Escolta was dubbed the “Queen of Streets” during the American occupation (around mid 1940s). Commerce was bustling and the architecture were modern, even featuring the first elevator-operated buildings.

The grandeur is a far memory as most buildings in Escolta now are abandoned and, while still standing, are falling apart. The street, whose name translates to “to escort” in Spanish was formally established in 1594 serving as the commercial district of the city during the Spanish occupation due to its proximity to other commercial districts and the popular Galleon Trade.

Escolta shares the same location as Binondo, the world’s oldest Chinatown, and runs along the Pasig River. In our recent trip, we took respite from the midday heat at the Grand Cafe 1919, the former Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporayion Building, which operated since 1919.

Grand Cafe 1919

According to the signage, the building was inaguarated in 1922 and was designed by Architect G.H. Hayward and built by contractor Oscar F. Campbell. The five-storey building is of neoclassical revival style and the ground floor ceilings are 23 feet high.

It’s now a cafe and fine dining restaurant although when we visited it didn’t feel stuffy nor snob at all. The interiors reminded me of the interiors of some of the restaurants I’ve been to in New York — dark, made of wood, and had dim lights.

Sources:

Developing Cultural Governance Towards A Sustainable Heritage Management: The Case Of The Bopiliao Historic Block, Taipei, Taiwan And The Escolta District, Manila, Philippines. Geoffrey Rhoel C. Cruz. https://namibian-studies.com/index.php/JNS/article/view/3390

The Cultural Heritage-Oriented Approach to Economic Development in the Philippines: A Comparative Study of Vigan, Ilocos Sur and Escolta, Manila. Geoffrey Rhoel Cruz. https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Geoffrey-Cruz-2/publication/334288452_Arts_and_Culture_Heritage_Practices_and_Futures/links/5d229f2e299bf1547ca1b1c0/Arts-and-Culture-Heritage-Practices-and-Futures.pdf