Amid the maddening frenzy of modern living, I dream of waking up every day to the sight of luscious lush greenery outside my window in a vibrant, charming community that I call home. A place where one can live, love, laugh, learn, earn, play, and pray. One that is designed after a woman’s own heart, where she is spoiled for choice and pampered like a queen. There is such a place: McKinley Hill, a pulsating, 50-hectare township in the heart of Fort Bonifacio that exudes a European vibe with its Spanish-Italian architecture, magnificent Venetian arts, and postcard-pretty Florentine courtyard.
HIGH ON MCKINLEY HILL
At McKinley Hill, there’s something to cater to every woman’s whim and food craving. If it’s cheese she wants (women do love to nibble on cheese), she can have her cheese fix at L.E.S. (Lower East Side) Bagels or at Trattoria Poggio Antico (care for crepe stuffed with ham, cheese, mushroom in truffle oil?), an Italian restaurant at Tuscany in McKinley Hill where there’s a whole restaurant strip ready to bare their unique specialties and tease assorted taste buds. Of course, women — and all ye foodies — can explore scores of other dining options at Tuscany, inspired by that breathtaking sun-drenched region in Italy, with its charming holes-in-wall you won’t find elsewhere. For instance, Tuscany boasts German-Turkish resto Wursty Wursty (we assure you the food is better eaten than pronounced); Main Street Restaurant, an awesome Canadian resto famous for, oui, Quebec’s poutine (french fries smothered with gravy and cheese curds) and buttermilk fried chicken; Black Canyon Coffee for American-Thai casual dining that’s got the best milk teas in McKinley Hill; and Adobo Connection for its adorable adobo variants like adobong liempo sa gata and barbecue adobo flakes or you can always create your own adobo. Then there’s Venice Piazza, a dining hotspot that houses excellent restaurants and fine retail shops. Inspired by the grandeur of Piazza San Marco in Venice, it’s a favorite venue for launches, concerts, and family bonding. It’s got good old favorite Amici (think truffle egg prosciutto pizza), Peri Peri Charcoal Chicken, and Agave Mexican Cantina, among others.
GIRLS JUST WANNA BE PAMPERED
Meanwhile, the girly-girl in every woman would naturally crave, after a long hard week, some well-deserved pampering. So, how about having your nails done or getting a massage or even a slimming treatment at Dutchess Haven Nail Salon and Spa at the Morgan Suites Residences? Or get the latest hair craze at Bench Fix Salon at Venice Piazza while seated next to a celebrity. But if everything else palls, you can always indulge in some retail therapy at the Venice Piazza where you can shop till you drop!
For those who are into yoga (studies show that yoga is good for the body as well as the soul; women who are into yoga are generally happier and more content than those who just vegetate at home), they can have some mind-body workout at the fitness centers around McKinley Hill. Or rejuvenate their waning spirits via the scents of candles in the Yankee Candle at Venice Grand Canal Mall. A new lifestyle destination, the Venice Grand Canal Mall is the first of its kind in the country where you can ride a gondola, like the real thing in Venice, Italy, and have a gondolier serenade you as you cruise down the sparkling emerald green canal. Women can even try their hand at French-Mediterranean cooking at Enderun College’s short culinary course. But if cooking is not your cup of tea, you can watch football and meet up close your favorite Azkal hotties who come to practice at the grand McKinley Hill Stadium.
THE ROMANCE OF FLORENCE
And now, the enduring romance and grandeur of Tuscany has inspired the creation of The Florence, McKinley Hill’s first gated garden community. Megaworld, the country’s biggest real estate developer and pioneer of the “live-work-play-learn” township concept, brings the charm of Florence to Fort Bonifacio through its latest residential garden community aptly called The Florence.
The three-tower community seamlessly melds the boundless beauty of nature with the dynamic of a healthy and holistic 21st century living. Picture Old World structures rising amid thick lush trees and plants.
“I’m proud to say that this newest residential community will bring future residents a whole new panorama of great garden landscape,” says a beaming Noli D. Hernandez, Megaworld SVP for sales and marketing.
With its curvilinear facade, white-and-grey color scheme, The Florence brings upscale living to the metro. Enter this modern community and feel its opulence with its magnificent landscape. Its centralized residential lobby, contemporary huge columns, and glass — truly a glass act — exude an elite ambience. Each tower of this three-tower community will have one- to two bedroom units, measuring 43 to 49 square meters, with pre-furnished amenities that include an air-conditioning unit, range hood, and cooktop. All units have a balcony (romancing Romeo and Juliet?) overlooking the bustling skyline of Makati and Fort Bonifacio. Certainly, The Florence will have world-class amenities such as an outdoor fitness area, children’s playground, state-of-the-art fitness center, day care center, bar and lounge areas, and a unique game room. And — you haven’t heard it all — taking center stage is an infinity pool with in-pool lounge and wooden sundeck, creating an infinite illusion against the somber skyscape of Taguig. Ah, life can only be beautiful at The Florence!
Just where to find The Florence? Easily the most accessible part of Fort Bonifacio, The Florence is near any point of destination such as Makati City’s Central Business District, Manila International Airport, St. Luke’s Medical Center, international schools, prime shopping malls, supermarkets, and retail shops. It is near major thoroughfares such as Kalayaan Avenue, C5, Ayala Avenue, and EDSA.
So, who says you can’t live your dream?
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For inquiries on The Florence, call 840-0602 and 0917-8878696 or email mckinleyhill@megaworldcorp.com.