Triangle Area and Scout Area
The Triangle Area and Scout Area of Quezon City forms the heart of the city's government center, entertainment industry, and nightlife. On the four avenues forming the Triangle Area, you may either find yourself in a row of government offices, shopping malls, residential areas, and commercial strips.
Understand
This article includes also barangays Roxas, Obrero, and Kamuning, through those places are not traditionally associated the Scout Area; Muñoz (Katipunan, Veterans Village), Bago Bantay (Bagong Pag-asa, Project 6, Ramon Magsaysay, Santo Cristo, Vasra), Santa Cruz (around Fisher Mall) and Nayong Kanluran) are also included as part of the larger North EDSA area, with its glitzy malls.
The Scout Area gets its name from the 22 Boy Scouts of the Philippines who died on the way to the 11th World Scouting Jamboree in Marathon, Greece; this area encompasses barangays Laging Handa, Sacred Heart and South Triangle. Most streets, except Mother Ignacia Avenue, Panay Avenue, Sergeant Esguerra Avenue, Timog Avenue and Tomas Morato Avenue, are named after the 22 Scouts, hence the district's common name.
The Triangle Area is part of the former barangay of Diliman. It was originally intended to be the location of all the offices of the Philippine government as Quezon City is envisioned, and the northeast corner (present-day Quezon Memorial Circle) was the supposed site of a new Philippine capitol building, but as World War II erupted in the Pacific, many of the proposed building have never been constructed. The west and south sides of the Triangle grew into middle-class neighborhoods; the east side only became filled with government offices, and the north side is partially filled with government offices and commercial developments, with interspersed slums. The north side of the Triangle Area is undergoing redevelopment as part of the Triangle Business Park commercial development.
The Scout Area's major streets are Timog Avenue (Route 173), a four-lane street running east-west from EDSA to Quezon Avenue, and Tomas Morato Avenue, a north-south avenue running from the area near the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Complex south to E. Rodriguez Sr. Avenue in New Manila. Both streets are nightlife centers; expect to find many classy restaurants and bars at almost every corner.
South Triangle, a barangay, is a mid-class neighborhood home to the two major television networks, ABS-CBN and GMA Network, and film production firms; it is home for many Philippine TV celebrities, and is the Philippines' Hollywood.
Get in
The Triangle and Scout Area is near to Diliman and Cubao; from the streets of Diliman, crossing East Avenue brings you immediately to the East Triangle area. From Cubao, you can just hop onto Line 3, a jeepney, or a city bus, and get down at points along EDSA.
By public transit
Line 3 serves the Triangle and Scout Area, and you can alight at the four stations inside the district.
- 1 Kamuning. Brings you near Timog Avenue, East Avenue, and the GMA Network Center, just beside it.
- 2 Quezon Avenue. At the busy intersection of EDSA and Quezon Avenue, it is meters away from the Eton Centris mall and the Bantayog Memorial Center.
- 3 North Avenue. The northernmost end of Line 3, it lies near two major shopping malls, Trinoma and SM North EDSA.
By bus
EDSA and Quezon Avenue, which are through routes of the district, is well served by city buses. From Quiapo or the Fairview–Novaliches area, you can take buses plying Quezon Avenue; bus stop through this district are Fisher Mall (or Pantranco, by many locals), Timog Avenue (near the intersection of Quezon Avenue, Timog Avenue and West Avenue), Quezon Avenue (at the intersection with EDSA) and National Heart Transplant Center/Wildlife Center (outside the Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center).
See
- 1 Bantayog Memorial Center (Bantayog ng mga Bayani), Quezon Avenue, Pinyahan, ☏ +63 2 985-1126, bantayog@bantayog.foundation. 10AM-4PM. Monument dedicated to the people who died during the Marcos dictatorship.
- 2 11th World Scout Jamboree Monument (Boy Scout Monument), Timog Avenue and Tomas Morato Avenue. Monument created in memory of the 22 Boy Scouts who perished en route to the 11th World Scouting Jamboree in Greece.
- 3 Millenium Transmitter, Mother Ignacia Avenue corner Sergeant Esguerra Street. The 220 m (720 ft) transmitter tower by ABS-CBN, providing strong TV signals around Metro Manila. It is a landmark of the district itself, and is very visible from almost every corner of the Scout Area.
