Life in Nuvali Philippines

What’s open in Solenad 2?

Life in Nuvali Philippines, ,
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We were in Nuvali last Saturday and chanced upon the opening of Solenad 2, Ayala’s second retail area in Sta. Rosa, Laguna.  This new development gives Nuvali an additional leasable area of 10, 670 square meters for food and non-food establishments.

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It was drizzling so we just went for a quick drive around the area to get a feel of the place.

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First to greet us were sports shop and shoe outlets.  Curiously, some of these shops are also located in Paseo de Sta. Rosa just a few minutes away.

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What’s open in Solenad 2?Read More »

Skyway to Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippines

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Just a tip–if you\’re taking the Skyway to Nuvali, make sure you stay on the right lane after you pass the Sucat exit. We once made the mistake of staying on the left and ended up in Alabang.

On another note, can\’t help but smile every time I pass the Skyway.

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If you\’re a first timer in Manila, and this skyway is what you see straight from the NAIA Terminal, you would be impressed.

A friend had a visitor from London who just mumbled in awe: \”I wasn\’t expecting this.\”

It\’s interesting to wonder what people do expect when they finally decide to visit our country for the first time; even balikbayan relatives get amazed by the skyscrapers and class AAA establishments we have in Fort and Makati.  It\’s not the general impression they get from all the news they see on TV–usually sad news focusing on how poor and left behind we are, kawawa naman ang Pilipinas.

It will do us much good–individually and also collectively–to explore what makes our country beautiful, to include them in our everyday conversations with friends, family, workmates and to rally behind these gems, as much as we rally behind efforts to change the ugly.

Trade fair for prison-made products at Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippines

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Was happy to finally see Nuvali deliver something concrete in line with its social sustainability promise:  a regional trade fair in support of prison livelihood programs in the Calabarzon region.

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I initially thought nothing special of this bazaar in Solenad yesterday, and wouldn\’t have taken a closer look if it weren\’t for the curious number of men and women in uniform crowding the area.

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Got taken in by these lion paper toys (Php 70) and jewelry boxes (Php 120)–both beautifully made and reasonably priced at that!   I asked how I could get in touch with whoever was making them, and voila– found out they were made by Calamba City Jail inmates.  I was told that each product set was made by a different city jail.

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What’s on your Nuvali wishlist?

Life in Nuvali Philippines Green Communities

Last February 2011, doodz asked the Nuvali skyscrapercity thread for suggestions on  current and future developments in Nuvali which he would bring up at a focus group discussion with Ayala management.

I put together below the ideas raised by the following contributors: arceesky, timberlandic, lagueno, MAXmonash, peter5688, boogieman909, Kaleidoscope, fwh_buyer, ritzandrico, leechtat, mach000, Radical!, yes!, gpcracker, montalut

Wouldn’t it be great to make a collective vision board for Nuvali?  Feel free to add your own suggestions! (My comments are in green)

I grouped them into the following six categories:

  1. Traffic and safety
  2. Maintenance
  3. Facilities / amenities
  4. Green features
  5. Community / dialogue
  6. Events

1. TRAFFIC & SAFETY

  • expansion of Sta. Rosa-Tagaytay Road to four lanes or installation of \”smart\” traffic lights (Already being done, started on May 9, 2011)
  • street lights / solar-powered lampposts along Nuvali Boulevard for nighttime driving safety
  • CCTV cameras in public areas to deter crime
  • Come up with a grand design for transportation plans from the communities, schools, Solenad and the Makati and/or Ortigas CBDs (A transport terminal to link Nuvali to other town centers and regional hubs will be opened by July 2011)
    • Tram as public transport: Cleaner, quieter & safer than a wayward bus
    • a shuttle bus system to and from Metro Manila to help address the rising toll and gas costs while the train system is not yet in place
  • Address security concerns over the increasing public access to Nuvali

2. MAINTENANCE

  • Improvement on the cleanliness in SOLENAD by adding more trash bins and strictly reprimanding those who litter
    • INCREASE Maintenance & Security Visibility
    • Post strong “clean as you go” reminders, especially on the tiangge tables reserved for eating
    • Put up signs threatening litterbugs with fines and community service (e.g., for every wrapper thrown, you have to plant one tree seedling in Nuvali)
  • Announce [cleanliness reminders during events in Solenad] every now and then
  • STOP allowing people to just have a picnic on any grassy area and leave their mess after

