Although Parañaque only achieved cityhood in 1998 (the 11th of Metro Manila’s component municipalities to be declared so), it has long been an important center for business and commerce in the southern part of the National Capital Region.
Parañaque is strategically located, working as the unofficial bridge between the central cities of Pasay, Makati, and Manila and their southern counterparts Muntinlupa and Las Piñas. It is home to Baclaran, which is a famous place for bargain finds and wholesale clothing, while Terminal 1 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport is situated in Parañaque’s Barangay Santo Niño area.
In areas close to Manila Bay in Barangay La Huerta are small fishing villages called “fisherman’s wharves,” where the famous Dampa, a seafood market and restaurant, is found. In recent years, Parañaque’s gated villages and subdivisions have experienced some form of gentrification, most notably BF Homes, whose streets and alleys are now teeming with artisanal foodie stops and gourmet restaurants. The city’s Better Living area, especially along Dona Soledad Avenue near SM City Bicutan, is a thriving foodie haven as well and is now home to many restaurants. But perhaps the most exciting development Parañaque has experienced in recent years is the opening of the Bay City, a massive estate reclaimed from Manila Bay, which is now home to billion-dollar casino resorts and high-end condos. Once fully developed, Bay City will become Metro Manila’s entertainment capital.
Although something exciting is brewing in the Bay City side of Parañaque, the city remains a quite place to find an ideal place to call home. Although it is known for subdivisions and gated communities teeming with houses, row-houses, and townhouses, Parañaque is also home to some of Metro Manila’s best condo developments, some of which from the country’s largest property developers.
One of the most high-profile condo projects launched in recent years is the Paris Hilton-endorsed Azure Urban Resort Residences by Century Properties. Located along the South Luzon Expressway close to Bicutan Exit, this seven-tower development is quite unique as it offers condo buyers exclusive use of its man-made beach and Paris Beach Club. Other well-known condo projects in the city include DMCI Homes’ Arista Place in Barangay Santo Niño close to NAIA Terminal 1 and Raya Residences along the West Service Road, Asiana Oasis by Filinvest Land, Field Residences and Chateau Elysees by SMDC, Avida Towers Sucat by Avida Land, and Amaia Steps Bicutan by Amaia Land.