Sunday Lifestyle

A new life at the new south with Brittany

February 27, 2011 | 12:00am

Something unexpected is brewing in the south. In the middle of hilly greens sits a community called Evia. Spanning three areas, the soon-to-rise lifestyle area will be made up of the Uptown Area, consisting of open-plan residential neighborhoods, open-air retail establishments, and outlet shops, Midtown Activity Hub, filled with parks, trails, sports and club facilities, and the Downtown Knowledge Base, which is designated as the home for universities, hospitals and a medical campus.

Evia is what the future looks like —clean, efficient, convenient and green. Sitting on a 600-hectare tract that connects to Muntinlupa, Las Pinas, Cavite and Laguna, Diversecity is home to communities that make living look luxe. An adjunct exit by Evia will open directly to the South Luzon Expressway, making it even more accessible than Sta. Rosa.

Called the New South, it’s the heart of a growing community that’s managed to bridge commercial centers and nice neighborhoods without sacrificing the quality of living.

Gateway to fine living

The upcoming Evia Lifestyle center will be a 20-hectare property with retailers and a Riverwalk, which will be the center of what is now called the New South.

Take Brittany’s Portofino, a luxurious residential estate that connects Evia’s Uptown area. Christened after a seaport town in Southern Italy that means “fine gateway,” Portofino was fashioned after the kind of grand living well-to-do Italians hanker after. Here, in the 300-hectare property, residents enjoy homes that mimic their Mediterranean neighbors, with its cobblestone steps, stuccoed walls and babbling fountains. The residences owe their distinctive style to Italian architecture, while master planner David Jensen created pockets within the residential areas that include trellis-laden gardens, wrought-iron benches and grand fountains that provide homeowners an area to mingle and mix.

You’ll find that, in this area, the lifestyle was designed to mix the indoor and outdoor. Jogging trailers meander through open hilly courtyards, between parks and activity centers. Even residences make the outdoors an integral part of the interiors. With Rembrandt homes, inner courtyards — embellished with painted tiles, a wall fountain feature and open air ceiling that brings in the sky — create a feeling of privacy while allowing you to enjoy the great outdoors. Dine al fresco, like the Italians do, with the sun or moon for company.

There’s a certain luxury to living like this — where you can have a party for 300 at a moment’s notice at Monte di Portofino’s grand ballroom or swim lazily at the Italian-inspired lap pool.

Portofino’s Masters Collection, homes inspired by the likes of Renoir and Michaelangelo, define grand living, with homes beginning at 323 square meters to as large as 626 square meters.

A Tuscan retreat

Relax in the sumptuous bedroom of Raphael at Portofino.

Since it broke ground in 2002, property values have risen progressively. Thanks to rapidly rising commercial centers spread out through the community — with wide paved streets and multiple amenities key components of value-generating real estate commodities — Portofino, and its smaller neighboring residential community Amore, are prime investment opportunities that grow in worth over time.

At Amore, a 24-hectare Brittany development, homeowners get complete amenities — facilities for swimming and basketball, as well as an activity hall — along with the ambience of a Tuscan retreat at affordable prices. Divided into concepts — a cluster, made of four homes with a common garden and fountain, a landscaped corridor, a landscaped common area behind properties by the boundary — Amore easily gives residents searching for European living on a more compact scale the chance to enjoy the Tuscan life at a more affordable rate.

With its smaller lots and cozy, quaint feel, Amore is the perfect home for singles, couples or smaller families looking for a property that fits them right. Though cuts are slighter than Portofino, attention to detail and the quality of craftsmanship are as high as ever.

Potential homeowners will find that the living is easy in the New South.

The upcoming Riverwalk will be a must-see destination, it flanks a river artery and is designed to be filled with cafes, shopping establishments and restaurants.

Where everything is connected

Walking from your home to the nearby retail areas is a breeze, without dealing with the toxic gases from much-trafficked areas. Here, walking is a pleasure — what with the colonial-style buildings inspired by Stanford University and the decade-old trees filling the lanes of Evia’s soon-to-come University Town. Riverwalk, a shaded lane flanking a nature preserve and protected river artery that leads to Fernbrook, will be part of the area’s allure. Inspired by the charmed waterways of Amsterdam and San Antonio, Texas, this tree-lined path by the water will be lined with corner cafes, restaurants and retailers designed to make leisure even more of a pleasure.

Where you’re living the picturesque town life of rustic, Tuscan-inspired Amore or residing in the lush, luxe Portofino, you’re enjoying the best of two worlds — homes that are exclusive and surrounded by beautiful greens, but within walking distance to a rising lifestyle area designed to recreate the kind of European living Brittany is famous for. Potential homeowners can realize that being part of Brittany’s profitable portfolio of properties can only mean good things for folks interested in investing.