The Apartment Ridge in Makati City remains one of the most enduring addresses in Philippine real estate.
Situated along Ayala Avenue, these mid-century towers continue to carry weight in the market decades after their rise. This particular block represents a living chapter of Manila’s urban history, a rare case where heritage and location preserve value long after architectural styles have shifted.
The rise of millionaires’ row
When the Ayala Group unveiled Makati’s masterplan in the postwar years, the country’s economic power steadily shifted from Manila to the new business district. The Apartment Ridge was designed to capture the growing demand for luxury vertical living among foreign executives, business leaders, and wealthy families who needed to live close to the emerging corporate core.
By the 1960s and 1970s, several of the city’s most prominent residential towers lined the Apartment Ridge. These buildings provided a residence and a marker of social standing.
With Forbes Park and Dasmariñas Village on one side and Ayala Avenue on the other, the Apartment Ridge enjoyed proximity to elite enclaves and the country’s top commercial addresses. The concentration of affluence and power earned it the label of Makati’s “millionaire’s row.”