The Urban Landscape of Manila

Intramuros, the original city founded in 1571 by the Spanish, is located on the southern bank of the Pasig River.

It includes examples of 17th-century Spanish architecture and an encircling wall that was begun in 1590.

Near Intramuros is the port area and Rizal Park, which was designed by the American architect and urban planner Daniel H. Burnham.

The United States Embassy is located in the area, and nearby tourist hotels and government buildings on Roxas Boulevard face Manila Bay.

The Manila Yacht Club, Manila Zoological and Botanical Gardens, Philippine Cultural Center, Folk Arts Theater, and Philippine International Convention Center are all located within two blocks of Roxas Boulevard.

The newer suburbs include Quezon City, Pasig, and Makati.

Makati, located northwest of Manila proper, is a modern center with shopping malls, the Philippine Stock Exchange, international corporations and banks, hotels, and exclusive residential subdivisions, including Forbes Park and Bel Air Village.

New government buildings, medical centers, and the University of the Philippines (1908) are located in Quezon City.

The poor live in numerous slums and squatter areas which are interspersed throughout the periphery and in some older areas of the city.

Tondo, located north of Intramuros near the North Harbor area, is one of the largest slums.