- 4 Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center. Houses a zoological and botanical garden, complete with a man-made lagoon for boating activities
- 5 SM City North EDSA Sky Garden. Elevated park with a simulated river and waterfall, part of SM City North EDSA (see #Buy)
- Pinoy Big Brother House, Eugenio Lopez Jr. Drive. See (#Do)
Quezon Memorial Circle is found at the northeast corner of the district, but it has its own set of sights and activities, and is covered separately.
Do
Television
The South Triangle area is the nerve center of the Philippine TV industry; the two major networks, GMA and ABS–CBN are headquarters here. If you want to get a glimpse of the Philippines' TV industry, you can either visit the TV studios in the area and watch live performances of popular shows being broadcast throughout the Philippines (and also to overseas Filipino communities around the world).
- 1 ABS-CBN Broadcasting Complex, Eugenio Lopez Jr. Drive, South Triangle, ☏ +63 2 924-4101. The flagship studio of the ABS-CBN media network, built in 1968 and is the Philippines' most advanced broadcasting center.
- ABS-CBN Studios. The oldest television studios inside the complex, with 8 studios housing ABS-CBN's popular shows like It's Showtime, Banana Sundae, TV Patrol, and Bandila.
- 2 Pinoy Big Brother House, 18 Eugenio Lopez Jr. Drive, South Triangle. Home of the Philippine Big Brother franchise. The façade makes this more of a house, but it also hosts the studios where Pinoy Big Brother is aired. The surrounding area can become very crowded during eviction nights, where thousands of fans wait. The house is generally closed when Pinoy Big Brother is not being broadcasted.
Events
- Quezon City Pride Parade (December 8 and 9)
Buy
- 3 Eton Centris, EDSA, Pinyahan, Diliman. Mixed-used development with a shopping mall, lifestyle strip, and call center buildings
- Centris Station, EDSA, Pinyahan, Diliman (At the corner with Quezon Avenue. MRT station: Quezon Avenue; Bus stop: Quezon Avenue), ☏ +63 2 845-3866. 24/7. Indoor mall of the Eton Centris complex, with select restaurants, shops and a SM Hypermarket.
- 1 Fisher Mall. Su-Th 10AM-9PM, F Sa 10AM-10PM. Mall owned by a fishing business in Malabon, and built over an old bus terminal. This mall has plenty of fast food chains and fast food restaurants, but not as crowded as the major ones.
- 2 SM City North EDSA, ☏ +63 2 929-6688. M-F 10AM-10PM; Sa Su 10AM-midnight. The largest mall in the Philippines, the world's fifth largest mall, and the first mall of the nationwide SM Supermalls chain, SM North EDSA houses more than 400 shops and 200 dining establishments.
- 3 TriNoma, ☏ +63 2 999. M-Th 10AM-9PM; F Su 10AM-10PM. Short for Triangle North of Manila, it is a large shopping mall in Quezon City in the Philippines owned by land developer Ayala Land. Opened in 2007, the mall is on the side of Epifanio de los Santos Avenue, near the MRT-3 North Avenue Station in Quezon City, giving significant market competition to the nearby SM City North EDSA as one of the largest malls in Manila's metropolitan area.
- 4 Wil Tower Mall, Eugenio Lopez Drive, ☏ +63 927 776-6772. M W 6AM-10PM, Tu Th-Su 6:30AM-10:30PM. Small upscale mall with a Coffee Project café and All Day convenience store, part of the 46-storey Wil Tower condominium complex.
Eat
Drink
Bars
Tomas Morato Avenue is the nightlife capital of Quezon City since the 1970s; almost ever corner has a restaurant and bar. Timog Avenue has also a plenty of them, and the Scout Area is certainly the nightlife center on town.
- Laffline, 3 Timog Ave, South Triangle (At the corner with Mother Ignacia Avenue), ☏ +63 2 372-2656. Comedy bar serving good food and drink with a healthy dose of laughter with stand-up comedy acts.
