Cubao Expo (or Cubao X) is the most interesting nightlife and arts district in Metro Manila — a former shoe market on General Romulo Avenue that was gradually colonised by independent bars, galleries, record shops, and vintage clothing stores. The resulting strip has a scruffy, creative energy that is completely at odds with the polished malls nearby.
The bars here host live music most nights — original bands, not cover acts. The vintage shops are genuinely good, with Filipino record collectors treating the place as a weekly pilgrimage. The galleries rotate regularly and lean toward younger, experimental artists. It is the closest thing Quezon City has to a bohemian quarter, and it is the better for being lived-in rather than designed.
Come at night, especially on weekends, when the outdoor tables fill up and the music spills onto the street. The area is walkable once you are there, though getting in and out by jeepney can test your patience.