Ayala Avenue

Infobox road
marker_

highway_name=Ayala Avenue
alternate_name=
length_km=1.9
length_round=1
direction=South/North
starting_terminus=Epifanio de los Santos Avenue in Barangay San Lorenzo
ending_terminus=Metropolitan Avenue in Barangay San Antonio
junction=Senator Gil Puyat Avenue in Barangays BelAir, San Lorenzo, and San Antonio
Salcedo Street in Barangays San Lorenzo and BelAir
V.A. Rufino Street in Barangays San Lorenzo and BelAir
Paseo de Roxas in Barangays BelAir and San Lorenzo
Makati Avenue in Barangays San Lorenzo, Urdaneta, and BelAir
and EDSA in Barangay San Lorenzo
cities=Makati City

Ayala Avenue is an avenue in Makati City in the Philippines. It is one of the busiest thoroughfares in Metro Manila, crossing through the heart of Makati's central business district. Because of the many businesses located on the avenue, Ayala Avenue is aptly nicknamed the "Wall Street of the Philippines". It is from Epifanio de los Santos Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue.

History

The part of the avenue, from Paseo de Roxas to Makati Avenue (near of it), was a runway of the Nielson Airport, the Luzon's first airport. The airport was in blaze on December 10, 1941 when Japanese attacked it. Paseo de Roxas (Ayala Avenue to Makati Avenue) was also a runway of the airport. The Nielsen Airport resumed operations in 1947. It was converted as a road in 1949 together with Paseo de Roxas (Ayala Avenue to Makati Avenue) when the permanent facilities of the airport was passed on the owner of the land, Ayala y Cia. The runways' missing part to the main road (now Makati Avenue) was added and demolished the wall. It is extended in 1950s from Paseo de Roxas to Buendia Avenue. In 1960s, it is extended from Buendia Avenue to Kamagong Street. In the late part of 1990s, it was extended from Kamagong Street until the tip part of South Avenue (which is from J.P. Rizal Avenue to Metropolitan Avenue) at Metropolitan Avenue. The last extension is a one way those who are from EDSA. The EDSA-Makati Avenue Part was a part of McKinley Avenue before the Nielson Airport got burned by the Japanese soldiers. When the MRT was established, its flyover was added for left turners to EDSA going to Monumento at the lane going to EDSA.

Landmarks

Ayala Center

Ayala Center, which comprises eight distinct shopping centers, is partially located on Ayala Avenue, specifically the Glorietta complex, Greenbelt mall, and the 6750 building, as well as the Shangri-La Makati hotel. It is one of the largest and most famous malls in the Philippines.

Ayala Triangle

The Ayala Triangle is a sub-district of the Makati central business district, comprising of the parcel of land between Ayala Avenue, Makati Avenue and Paseo de Roxas, as well as the buildings on those streets. Many multinational companies, banks and other major businesses make their home on the triangle, noted by the many skyscrapers bounding the Triangle. Many exclusive and/or expensive stores make their home there. Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas also house the distinction of being the runways of the former Nielson Field, Metro Manila's main airport in the 1930s.

PBCOM Tower

PBCOM Tower, the tallest building in the Philippines, is located at Ayala Avenue (corner V.A. Rufino Street). It serves as the headquarters of two Philippine banks, the Philippine Bank of Communications, of which the building's name owes it to, and East West Bank.

The Philippine Stock Exchange

One of the trading floors of the Philippine Stock Exchange is located on Ayala Avenue's Ayala Tower One, as well as the old building of the Makati Stock Exchange. Near the building is also the most famous statue of assassinated politician Benigno Aquino, Jr., located at the corner of Ayala Avenue and Paseo de Roxas.

Makati buildings

* Makati City Police Station
* Makati City Fire Station (corner Yakal Street; Brgy. San Antonio)
* Makati City Post Office

Other famous buildings

Ayala Avenue is home to many other landmark buildings, of which some are in turn home to some of the biggest names in Philippine business. Some of these famous buildings include the following:

*Allied Bank Center (headquarters of Allied Bank)
*Ayala Tower One (headquarters of the Ayala Corporation and home to the Philippine Stock Exchange's Makati trading floor)
*Bank of the Philippine Islands headquarters
*Convergys Philippines Services Center
*G.T. International Tower (new headquarters of Metrobank)
*Insular Life Building (old headquarters of Insular Life)
*The Peninsula Manila Hotel
*PeopleSupport Center
*PLDT Tower (headquarters of the Philippine Long Distance Telephone Company)
*RCBC Plaza (headquarters of the Rizal Commercial Banking Corporation)
*SSS Makati Building (headquarters of Union Bank of the Philippines)
*Rufino Plaza (headquarters of the Rufino Family)

Other structures

* The monument of Gabriela Silang

References