Most Americans researching a move to the Philippines ask the same questions.

What does it cost to live here. What are the hospitals like. What is the visa situation.

Almost nobody asks about the nightlife.

Which is exactly why it catches every single one of them off guard when they arrive.

BGC was master planned from scratch and nowhere is that more obvious than at night.

Wide well-lit streets lined with cocktail bars, wine lounges, izakayas, rooftop terraces, and clubs that draw a young professional crowd that looks and feels indistinguishable from a premium evening in any major world city.

LIT Manila in Serendra is a Japanese whisky bar hidden behind an unassuming black door — rare sake and shochu served in wafer-thin glasses with ice cut from charcoal-filtered water. The Iron Fairies is a fantasy-inspired cocktail bar with over 10,000 suspended butterflies and live music every week. Forbes Town Road offers tree-lined streets with boutique wine bars and restaurant terraces that feel nothing like the commercial strip of High Street. Uptown BGC adds a tropical pool club feel with mini-bars, food stalls, and an energy that makes you forget you are in the middle of a financial district.

The flagship venues — Black Market, Revel at the Palace, and The Palace complex — are large well-produced clubs with international DJ bookings and production values that rival anything in Miami or LA.

A full night in BGC clubs costs roughly $50 to $83 per person. A craft cocktail runs $6 to $10. In New York cocktails average $19. In Miami they average $22. In BGC the same quality night costs one third of what it costs in any American coastal city.

Five minutes from BGC by Grab sits Poblacion — the most underrated bar district in Southeast Asia.

Over 70 venues within a few blocks. No entry fees at almost all bars. Craft cocktails from $3.70. A full four-hour evening with drinks across three bars and a Grab home runs $13 to $25 per person.

Poblacion grew organically from a residential neighborhood into one of Manila's most vibrant entertainment districts. Speakeasies. Rooftop bars with city views. Live music venues. Craft cocktail dens staffed by bartenders who trained internationally and charge $4 for the result.

Most American expats in BGC rotate between BGC for polished upscale nights, Poblacion for bar-hopping, and Makati CBD for rooftops and after-work lounges. Three completely different atmospheres within a five-minute Grab of each other.

At the top of BGC's social infrastructure sits Manila House — the most exclusive private members club in the Philippines.

Invitation only. Located on the 8th floor of Seven NEO Building on 5th Avenue in BGC. A reciprocal club with the British Club of Singapore. A membership that draws Manila's most connected business people, creatives, and premium expats.

Inside — a dining room, cocktail bar, and private function rooms where business gets done over drinks in an environment that rivals anything in Asia. Walter dines here regularly. Our team brings VIP clients here for introductory meetings.

This is not what most Americans picture when they think about Southeast Asia.

A premium night out — nice bar, craft cocktails, dinner, transportation home.

New York: Cocktails at $19 to $22 each. Dinner at $80 to $120 per person. Club cover $20 to $50. Uber home $30 to $50. Total — $180 to $250 minimum.

BGC: Craft cocktails at $6 to $10 each. Dinner at $15 to $30. Club entry $9 to $27. Grab home $2 to $5. Total — $50 to $80 maximum.

Same quality. Same energy. Same level of venue. One third of the cost.

Walter had more social engagement in one year in Manila than in seven years in Hawaii. Todd arrived in BGC and went out the first week to places he described as better than anything he had access to in Washington. Craig entertains at his country club and hosts dinners in BGC every week.

The nightlife is not a side benefit of living here. It is one of the reasons the city works so well as a premium home base.

Most American cities make you pay a premium to feel alive after dark. BGC and Makati charge you almost nothing for the same feeling.

Click here to start your move to the Philippines the right way.

Travel Well,
Evan Lorezca
The Savvy Expat