Hey, Happy New Year!
Like I have been away from this blog for some time, I have also been away from Cebu about the same period of time. And oh my, today was the first time I learned and saw, that Cebu's version of "Galleria" is already up! So I went there to see what's inside hehe!
Yes, this was New Year's day 2016 and I was on a cab to the Metropolitan Cathedral when we happened to have passed by the edifice. Not that I did not know there was something Robinsons sprouting at this location, as I have passed by this area many times before, while it was still being constructed - probably late 2012 or early 2013, construction was well in progress.
Alright, I asked a guard as to when this mall opened, and the hesitant reply was... "about a year ago"! Oh my my, I have been away that long from my dear Sugbo haha. So all the more that I feel happy to have spent the holidays here. For tomorrow I go back to "field" again... haaay hoo hummmm...
What can I say? Well, as usual, when its is a Robinsons or an SM, wherever that maybe in the country, it shall be huge! So, this one is! At least not something like SM MOA or SM Seaside where I get tired roaming even just half of it. On this one... 'carry lang' as my dear Keri would say hehe.
But I think this one is bigger than the original 'Gale' (Robinsons Galleria Mall at Ortigas) that I have been used to, at least in terms of shopping area/s! I'm guessing here hehe! Shops are also sprawled at 4 levels of the building, but there are no tall extensions (yet) like you would see Holiday Inn and Crowne Plaza. I did notice at the smoking area (outside), there were some dudes smoking with me who all had their IDs on neck straps the way many call center agents do. Therefore, I am guessing again, there must be some kind of a BPO or something at that eastern end of the building that I think is a floor taller than the mall area.
The supermarket at ground level has some kind of a 'Rustan;s feel' while the food court at 4th level has way too few tables (and eateries). At least it does not look like a hawkers' place! But there are the good restaurants and fastfoods on evely floor level. Hey, I ate at a nice Jap restaurant at some kind of a foodie row called "Verandah"! I guess it was on level 2, since I remember I took an escalator going up there from the fountain area. Anyway...
This 'Galleria' has more spacious concourses and open spaces surrounded by the shops. Nice one for photo-ops and selfies! These spaces are not boringly linear and are very nicely designed. And the biggest plus of them all... probably because it is still new... is: it is not as crowded as Ayala Center Cebu nor SM City Cebu. I can still loiter around this mall with my sanity intact!
Okay, I shall return ;)
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