- 1 Music Match, 270 Tomas Morato Avenue, ☏ +63 2 927-8531. M-Th 1PM-3AM, F 1PM-5AM, Sa Su 2PM-3:30AM. Karaoke bar with disco and a selection of food. Smoking allowed in some rooms
Karaoke bars
Sleep
Budget
- Strawberry Hometel, 111-B Scout Lozano Street, Quezon City (just behind Zirkoh Comedy Bar and Mang Inasal at Tomas Morato Avenue), ☏ +63 2 413-8235. Comfortable, affordable inn with air-conditioned rooms and international cable TVs ₱800.
- 1 [dead link] Icon Hotel Timog, 60 Timog Avenue, Laging Handa (Beside Petron at the Scout Memorial), ☏ +63 2 353-6000. A/C single or double rooms with flat-screen TV, free WiFi, safe, and bathroom with bidet and hot water shower. Free breakfast. Has swimming pool, restaurant and laundry. Airport shuttle available. From ₱1,350.
- 2 [dead link] Hotel Sogo North EDSA, 937 EDSA, Phil-Am Village (Beside North Avenue MRT Station), ☏ +63 2 928-7646. Half-day stay: from ₱1,020 (weekdays) or ₱1,400 (weekends); Overnight stay: from ₱1,290 (weekdays) or ₱1,575 (weekends).
- 3 Camelot Hotel, 35 Mother Ignacia Avenue (Near M Place South Triangle), ☏ +63 2 373-2101. Castle-themed hotel, with rooms having a royal and European feel. It has five restaurants, one open 24/7, another playing live music, and some with bars. From ₱1,210.
Mid-range
- Casa Pura, 55 Scout Santiago St., Barangay Laging Handa, ☏ +63 2 373-2384. Casa Pura offers rooms equipped with air conditioning, telephone, writing desk and sofa. The hotel has a deck garden, restaurant, banquet hall, conference rooms, and parking. Room service, laundry service available. From ₱2,400.
- 4 Cocoon Boutique Hotel (The Cocoon Hotel), 61 Scout Rallos Street, ☏ +63 2 921-2706, info@thecocoonhotel.com. Has vibrantly colored rooms with free WiFi, cable TV, minibar with coffee and tea makers, and bathtub with hot and cold water. Larger rooms have a living room and an additional bedroom. Its rooftop has a swimming pool providing views of the Scout Area and nearby Cubao. Amenities include a bar, a restaurant, a café, a hair salon, a gym, a business center, and a spa. Free breakfast available. From ₱3,450.
- 5 Imperial Palace Suites Quezon City, Scout Memorial Circle (Corner Timog Ave & Tomas Morato), ☏ +63 2 927-8001, fax: +63 2-9207884. This hotel offers room amenities like air-conditioning, cable television, and kitchenette, complete with daily maid service. From ₱2,260.
- Luxent Hotel, #51 Timog Ave., South Triangle, ☏ +63 2 922-8888. All rooms have in-room safety deposit box, mini bar, individual climate control, LCD flat sreen with cable and DVD player. Some of its facilities and services are lobby lounge, bar, infinity pool, kiddie pool, gym/fitness center, multi-level parking, Wi-Fi internet connection, in-room suite dining service, laundry/pressing and dry cleaning, wake-up call, 24-hour concierge and security. From ₱3,875.
- [dead link] Stonehouse Condominiums, 102 & 103 The Forum, Tomas Morato Avenue St (corner Scout Limbaga Street), ☏ +63 2 724-7551. Each high-rise condominium provides luxury-filled rooms and suites. From ₱2,100.
Stay safe
The district is relatively safe, but watch out for pickpockets and the occasional hypnotists. Showing drunkenness is not tolerated; some foreigners are arrested for engaging in drunken brawls. Some areas of this district are best avoided at all times:
- The interior of barangay Obrero (and areas under the old Meralco high-voltage line)
- Some areas on the Triangle Area characterized by slums. Riots have erupted during demolitions, so it is best avoided at all times
Cope
Embassies
1 Embassy of Cyprus, LG-03 Crispina Building, 1589 Quezon Avenue, West Triangle.
Connect
Go next
- Cubao – The grand old retail center of the city, along EDSA.