Ermita & Malate lie along Manila Bay, the most scenic among Manila's CBD's. The two districts were originally the government center-cum-elitist residential zone of American Manila, but when their well-healed residents transferred to the more "elitist" Makati area, they degenerated into the erstwhile "red-light' district of the city. The notorious clubs were eventually dispersed but the area still function as the "tourist belt" zone catering to visitors who search for relatively more modest accommodation. Their evolution is looking up again, though: they may not have the hyped pedigree of newer CBD's like Makati and Fort Bonifacio but more and more people are realizing they really trump other districts by the scenery alone. With the development of the nearby billion-dollar casinos and really gigantic malls, they may just recover lost glories.
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| Seaside Roxas Boulevard |
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| The old Spanish fort of Intramuros & the central Luneta (or Rizal Park) separate Malate-Ermita from the older parts of the city across the river |
