At noon the towers around Ayala Triangle empty onto the lawn. Office workers spread out on benches and under the acacias with lunch boxes from home or takeaway from the kiosks along the edge.
The garden is one of the few large green spaces in the central business district, and it is used hard. Joggers run the loop before work, parents bring children on weekends, and every December the trees are wrapped in lights.
“It’s the only place in Makati where I take my shoes off.”
The rest of the day
By mid-afternoon the garden is quiet except for a few people working on laptops under the trees and security guards on their rounds. After office hours the restaurants along the edge fill up and the paths become a running track.
The garden was once part of the old Nielson airfield, and the art deco terminal building still stands at one corner. It now houses a restaurant, and the old control tower is visible from the lawn.
On weekends there are often markets or small concerts. Check the notice boards near the entrances for the schedule.
Where to get lunch
The kiosks around the garden sell rice bowls, sandwiches and salads at office-worker prices. The bigger restaurants along the edge are better for a sit-down meal but fill up fast between twelve and one.
Many regulars bring lunch from home in a lunch box, eat it on the grass and use the rest of the hour to walk a lap of the paths. On hot days the shade under the acacias is the most valuable real estate in Makati.
Bring a cloth to sit on; the grass is watered early and can still be damp at noon.
By 1:05 the lawn is nearly empty again, and the towers fill back up.
