Best of both worlds

Written by Roderick L. Abad

Sunday, 21 March 2010 17:55

If you’re longing for that feeling of living in the open countryside while still enjoying the convenient and sophisticated life of the city, then consider East Tower at One Serendra. “Being in a central location, it’s like living in a subdivision where you have a lot of amenities and greens,” Ayala Land Premier’s San Lorenzo Group premier property specialist Michael Aldaya told the BusinessMirror. “So you can actually have the best of both worlds.” Soon to rise in the distinctive residential project of One Serendra, the East Tower is situated on the east portion at the corner of McKinley Parkway and 32nd Street. It’s surrounded by prime commercial areas, such as the Shops at Serendra, Market! Market! and Bonifacio High Street. What’s more, it’s accessible to main thoroughfares like the C5 and the long stretch of Edsa leading either to the northern or southern part of Luzon. For jetsetters, it’s very near the Essensa Road, which is a 15-minute drive to the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 3. “So if you’re a resident or somebody who wants to be in and out of the country fast, and you want to have a place that is just a ‘lock it and leave it’ type of condominium, the East Tower at One Serendra is the answer,” said Aldaya. Connected to the artery of the sprawling City Center of the Bonifacio Global City, East Tower is also a stone’s throw away from the recently opened St. Luke’s Medical Center and other commercial developments like The Fort Strip and the soon-to-be-built Shangri-La Hotel. With the Bonifacio Global City’s superb master plan with a lot of open and public parks coupled by its regular hosting of running races during Sundays, this development promises a more active lifestyle. “That’s what make the East Tower different from others,” noted Aldaya. “Overall, it’s a nice project where you have everything near you. It’s indeed a one-stop shop.” Unit offerings FROM a distance, expect the East Tower at One Serendra to be a symbol of class and sophistication. Exterior-wise, the first two floors are planned with a Filipino architectural design patterned after the distinctive bahay na bato. Combining the European- and Asian-inspired master plans, its layout provides a lot of open space and gardens in a condominium setting. Standing tall at 41 stories, the East Tower has a total of 282 units in its inventory. Unit offerings range from one- to three-bedrooms, and penthouses. Suited for singles and even retirees, the one-bedroom unit is actually bigger than other similar residential projects. Priced at P9,229,000 (VAT exclusive), the smallest with a total floor area of 82 sq m—including the balcony—comes with one appurtenant parking slot for the buyer. “Basically, that size for other developers is already a two-bedroom or three-bedroom unit. So we’re very generous with space. That’s what makes the East Tower a low-density residential project. Given that we only have at least 10 units of that [1-bedroom] per floor, expect a few neighbors per story that indeed makes it a bit quiet,” Aldaya said. For starting families, on the other hand, a two-bedroom unit suffices their housing need. Approximately, the smallest one has 118-sq-m floor area. And that includes a spacious balcony, and one or two appurtenant parking slots depending on the size. A dual-bedroom unit costs about P14,327,000 (without VAT). “Again, it goes the same with all the other units—they’re bigger than the average, which will cater to the family’s needs,” he explained. “The kids can have enough space to have their own area for room. Even the dining and living areas are big enough to entertain guests.” With big families in mind, the smallest three-bedroom unit is roomy with a 231-sq-m floor area, including the balcony. For a price of P30,398,000, this type of a unit entitles the owner to three appurtenant parking slots. “A 231-sq-m floor area is something like you have a house already in a subdivision. So if you’re really used to the big space—let’s say, you have a big house in Dasmariñas Village and you want to move to a condo—this is your place. Although it’s a bit smaller than in Dasma because it’s a condo, still you won’t have a big adjustment in terms of spacing,” stressed Aldaya. The penthouses or Sky units housed in the upper stories fetch about P33 million. What makes it extra special is that it has its own pool and a garden. As big as 417 sq m, a penthouse costs P54,681,000. Because the future residents of the East Tower deserve nothing but comfort and luxury, each unit boasts of many high-end features such as closets for bedrooms and walk-in closet in the master bedroom; a kitchen system inclusive of range hood, mixers, sink and cabinets; provision for two telephone lines, intercom system, CATV system; provision for storage-type water-heating system; incorporated refrigerant piping and cladding for split-type air-conditioning units (buyer-installed); utility area with washer/spin dyer drainage stub-outs and maid’s quarters with toilet and bath for two- and three-bedroom units; individual metering for water, electricity and gas; and garbage chute on each floor. Sporting superior finishes and fixtures, expect elegance in the interiors with engineered oak plank flooring in all bedrooms, and all living and dining areas of one- and two-bedroom units; homogenous tiles in bathrooms and kitchen floors of one-, two-, and three-bedroom units; stone flooring in foyer, living and dining areas of three-bedroom unit; granite countertops in one- and two-bedroom kitchens and bathrooms; Corian countertops in three-bedroom kitchens (or equivalent); and Kohler and Grohe toilet and bath fixtures (or equivalent). Features and amenities PROMISING an interactive, secured and sustainable community, the East Tower at One Serendra provides top-rate building features, including three basements for parking spaces; fully automatic sprinkler and smoke-detector system; visual/audible fire-alarm system for residential units; water reservoir and separate fire reserves; administration office and mail room; centralized sanitary disposal system; four large-capacity, high-speed elevators; and 24-hour security and building maintenance. Chilling out at the East Tower is easy with the elevated 25-meter lap pool, overflowing into the main pool with private pool nooks. Meanwhile, there are dedicated kids’ pool and outdoor play areas for children, a gym with well-appointed cardio area, weight-training area and yoga/Pilates room, and, of course, the lush tropical landscaping with shaded pocket gardens to allow communing with nature. It also has basketball and badminton courts, as well as an in-house spa. The developers also took into account residents who may have special needs. Hallways and doorways can accommodate wheelchairs, and they made sure wheelchair-bound people can reach switches. Based on building code requirements, the One Serendra towers provide a 1.3-meter-wide entrance door and 0.85-meter-wide bedroom doors (except maid’s) in the residential units. There are also standard access ramps to the elevators from parking, and transitions between different areas such as the stairs and garden area, among others. As in earlier phases of One Serendra, certain types of pets are also allowed but still subject to restrictions that will be set in the house rules of the condominium corporation. “For those who are looking for that real sense of escape and the simple joy of suburban home living while still affording the dynamism of city life, the East Tower at One Serendra is the right place for them to dwell on. All our units are perfect for individual owners, retirees and families. These not only meet their housing needs, but also serve as good investments for them to lease or resell, with guaranteed value appreciation in time progression,” said Aldaya. “So we encourage them to avail themselves of our remaining 35 units with our pretty flexible payment terms. They can even take advantage of our promo this March, wherein they pay the initial P50,000 reservation deposit, then the 20-percent down payment after 30 days, the 10 percent payable in 12 months, and the 70-percent lump sum at the end.” Turnover of the units will be carried out in tranches based on their floor areas. For the units on the second to 12th floor, handover will commence on June 2012; from 14th to 23rd floor, September 2012; and from 24th to 41st floor, January 2013.