3. FACILITIES/AMENITIES

  • Free Internet access via Wi-Max
  • 100% underground utilities (Meralco, phone, cable TV) for the entire Nuvali
  • Emergency response center (a la 911): One number to call for police, fire & ambulance
  • Disabled-friendly facilities: e.g. toilets, parking areas, building entrances, elevators, etc.
  • Emergency evacuation shelters: Usually schools are designated as such in case of earthquakes, etc.
  • Plenty of clean public toilets (with tissue paper)
  • Tennis courts. Not everyone can play basketball and soccer.
  • Increase the allotment of lots to business district, para maging business hub ang Nuvali
  • Figure out how to cater to the different groups [who visit Nuvali] without alienating one or the other. Maybe they can zone establishments?
  • They should plan where the future police outposts or government offices will be
  • Attract more businesses in Nuvali: the big oil players car companies, banks, food companies, a hotel and hospital (Shell will soon put up a gas station next to Solenad 2.  Check out What’s new at Nuvali’s Solenad 1 and 2 for an update on current and future retail establishments in Nuvali)
  • a Nuvali Country Club.
  • ALI should relocate some of its offices in Nuvali by becoming a regional office of Ayala Corporation outside of Makati.
  • a stand alone cinema.
  • a community library in Nuvali
  • A High Street -like mall / leisure park
  • Ateneo de Nuvali University: Should be fun with archrival De La Salle-Canlubang nearby
  • Nuvali Medical Center: State-of-the-art research, wellness and healing center
  • A Nuvali Coliseum/Cultural Center which will be a major venue for arts, performances, sporting events, concerts, seminars, and trade shows in the Philippines. This will bring Nuvali into a different level. It\’s also a good chance to showcase a grand modern architecture in our country.
  • Bring in Disneyland
  • Build a wedding venue for 250-500 guests! Maybe a hotel in the future can fit the bill but a dedicated venue would be nice. It would also promote the area as visitors will be “forced” to visit Nuvali, and the TONS of wedding photos / videos. A nice place would bring in a lot of people.  (A 2,500-sqm Events Place is set to be established by a non-Ayala entity across the Evoliving Center)
  • Wilcon Depot: Great long-term business opportunity with so much construction going on now and in the next 50 years
  • PriceSmart Wholesale Club: For those who love to buy in bulk
  • A central main park that’s huge and well maintained…They should build a central park New York style, that would fit in with their green development vision.

4. GREEN FEATURES

  • Ban on plastic bags, just like they did recently in Muntinlupa
  • Strict waste segregation: Burnables and recyclables are collected separately. Recyclables have to be further sorted into: (a) cans (b) plastic (c) paper (d) PET bottles (e) glass bottles.
  • A redesign of those electric trikes. Function should always be complemented by form and if we really want people to “like” the concept and the design, then we should also make it visually appealing.
  • Incentives for homeowners who build green/live green. For example, if you compost, you get a discount from your association dues
  • a community garden (for residents in our respective communities and also for Nuvali visitors–this can be integrated into the Evoliving Center).
  • Leased Vegetable Plots as stress relievers for city folks (even Laguna dwellers) to play farmer on weekends and go home one day with their own harvest of tomatoes, carrots, etc.
    • experts to assist in making a simple plant nursery and moving the plants to the plot. A fee is made to maintain/water the area and they visit on weekends until harvest.
  • Ayala management to look into the planting concerns raised in this forum, i.e. no planting of fruit-bearing trees and vines(!). This goes against the very advocacy of Nuvali
  • And a bicycle rental program/system like the one they have in London, Paris and Montreal would really prove that the Nuvali community is really serious about being green.
  • Maintain the expected standard of the environmental concept of Nuvali
  • Ayala needs to be smarter and work harder at preserving the environment

5. COMMUNITY / DIALOGUE

  • More and better communication from Ayala on developments to the community. As noticed, we rely more on each other for updates and news rather than visiting the official Ayala website because of lack of updates.
  • the Nuvali website (http://www.nuvalievoliving.com) needs some major overhaul
  • All of us who invested our hard earned money in this place should be heard by the Ayala Mgt…..
  • A community website for Nuvali, not just a marketing website with lots of nice photos, but a place where people can interact, post pictures, talk about fun things to do in Nuvali that they discovered (Add nuvalicommunity on facebook or join the nuvalicommunity yahoogroup to connect with other residents and stakeholders in Nuvali)
    Subscribe to nuvalicommunity

    Powered by us.groups.yahoo.com

  • Everyone involved in Nuvali, whether directly or indirectly–Ayala as developer, residents, visitors, government–should already be involved in the dialogue.
  • I would also like to see more of the SOCIAL sustainability aspect of Nuvali promised by Ayala.

