Escolta Street

Escolta was the commercial heart of Manila from the Spanish period through the American decades - the street where the first cinemas, department stores and elevators in the country arrived, lined with buildings by the architects who shaped the pre-war city. It declined after the war as business moved to Makati, and for most of the late twentieth century it was a strip of half-empty premises behind extraordinary facades. Those facades are the reason to walk it: the Regina Building, the First United Building with its deco lobby, the Calvo Building, the Natividad, and what was kept of the Capitol Theater's front nearby, the rest having been demolished in 2020. Since the 2010s a slow revival has taken hold - artist collectives, small design studios, a Saturday market in the First United arcade, cafés and a museum of the street's own history - which makes it more rewarding than it was, without pretending the street has been restored. Binondo, the oldest Chinatown in the world, starts at its far end.

History

Escolta, one of the oldest streets in Manila, was laid out in 1594, its name from the Spanish escoltar, "to escort". It drew immigrant merchants, mainly from Fujian, during the Manila-Acapulco galleon trade, its shops selling goods from China, Europe and Latin America, and by the late 19th century it was the city's fashionable business district, with its tallest buildings and the Manila Stock Exchange (Wikipedia, Escolta Street).

What's there

• The deco facades - Regina, Calvo, Natividad and their neighbours.
• The First United lobby - the restored interior and arcade.
• The Capitol Theater front - the part of the facade kept when the cinema was demolished in 2020.
• The new occupants - studios, cafés and the weekend market.

When to go

Daytime, weekdays for the buildings and Saturdays for the market in the First United arcade. The area empties and is less pleasant after dark.

What to expect

Most buildings are not restored and many are closed or in poor condition - this is a street to look at from the pavement. Traffic and crowds are heavy, and the pavements are narrow.

Nearby

Binondo Church and Chinatown are at the eastern end; Jones Bridge, the post office and Intramuros are across the river.

Key facts