Future Date #8: The Collective, Malugay Street, Makati City

Earlier this morning, together with one of my most favorite people in this world, my friends from Maven Secrets, Anton introduced us to a super exciting and new Future date place for LDR couples like Dodong and myself in The Collective in Malugay Street, Makati. (Well, at least, I think it's a place I'd like to explore with him very soon. Hehehe.)

When I actually received the advise on the change in the venue last night, I was like HUH??? What is The Collective in Malugay Street??? All I knew that it was a place in Makati famous for the car shops and infamous for the floods during the rainy. Little did I know that I was in for a real pleasant surprise…

Behind the unassuming steel gates is a haven for those who are just real tired of the usual bling bling and pizzaz of mainstream retail stores in the malls. The Collective is literally a collection of shops within a formerly musty and stinky warehouse compound. One of the forces behind the movement and co-owner of The Outerspace Gallery, Dustin Reyes, describes The Collective as "an honest space". In my opinion, it is where there are real people and stories behind the shops.

The Collective is pretty much a work-in-progress with only 3-4 establishments operational: The Outerspace Gallery (where we had our lecture and had no art on display…sadness),

Hocus New Old Bike Shop and Screen Printing,

Sundae (vintage clothing store – closed when we dropped by),  and B-Side Bar (closed because we were there in the morning. duh.).

But there are definitely a whole lot of other stuff to look forward to at The Collective such as Wabi-Sabi Noodle House and Vegetarian Grocery

and The Ritual (which I wasn't able to take a picture of…Boo.), a local organic grocery store with super within budget prices (a very thoughtful business that makes organic produce more accessible to NOT YET uber rich people like myself), led by Rob Crisostomo and girlfriend Bea Misa.

I'd compare The Collective with our long distance relationship, or perhaps any relationship for that matter, which is always a work in progress. Thus making it all the more exciting because you always have something great to look forward to Wouldn't you agree?

So watch out for the full launch of The Collective real soon. I know that the supposed launch this evening got cancelled. But I am pretty sure it was all for the best Looking forward to sharing another The Collective experience when Dodong comes home next time

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay

P.S. Sorry for the grainy shots. My camera is still in the dumps, so I had to make do with my phone's camera. Ok pa din ba naman yung pics? O hindi?

Love the distance,

Inday I. Nagintay