6. EVENTS

  • STOP those “tiangge”, bazaars, food Kiosks
    • the concept of tiangge is actually not a bad idea because this encourages entrepreneurship. The issue is poor execution. The location in Solenad is not suitable for tiangge. ALI should think of a separate location in Nuvali to hold this tiangge. Perhaps, ALI should build a tent, similar to the NBC tent in Fort, where special events can also take place. This will also answer some of the suggestions earlier where special events such as weddings, corporate gatherings, etc can take place.
  • green lifestyle workshops and lectures (example: composting, vertical gardens, landscaping, organic gardening, keeping chickens, green building, etc.).
    • Invite an expert from UPLB to talk about what plants are best planted on Nuvali soil, etc
    • Produce a regular newsletter with this info

You’ll notice that most of these are action steps for Ayala as developer of Nuvali, but I think it’s just as critical to put ourselves in the equation and together ask: How can we make Nuvali a better place?  How can we make it home?

A windy day in Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippines

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Got to visit Treveia and Venare last March 27 (Sunday), and it was so windy! Possibly the windiest I\’ve ever experienced in Nuvali!

I was standing on the viewing deck of Venare and had to hurry back inside the car because I was getting sand and dirt in my eyes from the blowing winds.

Oh land of the blowing winds, you will be home soon. Very exciting.

🙂

on being busy and still at once

Life in Nuvali Philippines

Been crazy busy but just sending a short note to touch base and let you know I\’m still alive 😛

Am in Bicol now with family, and it\’s becoming very trying to be fully present to them while my mind is elsewhere, worrying about the Estela launch (it\’s my new home and clothing shop–would love for you to to visit EstelaShop.com if you have time), pending real estate transactions, and permits etc. for my house construction (yes, we\’re still in the Pre-construction phase!!  Talk about major delays, boooo! ).   Now I can relate to people needing boundaries between work and personal life— I\’d like for lots of those please!!   But no complaints. Just feel incredibly spent, and every morning I wake up feeling just as tired as the night before 🙁 My raw food diet helps tons though, so am glad for that. 🙂

Hope you get to do whatever it is that needs doing this week– whether it be for work, family, God or yourself (pwede ba all of the above? hehe).  It\’s a very solemn and powerful time to lift up whatever worries and dreams are in our hearts– let\’s create the space to reconnect and just be still.

🙂

As an aside, here\’s the poster invite to the launch of EstelaShop.com on April 30, Saturday.. Hope to see you there!

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Nuvali community–a birthing

Life in Nuvali Philippines
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There\’s an active thread on Nuvali on skyscrapercity.com, which has effectively attracted investors, residents, and practically anyone with a stake in Nuvali (whether current or future).  It\’s a great resource for community building, and also a testament that the Nuvali vision of creating a new city is already unfolding: like-minded people are banding together and participating even before moving into that space.

A recent request was made by doodz (thank you!)  for ideas to be suggested to Ayala management during an FGD, and the response was just overwhelming!  Will consolidate and save them for another post, but suffice it to say that the Nuvali community is ready to engage.  Yay.

It\’s also been quite a joy to feel as if I\’m already making friends with my future neighbors.

What makes a place truly home?

People.

🙂

If you\’re reading this, then it means you are part of Nuvali, whether by chance or choice.  Get involved now:

SkyscraperCity.com Nuvali thread 1
SkyscraperCity.com Nuvali thread 2
Nuvali Community facebook page
Nuvali Community on yahoogroups

Image from photos8.com

traffic in Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippines

No more left turns to Nuvali from the Sta.Rosa-Tagaytay Road– everyone going to Nuvali now turns right on the Mamplasan road…
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…then makes a U-turn back towards the Nuvali main entrance.\"Nuvali

This was implemented to address the growing volume of cars entering Nuvali, but has actually caused more traffic on the two-lane \”highway\”, to the great chagrin of motorists, especially those just passing through and with no agenda in Nuvali and its commercial and retail areas. The Skyscrapercity Nuvali thread, for example, has Sta. Rosa stakeholders (current residents, Nuvali would-be residents and investors) holding the Ayalas accountable as developers with poor planning and foresight.

