Bonifacio High Street: A mall like no other
MANILA, Philippines - It is the first of its kind in the country,” says Katherine Fabian, marketing manager of Fort Bonifacio Development Corp. While the popular concept of a mall is often a large, enclosed shopping complex, Bonifacio High Street is an open-air pedestrian walk lined by stores and restaurants. “It follows the ‘main street concept,’ like the one in Santa Monica in California, as well as those found in Europe,” Fabian explains.
The retail shops at Bonifacio High Street carry popular brands that cater to a largely A-B and upper C market. A number have located their first anchor stores here such as Krispy Kreme, Fully Booked, ROX, Havaianas and Nike. The mall is anchored by an activity park, 40 meters wide — as wide as Ayala Ave., Fabian says — and 400 meters long. The park offers lots of natural greenery and water features, as well as interactive art pieces and installations. There are no “keep-off the grass” signs, and kids can stroll and play freely. It is also a pet-friendly open mall.
Bonifacio High Street is a family destination, especially on weekends, Fabian says. It hosts a number of events year-round, such as the cooking demonstrations of the EAT Dining Festival held recently as part of Philippine STAR’s celebration of its 25th anniversary. A “junior chefs” activity was also held before the cooking demonstrations, which was participated in by school children together with their moms, yayas, and even dads in tow. Chefs and students from the Magsaysay Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts showed the children how to make milkshakes and sandwiches, which they later made on their own. Added attractions were the bartending and flair tending demonstrations. Raffle prizes were also given away during the three-day event hosted by Patrick Moore.
“Although we have to contend with the rain and the heat of the sun during our wet and dry seasons, we’ve received good feedback about the park and open air mall,” Fabian says. “Here, people can enjoy nature in an urban setting.” And just as she said this, as if on cue, a full rainbow appeared in the late afternoon sky, right above Bonifacio High Street. It was a rare spectacle we would have missed, if we were indoors.
