Tags: Travel Tales and Tips
By KC Santos
QUEZON CITY, METRO MANILA – Once a bustling shopping haven in the 1970s, the Cubao Expo (or Cubao X) is now a favorite destination – even among non-hipsters – for its variety of dining and shopping establishments.
Cubao Expo used to be part of the Marikina Shoe Expo along General Romulo Avenue and was a venue for local shoemakers to display their wares as they struggle to compete with Chinese merchants from Binondo.
In fact, the location of Cubao Expo today is just one of the few shoe hubs established by local shoe manufacturers from Marikina to keep pace with the others in what was considered the golden era of the local shoe industry.
The cutthroat struggle later paved the way for the exodus of more shoemakers in Cubao until it finally closed down in 1997.
Luckily, it took only three years before Bujim Aquino decided to revamp the place into the art, food, and shopping gem that Cubao Expo is known for today.
I live all the way down South but something remains very interesting about Cubao Expo that I keep coming back to visit the place since my friends and I discovered it in 2004.
For a number of reasons, the place remains alluring for history buffs, bookworms, hoarders and collectors that they willingly brave through the bustling streets and alleys of Cubao just to visit it and see what surprises it has in store for patrons.
That is probably the charm of Cubao Expo. It’s not the crowd or the various people you cross paths with but the unpredictability of the stores that now populates the area.
Here are a few more reasons why you have to love Cubao Expo:
Good buys. This unassuming place hides thrift shops which sell the most interesting relics. It only requires impeccable timing or the ability to drive a hard bargain to take home timeless antiques from stores like Remnants for a good price. Cubao Expo also serves as a repository of contemporary art works by progressive and established names in the local art scene.
Good vibes. Cubao Expo has a variety of spots that cater to different personalities. Film buffs enjoy chit-chatting over at Mogwai, fashion junkies find the Thank You Today x Future the perfect place to dress and impress, while the bigger groups prefer Allan’s Grill for a hefty meal to go with buckets of booze.
Good finds. Soothe your impulsion on all things cheap and quirky in shops like Uvla and the Reading Room, where the most intricate and one-of-a-kind handmade accessories and novelties can be had for reasonable prices.
Good food – Unfortunately, I am yet to try the food at the famous Italian restaurant Bellini’s but I’ve read some raves online particularly for their spaghetti al cartoccio and panacotta. Most friends who have dined there say the painted walls add to the authentic dining experience.
Good reads. If you like the scent of an open book, then the Libreria is the bookstore of choice. Best time to come visit is at noon, when you still have enough time to finish reading a book before the entire Cubao X transforms into a party atmosphere at night. Other shops here also sell comic books and other literary pieces.
Just like the shoemakers from Marikina, creative individuals of today see Cubao Expo as a place of refuge but unlike how it was three decades back, competition isn’t quite the motivation. It’s simply a place where people share things they are passionate about.
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