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There’s no feeling quite like returning to your apartment, ready to tuck into bed after a night out with friends, tipsy on good vibes and perfect cocktails from a classic, cool-crowd bar or a buzzy rooftop restaurant. To take in all that sublime energy while traveling, knowing that you’ve made a home somewhere new-to-you? That’s priceless.
That’s exactly how I felt one evening while on vacation in Manila, taking in the scene from the stoop of my Airbnb's building: chatter and laughter ringing through the cramped and creative neighborhood of Poblacion with my neighbors-for-now toasting beer bottles that glowed amber in the streetlights. There was a sense of purpose-built ease draped over this tiny grid of streets tucked into the hectic financial district of Makati.
It’s nice to be home, I thought. Then I got to my feet and hobbled up the stairs, leaning on my new walking cane for much-needed support.
Right before my trip to see my family in the Philippines for Christmas, I was hit by a car. 'Twas a miracle I suffered no broken bones, just some small fractures and a torn ligament. It was imperative that I find an Airbnb where I could easily get around as I recovered from my injury. (I couldn’t drive with my foot in an air-cast; also, I don’t know how to drive.)
The issue: My hometown of Manila, our green-and-gray megalopolis, as beautiful as it is frustrating, is not exactly what I’d call “a walkable city.” Here, cars rule the road. There are boulevards with eight designated lanes, and yet drivers take the painted lines as mere suggestions. We measure distance not in miles, but by how long we have to sit in traffic to get there. It is not a place, I once believed, to be experienced on foot.
Enter this cozy but mighty studio apartment in Makati’s beloved drink-and-dance quarter of Poblacion. While I was planning my stay, I searched for availability in areas that I knew had everything within arm’s reach without having to get into a car (at this point, I’m not not traumatized by cars). In this regard, Poblacion delivered. A laundry service spot was right at the foot of the building. There were restaurants aplenty within a five-minute walk: Lampara with its decadent lechon around the corner; Tetsuo with crunchy karaage chicken a block away; Maillard with its rich paella and duck confit right across the street. There was even a nearby gym that offered a flexible membership if I wanted to keep up all my routines while traveling.
I stayed for eight nights, in between a work stay at the Peninsula Manila and returning home to my parents’ place in Quezon City. Though I could stay at my folks’ townhouse for free, an Airbnb lets me experience a delightful slice of independence, especially during the holidays. This studio provided all the same conveniences I treasure back in my apartment in New York.
I made good use of its well-equipped kitchen, which had all the gear I needed to prepare my own meals when I got tired of ordering delivery from Jollibee, as well as enough wine glasses for friends when they came to visit. The bathroom was small but elegant and effective; the shower’s water pressure was perfect with a knob that cranked up the heat to scalding. The dining table was large enough for multiple guests and, more importantly, for me to spread out my multiple notebooks and laptops when I had to work remotely.
Though Poblacion is best known for its bars (Agimat, Polilya, and Run Rabbit Run are some of the best in the city—all an easy stroll from the Airbnb), coffee lovers will not be disappointed by the neighborhood's offerings. There's the community-focused Commune, the aptly-named Good Sh*t Coffee, and—if you must—multiple Starbucks outlets. But if I can give you only one café rec, it has to be Saglit, a coffee and flower shop by Flower Ranch Café located in the back of a residence's car garage. Inside, the music is soothing, the flowers are stunning, and the coffee is sublime. Pick up a lavender espresso tonic (yes, tonic water mixed with lavender syrup and topped with espresso and lavender blossoms) and you'll swear off of lattés forever. They also stock local design magazines and hand-made candles with scents inspired by different landscapes in the Philippines.
The studio's aesthetics perfectly matched the gritty yet stylish neighborhood. Everything was curated as if the design brief read “Brooklynite meets Manileño.” Lots of leather, brick, and concrete screamed DUMBO, but the wood parquet flooring, cane chairs, and marquetry offered a distinct impression that I was in the Philippines, the country where I grew up—but with a grown-up feeling. I’ve always dreamed of spending a couple of months or an entire season in Manila to be near my family. Until that day comes, I've got this Airbnb in Poblacion bookmarked, and I'll stay here again when I need a place where I can freely unwind and stay long-term—that is to say, a home.
