Cubao is the commercial heart of Quezon City, at the intersection of EDSA and Aurora Boulevard.

Understand

Araneta Center, viewed from Santa Mesa, Manila

While the Triangle and Scout Area is the government, entertainment and nightlife hub, Cubao is the grand old commercial heart of Quezon City, with Araneta City, formerly Araneta Center, at its core. This district only developed in the late 1950s, when the Araneta family bought a piece of rural land once owned by RCA and built its first buildings. Cubao started to blossom with the construction of the Araneta Coliseum, which further become famous for the "Thrilla in Manila" boxing match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975. The first shopping mall to open is Ali Mall, named after Muhammad Ali; other buildings followed, like SM Cubao, New Frontier Theatre (Kia Theatre from 2015 until 2018), Fiesta Carnaval (now a Shopwise supermarket), and Farmer's Plaza. The popularity of Cubao slowly declined as larger shopping malls and commercial developments begin to appear outside the area, but, the area's status as the traditional shopping center of Quezon City refuses to die; the Araneta family, who owns Araneta City, has begun a redevelopment project for the area to return it to its former glory.

Cubao is not limited to Araneta Center, administered as part of barangay Socorro; the district extends into barangays Immaculate Conception, Kaunlaran, San Martin de Porres (Arayat), San Roque, and Silangan, all part of the former barangay until it was divided into smaller barangays. Local addresses continue to utilize Cubao as the barangay.

Get in

By public transit

Cubao lies at the intersection of LRT Line 2 (LRT-2) and MRT Line 3 (MRT-3) and is reachable from both of them. The stations of both lines are named Araneta Center-Cubao. LRT-2 runs above Aurora Avenue west from Manila into Santolan in Pasig. MRT-3 is built at the middle of EDSA and runs from Taft Avenue in Pasay to North Avenue within Quezon City.

By bus

By city bus

Better avoid travel by city bus. The EDSA–Aurora Boulevard intersection at the middle of Cubao is one of the most congested spots at Metro Manila, and if sitting on a bus for hours in EDSA's perennial snarls is not in your plans, it's better to take the MRT if you can beat the rush hour crowds and breakdowns.

Those said, Cubao is well served by city buses from points within the metro, and there are two designated stops, Cubao-Farmers (for city buses A) or Ermin Garcia near the Baliwag Transit bus terminal (for city buses B). City buses C can stop at either. The Cubao-Farmers bus stop is far near Araneta City and the Ermin Garcia bus stop is far across Aurora Boulevard, at the end of the EDSA-Aurora underpass.

By provincial bus

• Araneta City Bus Terminal (Cubao Bus Terminal), Times Square Street (Near Ali Mall). One of Metro Manila's attempt to have a centralized terminal, this does serve bus companies from both north and south, but many still terminate elsewhere due to its limited space. As of 2019, it mostly serves ordinary (non-AC) buses from the south, and is to be closed since the opening of Araneta City Busport. (updated Dec 2019)
• 1 Araneta City Bus Port, General Romulo Street (At Manhattan Heights). Opened 2018, it is an air-conditioned replacement to the older terminal outside Ali Mall. It serves some northbound and southbound services on ALPS, Amihan, Ceres, Isarog, Peñafrancia, and Philtranco. One of the officially designated provincial bus terminals, this will be spared from the proposed closure of company-owned terminals scattered along EDSA and Aurora Boulevard. (updated Dec 2019)

Despite having two centralized bus stations, many companies have established their own terminals elsewhere near Araneta Center; most around EDSA. This is going to change however, and those will be closed pending a court order.

