Divisoria is really manila's biggest wetmarket by night and open street market by day, roughly framed by abad santos avenue and reina regente on the east, tutuban commercial complex on the northside, the recto avenue stretch from asuncion streets all the way to tutuban on its west side and the back streets of asuncion all the way to san nicolas street on the south. In between these streets and major roads of binondo are numerous commercial establishments, big malls, street markets and residential buildings. this is also home to many of our tsinoy businessmen who live and do business in the area. imagine it to be like a messier and disorganized version of causeway bay or mongkok in hong kong.
its easy to get lost here if you dont have a local guide. Stick with the malls in the area if time and security are concerns.
Make sure you know what youre looking for. For textiles and wedding and evening gowns, the best buys are found in the inner stalls or "pasillios" between the streets of tabora and ilaya.
You will always be quoted a higher price if you look like a tourist. You can bring down the price just make sure you are really interested in buying it or you might find yourself caught in some heated verbal exchanges hehe.
People are often surprised by this posh mall, the Lucky Chinatown Mall. It seems misplaced in this part of town where less than 50 meters away is the chaos of divisoria's street vending culture. At LCT mall you can find the usual high end brands and they also have a good selection of local chinese restaurants. On weekends, they have an outdoor streetfood event, and its popular with the locals. There are available transport services between this mall and the other megaworld establishments throughout the city. Check the information counter of LCT for schedules.
The new divisoria mall recently opened replacing the old one which was gutted by fire years ago. It now has a modern facade, much wider shopping space and its famous food court which offers more variety from authentic homemade chinese cooking to popular fast food names like jollibee and mang inasal and many food kiosks selling pastries, pork buns, shawarma etc.
the public market or the divisoria mall indoor wet market is back at the lower ground floor or the basement where shoppers can buy vegetables, meats, fresh fish etc. It also where small stalls sell native crafts,plastics, toys etc. There is now a transport terminal that may bring you to other parts of the city and the airport.
when you venture out into the street markets, be discreet and keep all your jewelries, wallets and gadgets in a safe enclosed pocket, bag, or leave it at home. private vehicle is a better option when reaching the place, especially if you plan to do some heavy shopping. leave before 5pm to avoid road congestions in the area. trust umay expert, it can get pretty bad!
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