Tuesday, June 21, 2005

Bookstore: Datelines

Inside the u-shaped shoe district of Cubao, also known as Shoe Expo, lies a bookstore. Chanced upon the bookstore last week when I was walking home with a friend. Now Shoe Expo has seen better days. I used to remember buying shoes from the Otto stores there. There are still shoe stores there but I do not know if they are making money. Some of the stores, those located in the horizontal part of the u are gone.

shoeexpo
Shoe Expo

In its place is Bellini's Italian Restaurant. An authentic Italian restaurant that serves, according to its patrons, one of the best osso buco in Metro Manila. Me I like the pasta and the place is not very pricey. It has its own home-grown charm. Bellinis has been there for years and I did not really notice the two other stores till I passed by last week.

bllni
Bellinis

The store immediately next to Bellini's is a funky pop art antique shop called Vinatge Pop. Old chairs from the sixties. Old SLR cameras that are probably alien to most people using digital cameras. I also spoted old projectors, along with other assorted memorabilia and keepsakes from the past. Interesting shop if you the cash. Although I wonder if one probably cleaned out the old bodega in the house one might find older things than those in the shop.

Store
Vintage Pop

Next to the pop-antique shop is the bookshop named Dateline. The shop seems to have a lot of hard to find art, socio-political and speculative fiction books. Plus some hard to find Filipiniana. A lot of Che Guevarra books and some comics. Today, I passed by it again to check their collection. Unfortunately it was closed, my fault actually I passed the area around noon and you know what they "Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen come out in the midday sun" and I am not an Englishman. Still will visit again this week just to check it out.

dtelne
Datelines

Come to think of it there are a lot bookstores in Cubao today. Let me enumerate:

National Bookstore: The Super Branch, Farmers Plaza Branch and the Ali Mall Branch
Fully Booked at Gateway
A Different Bookstore at Shopwise
Book Sale at Shopwise, Ali Mall and the old Rustan
The Book section at Shopwise
Lex or something bookstore
St Paul at Gateway
Tanging Yaman Bookstore
Humor Post
Goodwill Bookstore at Gateway
Datelines

Fifteen in total, not including the magazine stores.

2 Comments:

Blogger Zarah C. Gagatiga said...

so it seems like cubao may well become a reader's/bibliophile's haven :-)

2:13 PM  
Blogger juned said...

At least if it does happen or end up a reader's haven at least it is easily reached by mass transport - train and jeepneys :)

9:08 AM  

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