Balete Drive

Balete Drive
<span class="nickname" ">Calle Balete

Balete Drive looking south towards Bougainvilla Street, New Manila, Quezon City
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Length 1.3 km (0.8 mi)1,300 m (4,300 ft)
Location New Manila, Quezon City
Coordinates 14°37′13.2″N 121°2′15″E / 14.620333°N 121.03750°E / 14.620333; 121.03750Coordinates: 14°37′13.2″N 121°2′15″E / 14.620333°N 121.03750°E / 14.620333; 121.03750
North end Dead end, 160 metres (520 ft) north of Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue
Major
junctions		 Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue
Aurora Boulevard
South end Nicanor Domingo Street
Other
Known for Alleged haunted street

Balete Drive is a two-lane undivided street and main thoroughfare in the New Manila District, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines. The road is an undivided carriageway, that is, a road without median. The road is a major route of jeepneys and cabs, serving the New Manila area, connecting Eulogio Rodriguez Sr. Avenue and Nicanor Domingo Streets in Quezon City.

The road is famous for the antique and century old Spanish houses and Balete Trees that line the road. The road is also notable for the haunting legends that it had.

Route description

Balete Drive looking south towards Aurora Boulevard.

Balete Drive connects the long span between Eulogio Rodriguez Sr. Avenue and Nicanor Domingo Street in New Manila, Quezon City. The Balete Drive corner at E. Rodriguez is a bustling business area mushroomed with fast foods and other establishments.

This north end of the Balete Drive starts at a dead end next to the Diliman Creek, 160 metres (520 ft) north of Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. Avenue[1] Running in the NNE to SSE direction, it ends in a T-junction with the Nicanor Domingo Street near the San Juan Reservoir for a total length of 1.3 kilometres (0.81 mi).[2] One of its major intersection is with the Aurora Boulevard, a major road which leads to Cubao, a major commercial district in Quezon City. The LRT-2 Betty Go-Belmonte station is located 330 metres (1,080 ft) east of this junction.[3]

History

Balete Drive was named after a gargantuan balete tree that used to stand in the middle of the road. The road, although the exact construction date is unknown, had been cemented and asphalted and became a main thoroughfare during the regime of President Ferdinand Marcos in the early 1970s. There are several Spanish houses in the area, including the famous 200-year-old "Centennial House", which supports the claim that Balete Drive has been in use since the late Spanish era towards the end of the 19th century.[4]

Haunting legend

The street is reported to be haunted with tales circulating since the 1950s.[4] Most of the reports describes a White Lady, a popular entity in the Philippine folklore. The reports commonly came from taxi drivers.[5] The "white lady" is said to be the ghost a teenage girl that died in a car accident in the area many years ago.[5][6] The tale is believed to be a hoax of a newspaper reporter.[6]

Zoning laws

The segment of the Balete Drive from Aurora Boulevard to Eulogio Rodriguez, Sr. Ave has been zoned by the Bureau of Internal Revenue for regular residential and commercial purposes.[7]

Landmarks

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Kamuning Road". Google Maps. Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
  2. ↑ "Balete Drive". Google Maps. Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Balete Drive". Google Maps. Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
  4. 1 2 Philippines Insider. "Myths Surrounding Balete Drive". Philippines Insider. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Yap, Dj (Nov 1, 2005). "Balete may be official "haunted" site". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 18 April 2012. Check date values in: |year= / |date= mismatch (help)
  6. 1 2 Dianne De Las Casas; Zarah C. Gagatiga (30 September 2011). Tales from the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories. ABC-CLIO. pp. 119–. ISBN 978-1-59884-698-0. Retrieved 18 April 2012.
  7. ↑ "Zonal Values – RDO No. 39-South Quezon City – Barangay Mariana". Bureau of Internal Revenue (Philippines). Retrieved on April 18, 2012.
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