Greenbelt is the centrepiece of the Ayala Center — a series of five interconnected mall buildings arranged around a landscaped open-air park that manages the unlikely trick of making a shopping mall feel genuinely pleasant to spend time in. Unlike the sealed, artificially lit interiors of most Philippine malls, Greenbelt's walkways are partly outdoors, shaded by mature trees, and separated from traffic. In the evenings the park fills with office workers, couples, and groups heading to dinner or a film.
The complex covers a wide range of price points. Greenbelt 1 and 2 are more affordable, with mainstream Filipino and fast-food chains alongside a large supermarket. Greenbelt 3 through 5 move upmarket, with international luxury brands, mid-to-high-end restaurants, and Makati's most reliably good multiplex cinema. The Ayala Museum sits at the edge of Greenbelt 4. Glorietta and Landmark, connected by covered walkway, extend the complex further north.
The park itself, the Ayala Triangle Gardens, has a small fountain and ampitheatre space that hosts occasional concerts and the popular lights-and-sounds show in the lead-up to Christmas. Even if shopping is not your priority, walking through the complex in the evening — stopping for dinner at one of the many restaurants with terrace seating looking onto the park — is one of the more agreeable ways to spend time in Makati.