For services from South Luzon and interisland trips, there are:

• ALPS the Bus (Beside the LLi terminal). Frequent trips from Batangas City, Lipa and San Juan in Batangas, and tri-weekly from Iloilo City. (updated Aug 2019)
• Ceres Transport/Gold Star, New York Street. Frequent trips to Batangas City, and bi-weekly service to Iloilo City. Buses to Iloilo, and some buses to Batangas City have a lavatory, but travel may be slower for the latter as they will make frequent stops. (updated Aug 2019)
• Cul Transport, EDSA (Before Nepa Q-Mart). Hourly trips from Lucena. (updated Aug 2019)
• LLi (Lucena Lines). Hourly trips from Lucena. (updated Aug 2019)

From the north, there are:

• Bataan Transit. Departures to Balanga every 15 minutes from 2:15 to 8:15PM, and to Mariveles every 20 minutes from midnight to 8:20PM. (updated Aug 2019)
• Genesis Transport. Hourly trips to Olongapo and Baguio, and midnight departures to Casiguran. (updated Aug 2019)
• Viron Transit. Departures to Vigan on 2:30AM, 3:30AM; 4:30AM, 6:30AM, 8:30AM, 1:30PM, 2:30PM, 3PM, 9PM, 9:30PM, and 10PM, to Tayug daily every 6:30AM, and to Bangued daily every 7:30AM. (updated Aug 2019)

For trips roughly within 200 km (120 mi) or 2 hours long, there are often no frills, but there will be vendors entering the bus at certain points and selling food and drinks at inflated prices. Longer trips will tend to have meals included on the fare, tickets must be purchased at a counter at the terminal, and on overnight trips and interisland services, there will be complimentary blankets and a ferry and port surcharge, respectively.

By airport bus

From Ninoy Aquino International Airport, you can take the Cubao route of UBE Express to Araneta City Busport, ₱100 per head. Travel time can over 30 minutes to 1 hour depending on traffic on EDSA.

By jeepney

There are jeepneys to Cubao and from Manila and Antipolo, but as with buses, is hardly suggested due to the traffic. If traveling from the east, beware of "patok" jeepneys, which play fast and loud music and are driven erratically (often when requested by adventurous youth), but you'll hardly find them since police have cracked down on those.

See

• 1 Art in Island, 175 15th Street (Beside the Union Square condominium). 9:30AM-9:30PM. Interactive art museum where visitors can pose for a picture with 3D paintings in exhibit. (updated Dec 2018)
• NOT EXISTING LISTING IMAGE Gateway Museum (Fifth floor of Gateway Mall (see #Buy)). Museum dedicated to Filipino arts and supporting new artists. (updated Dec 2018)

Seasonal

• "Christmas is Home" (At the Times Square Food Park). Live Christmas display in Araneta Center, featuring both Filipino and Western Christmas traditions and Araneta Center itself. It was revived in November 28, 2018, after it was formerly presented from 1966 to 2002. (updated Dec 2018)

Do

• 1 Smart Araneta Coliseum, General Roxas Avenue, ☏ +63 2 911-5555. Officially nicknamed the "Big Dome", this is a multi-purpose indoor arena built in the 1960s, and the centerpiece of Araneta Center. The "Thrilla in Manila" match between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier in 1975 was held here; it is also the main venue of Binibining Pilipinas pageants since the 1970s. The arena gets its present name from 2010 when telecommunications giant Smart Communications bought naming rights to the arena. (updated Dec 2018)
• 2 New Frontier Theatre (Kia Theatre), 7 General Malvar Avenue. Multi-purpose venue opened in 1967, with fast food chains, upscale restaurants and cafés outside (updated Dec 2018)

Buy

While it lost its status as the major shopping center in Quezon City over other larger malls built elsewhere, Cubao still retains its malls, supermarkets, and public market, while already dated, still gives the impression of the district's former glory.

• 1 Ali Mall. Mon-Fri 10AM-9PM; Sat-Sun 11AM-10PM. The oldest standing major shopping mall in the Philippines, built in 1976. It is named in honor of Muhammad Ali, who won the famed "Thrilla in Manila" on 1975. (updated Dec 2018)
• Farmers Plaza. (updated Dec 2018)
• 2 Gateway Mall. Mon-Thu 10AM-9PM; Fri-Sat 10AM-10PM; Sun 11AM-9PM. Award-winning mall owned by the Araneta group. Opened 2006. (updated Dec 2018)
• 3 SM Cubao, General Aguinaldo Street. 10AM-11PM. One of the oldest malls owned by retail giant SM, but it looks more like its older sister in Makati's Ayala Center, SM Makati. This instead houses a department store and supermarket inside; all other shops and restaurants are outside. (updated Dec 2018)

Drink

Coffee

The area has Starbucks branches at Ali Mall and Araneta Coliseum, a Seattle's Best outside Shopwise, and a Tim Hortons at the New Frontier Theatre.

