Buying real estate is also about investing in the future. After all, putting your money in property is all about playing the long game. The same can be said about having a family and having kids: raising your kids properly in the present means training them to become well-adjusted adults that you can be proud of in your old age.
Now, it used to be that sending your kids to the right school means having them travel halfway across the city or—if you come from the province—having them stay with relatives. Fortunately for our children, they don’t need to go through that anymore given the popularity of condominium developments near Metro Manila’s top schools. With these developments, going to school can be as easy as crossing the street.
For some of us who’ve managed to work hard to give our children a better life, it doesn’t mean we’re spoiling them by allowing them to live so far from the family. Rather, it’s giving them the right environment to study, without having them so tired because they have to travel from one city to another five days out of seven.
Obviously, this means that letting your kids live on their own should also mean they’re old enough—and responsible—to be on their own. Part of letting them live independently is that you teach them the responsibilities and burdens of being on their own: no maids to wash and cook for them, no driver to bring them to school, and no parent to tell them the right thing to do.
With that in mind, here’s a sample of condo developments that are near the top schools of the country.
QUEZON CITY
If you were to talk about Quezon City’s most well-known schools, most people would think of the Diliman area with University of the Philippines (UP) and Ateneo de Manila University. The premier state university and the Jesuit-run school were recently featured as the top 2 Philippine schools in the 2014 QS University Rankings in Asia.
Perhaps because of these schools, the areas along Katipunan Avenue were slowly transforming from leafy suburban enclaves to exciting commercialized districts, complete with strip malls and condo developments.
Here are a number of condo developments that are currently on the rise in the area that target (and are priced) to give students of Ateneo and UP, as well as all-girls schools like Miriam College and St. Bridget School, a nearby place to stay in.
1. Blue Residences
- Developer: SMDC
- Description: 41-story residential condominium
- Unit sizes: 21.58–44.70 sqm
- Turnover: 2014
- Location: Corner of Katipunan Avenue and Aurora Boulevard
- Price: Starts at Php2.6 million
2. Camella Condo Homes Katipunan
- Developer: Camella Homes
- Description: 30-story residential condominium
- Unit sizes: 15–26.97 sqm
- Turnover: 2016
- Location: Katipunan Avenue across Ateneo de Manila University
- Price: Starts at Php1.5 million
3. Studio A
- Developer: Filinvest
- Description: 34-story residential condominium
- Unit sizes: 21–46 sqm
- Turnover: 2016
- Location: Corner of Xavierville Avenue and Esteban Abada
- Price: Starts at Php2.10 million
However, there are completed developments for those already starting this school year.
1. Berkeley Residences
- Developer: SMDC
- Description: 35-story residential condominium
- Unit sizes: 20–60 sqm
- Location: Katipunan Road in front of Miriam College
- Price: Starts at Php1.7 million to own
- Rent: Starts at Php13,000/month
2. Sofia Bellevue
- Developer: PHINMA Properties
- Description: Five 7-story residential condominiums
- Unit sizes: 25–72 sqm
- Location: Capitol Hills Drive in nearby Capitol Hills
- Price: Starts at Php1.6 million to own
- Rent: Starts at Php10,500/month
3. The Manors at Celebrity Place
- Developer: DMCI
- Description: Seven 4-story residential condominiums
- Unit sizes: 60–120 sqm
- Location: Capitol Hills Drive in nearby Capitol Hills
- Price: Starts at Php3 million to own
- Average: Starts at Php35,000/month
MANILA AND PASAY
On the other hand, Manila has three top local schools, both located at some distance to each other. De La Salle University Manila, run by the De La Salle Brothers, is on Taft Avenue; the oldest university in the country, the University of Santo Tomas (UST), is on España Boulevard; and the University of the Philippines’ Manila campus in Ermita District. De La Salle and UST are part of the top five local schools that ranked in the aforementioned QS’s top 300 Asian schools in 2014 (the last being Ateneo de Davao in Davao City).
Now, anyone who has ever lived or studied in Manila knows you have to adapt to a highly dense city with stressful heavy traffic, not to mention the pollution and crime rate. As such, living in a nearby condo has certain benefits, like living on higher ground and security.
There are a number of condo developments near De La Salle on Taft, as well as other schools like De La Salle–College of St. Benilde, St. Scholastica’s College, Arellano University, and St. Paul College. Nearer to UST on España are schools like Holy Spirit College, Centro Escolar University, National University, Central College of the Philippines, Far Eastern University (FEU), and the University of the East (UE).
1. Green Residences
- Developer: SMDC
- Description: 50-story residential condominium
- Unit sizes: 15.65–35.28 sqm
- Turnover: 2016
- Location: Taft Avenue in front of De La Salle – College of Benilde
- Price: Starts at Php1.3 million
2. La Verti Residences
- Developer: DMCI
- Description: Two 41-story residential condominiums
- Unit sizes: 24–66 sqm
- Turnover: 2014
- Location: 1991 Donada St., Taft Avenue behind the Manila Adventist Medical City
- Price: Starts at Php1.93 million
3. Sorrel Residences
- Developer: DMCI
- Description: 27-story residential condominium
- Unit sizes: 29–77 sqm
- Turnover: 2015
- Location: Sociego St. in Sampaloc
- Price: Starts at Php1.88 million
4. Tower 3 of Celadon Park
- Developer: Alveo Land
- Description: Three 34-story residential condominiums
- Unit sizes: 24–98 sqm
- Turnover: 2017 (Tower 3)
- Location: Felix Huertas Road, Sta. Cruz, at the former location of the San Lazaro Hippodrome
- Price: Starts at Php2.2 million
There are also completed developments where you can get a condo unit starting this school year. Here are some examples.
1. Robinsons Place Residences
- Developer: Robinsons Land Corp.
- Description: Two 38-story residential condominiums
- Unit sizes: 48–125 sqm
- Location: Padre Faura St., Ermita, Manila
- Price: Starts at Php4.3 million to own
- Rent: Starts at Php30,000/month
2. Malate Adriatico Grand Residences
- Developer: Adriatico Grand Realty Corp.
- Description: 18-story residential condominium
- Unit sizes: 44–122 sqm
- Location: 1415 M. Adriatico corner between Salas and Santa Monica Streets, Ermita
- Price: Starts at Php3.35 million to own
- Rent: Starts at Php35,000/month
3. Tower 1 of Sun Residences
- Developer: SMDC
- Description: Two 40-story residential condominiums
- Unit sizes: 20–47 sqm
- Location: España Blvd. corner Mayon St., across Welcome Rotonda
- Price: Starts at Php1.8 million to own
- Rent: Starts at Php12,000/month
The great thing about the condos being developed in these areas is that they’re priced within the means of middle-class families. Combine this with convenient location and great nearby amenities and your condo will be useful for the rest of your kid’s educational lifespan.
But more than a place to stay, having the option like a condo means that you’ll have a second home for your kid wherever he or she is studying. After all, we do want the very best for our offspring.
