Quezon City is the largest city in Metro Manila by area and population, sprawling across the northern half of the Philippine capital region. Named after Manuel Quezon, the second president of the Philippines, it served as the national capital from 1948 to 1976 and still houses the Batasang Pambansa, the country's legislature.
The city lacks the colonial-era streetscapes of Intramuros or the waterfront glitz of the Bay area, but it has its own character. Cubao is the commercial heart, anchored by the Araneta City complex and the more interesting Cubao Expo, a former shoe market turned arts and nightlife strip with galleries, vintage shops and live-music bars. Maginhawa Street in the Teachers Village neighbourhood is the city's unofficial food district, lined with independent restaurants and cafes where you can eat well for very little.
Quezon Memorial Circle, a large park surrounding the monument to the city's namesake, is where families gather on weekends. La Mesa Eco Park and the sprawling Ninoy Aquino Parks and Wildlife Center offer green space and a break from the traffic. The University of the Philippines Diliman campus, with its wide lawns and the Oblation statue, is worth a visit for its mid-century architecture and the Vargas Museum.
Getting around is straightforward if you stick to the LRT Line 1 and MRT Line 3, which connect Quezon City to the rest of Metro Manila. Jeepneys and tricycles fill in the gaps, though traffic can be brutal during rush hours.