Bonifacio Global City — universally called BGC or The Fort — sits just north of Makati on land that was formerly Fort Bonifacio, a US and then Philippine military base. Developed from scratch over the past two decades, it is the most meticulously planned urban district in the Philippines: wide pavements, public art installations, mid-rise residential towers, corporate headquarters, and a large park at its centre. The contrast with older Metro Manila is striking.
The High Street commercial strip is BGC's main gathering place — an outdoor walkway lined with restaurants, shops, and bars that stays busy into the late evening. Bonifacio High Street Central and the adjoining Uptown Mall and SM Aura are the main retail centres. Mind Museum, a hands-on science museum aimed at families, is one of the better attractions in the district. Mercato Centrale, the original night market that spawned many imitators across Manila, operates on weekends.
BGC is not technically part of Makati — it falls in Taguig — but it is a 10-minute drive away and functions as an extension of the same urban ecosystem. Many visitors use the two interchangeably, and the restaurant and nightlife scene in BGC rivals anything in Makati proper. A Grab between the two costs very little and takes no time outside rush hours.