set within 2030, as part of the Araneta Group's Vision 2030 plan. ^[5]

Development[]

A rainbow colored pedestrian lane, with Shopwise Hypermarket, the Manhattan Heights and the Manhattan Plaza on the background (2019)

The Manhattan Gardens consists of 4 residential developments (Manhattan Parkway, Manhattan Parkview, Manhattan Heights, Manhattan Plaza), which gives direct access to the MRT 3 Cubao and LRT 2 Cubao stations, as well as other buildings in the Araneta City, such as Ali Mall, SM Cubao, Araneta City Cyberpark, the Gateway Mall, the Farmers Plaza, the New Frontier Theater, the Gateway Tower and the Ibis Styles Araneta City, with elevated bridge-ways connecting each building for accessibility and comfort of its residents. The development comprises a total of 8,500 condominium units and 30,000 m² (320,000 sq ft) of retail spaces located at the ground floor of each towers once completed.

The project became the first transit-oriented residential development in the country, and has four phases, with the first of the four developments, the 28-storey, Manhattan Parkway, began groundbreaking in 2007, and was completed in 2011, with each building standing at 98 m (321.5 ft) tall. The second development, the 31-storey, Manhattan Parkview, began construction in 2011 and was finished by 2013, featuring clustered Garden Villas on the building's 4th floor, with each tower standing at 118 m (387.1 ft) tall. The first two developments consists of three towers each, with each tower adopting identical architectural designs in exteriors of the towers. These towers are located at the northeastern area of the Araneta City, along the Aurora Boulevard and Gen. Malvar Avenue.

The third development, the Manhattan Heights, is located at the southeastern area of the city, along Gen. Romulo Avenue, and consists of 4 towers. The four towers features matching designs, but possesses differentiations in the location of the buildings' sky gardens and the height of each building, with the Manhattan Heights Tower B being the tallest, standing at 126 m (413.4 ft) tall, while the shortest of the buildings is the Tower D, standing at 96 m (315.0 ft). Construction began in 2011, and was initially planned to be completed in 2017. However, the project faced many issues, before being fully completed in 2019, housing the Araneta City Bus Port in the ground floor, beneath the Manhattan Heights Tower D.

The fourth and final development of the project, the Manhattan Plaza, also located along Gen. Romulo Avenue, consists of 8 towers, and will feature the Icon Tower, a 60-storey tower; and the Spanish Steps. The upcoming development will soon have direct access to the City Plaza, a 2 hectare mixed-use development comprising retail and leisure spaces, premium graded offices and residential units, a multi-storey 4-star hotel, and green civic spaces.^[6] Groundbreaking for the project began in 2014, while the construction phase started in late 2015, with one building, the Manhattan Plaza Tower 1, was topped off in 2016 before being completed on the 3rd quarter of 2018, standing at 130 m (426.5 ft), and having 40 floors. The second building within the complex, the Manhattan Plaza Tower 2, began being erected subsequently within 2018, before being topped off on October 2021, and is set to be completed within 2022-2023.

The architecture of the buildings features a Manhattan-inspired designs with curved rooftops, lush green spaces and garden-inspired landscaping in all its buildings, featuring clustered Garden Villas (located at the Manhattan Parkview) and sky gardens within the complex. The development includes additional parking spaces for both guests, shoppers and residents throughout the complex. The Manhattan Gardens also houses dining, retail, and leisure establishments, such as the famed Manhattan Row, located along Gen. Malvar Avenue, between the Manhattan Parkway and the Manhattan Parkview towers. The Manhattan Row also offers al fresco dining and entertainment events.^[7]^[8]^[9]^[10]

Gallery[]

The New Frontier Theater, along with the Manhattan Parkway and the Manhattan Parkview in the background.
The Manhattan Row along Gen. Roxas Avenue
The Manhattan Row viewed from Times Square Avenue
The Aurora Tower and the New Frontier Theater in the foreground, with the Manhattan Parkway and the Manhattan Parkview along Gen. Malvar Avenue
The Araneta City Bus Port, located at the Manhattan Heights complex
The Manhattan Plaza towers, with the Manhattan Heights Tower B in the background