Quezon City's main green space, Quezon Memorial Circle, centres on a 66-metre obelisk marking the tomb of President Manuel Quezon. The surrounding park is one of the most pleasant public spaces in Metro Manila — cycling paths, a small zoo, food stalls, and space enough to breathe. UP Diliman, a few kilometres away, is the other great public space: a sprawling mid-century campus of wide lawns, the iconic Oblation statue, and some of the best modernist architecture in the Philippines.
The arts and culture scene is concentrated in two neighbourhoods: Cubao Expo, a converted shoe market turned arts strip with galleries and live music, and the Maginhawa area in Teachers Village. The Vargas Museum on the UP campus holds the finest collection of Philippine modern art in the country and is free.