• Bengal Brew
• The Northern Coffee Experience

Sleep

Budget

• ACL Suites, #72 13th Avenue, ☏ +63 2-9132123, fax: +63 2-438-3263. Apartelle units and suites with furnished rooms and basic frills like A/C, cable TV, and free WiFi. From ₱1070. 
• 1 Eurotel, 628 EDSA (At Vivaldi Residences). European-style rooms with basic amenities. . Amenities include bar and restaurant, free or valet parking, massage, and safe. 3 hours: ₱395 ;Overnight: ₱995. (updated Dec 2018)
• Gran Prix Econotel Cubao, 678 EDSA, ☏ +63 2 413 2984, +63 2 411 6241. From ₱1070. 
• 2 Hotel Dreamworld, Roxas Avenue (Across from Smart Araneta Coliseum), ☏ +63 912 433-3333. A/C rooms with free WiFi, cable TV and in-room bathrooms From ₱1030. (updated Dec 2018)
• 3 Hotel Sogo Grand Hotel EDSA Cubao, 629 EDSA, San Martin de Porres, ☏ +63 2 723-4351. The flagship branch of the nationwide motel chain housed in red and white buildings, with four room classes. Weekdays: ₱825-1175 (12 hours), ₱1425-1825 (24 hours); Weekends: ₱1306-1755 (12 hours), ₱1505-2075 (24 hours). (updated Dec 2018)
• 4 Hotel 99, 8 Pinatubo Street, San Martin de Porres, ☏ +63 2 705-1325, info@hotel99.com.ph. Accented A/C rooms with free WiFi and computers. No free breakfast. From ₱1080 (₱1280 with breakfast). (updated Dec 2018)
• 5 Mariposa Budget Hotel, 30 Stanford Street, ☏ +63 2 911-9133, mariposacubao888@gmail.com. Single rooms with cable TV and free breakfast. Free parking and WiFi available. From ₱1270. (updated Dec 2018)

Mid-range

• The Fernandina 88 Suites Hotel, 222 P. Tuazon Boulevard, Cubao, ☏ +63 2-4386688, inquire@fernandina88.com.ph. Transportation available to and from international and domestic airports. All suites have living, dining, and kitchen areas, internet connection, cable television, air conditioning, hot & cold shower Standard rooms from ₱1690. 
• Fersal Hotel Annapolis, 49 Annapolis Street, Cubao, ☏ +63 63 2 911-2161. 62 double or twin rooms with air conditioning, cable television, a mini-bar and telephone. 24-hour convenience store, laundry service and an Inn Cafe also on premises. From US$29. 

Splurge

• 6 Novotel, ☏ +63 2 990-7888. Has 401 suites, two classy restaurants and bars, and an executive sky lounge providing 360-degree views of Metro Manila. Each room has A/C, cable TV, desk, minibar, and coffee and tea makers. From ₱4245-4875. (updated Dec 2018)

As of 2018, only Novotel is the splurge hotel around Cubao; the second splurge hotel to open is the 24-storey Ibis Styles Hotel, the first hotel in the Philippines under the Ibis brand; construction begun in 2016.

Cope

• Embassy of Colombia, Isetann Building, General Aguinaldo Avenue, ☏ +63 2 911 3101. (updated Dec 2018)

Go next

Routes through Cubao (by car)

Caloocan ← North EDSA ←	N  S	→ Ugong Norte → Makati
Becomes ←	W  E	→ Katipunan → Marikina

Routes through Cubao (by rapid transit)

Quiapo ← San Juan ←	W  E	→ Katipunan → Marikina
Makati ← Ugong Norte ←	S  N	→ North EDSA