With the construction of more retail areas and attractions within Nuvali itself (Robinson\’s supermarket, True Value and a slew of restaurants in Solenad 2, the Fields, the Republic Wake Park), traffic is only bound to increase, and something else must be done asap to alleviate this bottleneck. Top off head, there\’s road expansion with a dedicated left-turning lane to Nuvali or maybe a rotonda.  Great too if Mamplasan could just be made open to the public.  Alternative entrances to Nuvali can also be explored via adjacent Greenfield roads or Silangan exit.  Shuttle services from Paseo to Nuvali and back.

Wikipedia lists the typical bottleneck solutions, most of which go by the seemingly simple guideline: \”Congestion can be reduced by either increasing road capacity (supply), or by reducing traffic (demand).\”  The US Department of Transportation also collated successful efforts to combat traffic bottlenecks throughout the US, but cautions that \”there are very few \’cookie cutter\’ solutions to everyday traffic problems. Differences in volumes, right of way, design, funding, and many other variables help decide what measures are best for which locations.\”

Any solutions for the Nuvali intersection you can think of?

Meet the Azkals in Nuvali on Jan23

Life in Nuvali Philippines,

A must if you\’re a football fan!
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I hope I get to go– this is a great way to meet and show support for the boys of the Philippine National Football Team, who made Philippine football history during the AFF Suzuki Cup late last year:

Despite being the oldest national team in Asia, The Philippines has never had any significant success on the international stage and has never qualified for the AFC Asian Cup or the FIFA World Cup. The historical comeback of PHI National Team in the recent AFF Suzuki CUP 2010 Semi-Finals being the most defensive team in the tournament sparked an old flame to the hearts of numerous Filipinos and captured the eyes of the Football World.

(Source: azkalsunited.weebly.com)

The whole day event on January 23, Sunday, is from 10am to 5pm at the Treveia Clubhouse, but the boys will be there only from 11am to 3pm. That\’s a pretty long window to be lounging about and chitchatting, so I\’m hoping we\’ll see a few exhibition games. 🙂

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This is also an open house for Venare, so if you\’d like to check out what Nuvali has to offer, next Sunday would be a good time to do it.

Let me know if you can make it. Will probably be there before lunch til about 1pm– maybe I can give you a quick tour of Nuvali!

4 things to do when you’re in Nuvali

Life in Nuvali Philippines
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Aside from feeding the koi at the lake, what else is there to do in Nuvali these days?
(Watch out for a separate post on the newest restaurants in Nuvali)

1. Family fun for everyone.

Enjoy the lake breeze, do some shopping or ride the water taxis.

Last Sunday I saw a lot of families on their weekend pasyal at the retail center of Nuvali, also known as Solenad.

There was a bazaar as part of the pre-Halloween festivities–so for those who love their retail therapy, there’s definitely shopping to be done. Am guessing we’ll see more of these weekend markets as Christmas approaches!

Solenad at Nuvali

One of Nuvali’s thrusts centers on social interaction, and the 4-hectare lake is the main draw for families looking to enjoy the scenery and have quality time for almost next-to-nothing.

Solenad at Nuvali
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Those looking for more active activities can ride the water taxis around the lake for P30 per head…

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…or choose to rent one of those cute Nuvali bikes for P60 per hour:\"Solenad

These are simple bicycles good for leisurely rides from Solenad until the EvoLiving Center, perfect for those cloudy afternoons!  The smallest bikes they have are still too big for children though (unless they have incredibly long legs!)

2. Get eco-aware.

Learn about our environment and how we can do our part in taking care of it–as if you were on an educational field trip!

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I’m not sure if the EvoLiving Center –the big white building at the end of the lake– gets the volume of visitors it deserves.

sustainable living in Nuvali

We checked out the exhibit area on the environmental vision of Nuvali and were wowed by the different features of this eco-city!

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4 things to do when you’re in NuvaliRead More »

OUCH! Sta. Rosa gas and toll fare

Life in Nuvali Philippines

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Definitely one of the biggest adjustments I\’ll make in moving to the South is the added cost of gas and toll!

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I used to spend P500 for gas weekly and zero for toll fare. Compare that to this week, which saw at least five visits to Nuvali from Quezon City, and voila– I\’ve gone well over P1,500 for my transpo expenses in one week!

Must think of more efficient ways of traveling to and fro the city… hopefully I get to figure out the shuttle services within Nuvali itself, and from Paseo de Sta. Rosa to Makati and Ortigas.