Kapitolyo, Pasig

Kapitolyos transformation is one of Metro Manilas great urban stories. What was once a quiet, unremarkable residential barangay in Pasig has become the citys most celebrated food district -- a place where a PHP 150 streetside sisig plate sits two doors from a PHP 2,000 degustation dinner. Locavore, Poco Deli, Three Sisters BBQ, and dozens more have turned these narrow streets into a pilgrimage site for Manilas food-obsessed. Living here means eating extraordinarily well. The dining scene is complemented by specialty coffee shops and wine bars that have shifted the nightlife from lets go to BGC to lets just stay in the neighborhood. The Rockwell Vantage development has added a premium residential option without destroying the neighborhood character. The catch is that Kapitolyos success is its main problem. Streets designed for a quiet barangay now handle weekend food-tourist traffic from across the metro. Parking can take 20 minutes on a Friday night. The Pasig River system means flooding during typhoon season. And property prices have climbed significantly -- Rockwell pushed per-sqm above PHP 175,000, approaching Makati fringe territory.

Kapitolyo, Pasig in Metro Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines