Love at first sight of Arista Place

 While it is usually easy to find homes that are centrally located near schools, malls and other places of interest, what is now becoming a major cause of concern in residential developments is the quality of the homes and the kind of communities they breed.

Homebuyers may have contrasting views on this one but for husband and wife team of sports educators Florence and Henry Subido, aside from the quality of housing structure, an important feature to consider when choosing that ideal family home is the kind of neighbourhood that evolve from such developments -- one that is vibrant and allows its residents to keep an active lifestyle.

Having lived all their life at a rented place in a quaint little neighbourhood with rolling terrains in Quezon City, the couple is now all smiles after discovering their dream home inside Arista Place, DMCI Homes’ newest 11-building development in Parañaque. 

“Aside from quality of the structures, our consideration in choosing a home is one that offers an ideal community to raise our children,” says Florence, whose husband Henry works as an Instructional Sports Coordinator for Lourdes School of Mandaluyong.

“The Arista Place is not only a home but a lifestyle,” adds Henry.  “When we first came here last May (2014), I immediately fell in love with the place because there’s a fitness gym, basketball court, two swimming pools and vast open spaces with lounges, garden trails and palm promenades. I thought it was perfect for my family because everything we need to keep fit and be able to bond as a family is already here.”

The couple admits that ever since they moved in at Arista Place, they seldom go out anymore. They enjoy family bonding moments right inside the development.

“The malls are usually crowded anyway,” explains Florence, “and our kids all love Arista Place since it offers all the amenities they need for their sports activities. My eldest son, Renzo, loves to play basketball with his coach/trainer dad and is now actually a member of the varsity team of UST Growling Tigers in college. My daughter, meanwhile, loves to swim and enjoys taking a dip at leisure pools inside Arista Place.”

Florence shares that whenever she posts pictures of their family bonding moments on Facebook, the usual reaction they get from people is “where is that place?” She would readily answer them that the photos were taken just right inside their humble abode.

Sitting on a 4.8-hectare property along J.P. Rizal Street in Barangay Sto. Niño, DMCI Homes was able to allot a much bigger space for outdoor amenities at  Arista Place. Its clubhouse is also made bigger than other similar facilities that can be found in other DMCI Homes communities. With a gross floor area of 1,800 square meters, the clubhouse has a game area, audio-visual room, function room, fitness gym, lounge, indoor badminton court, water station and convenience store as well as the Property Management Office.

Arista Place is actually not the first choice for a home of the Subido family. Before it, the couple also had to check out a number of other residential developments. But when they saw Arista Place in Paranaque, they knew right then and there that this was the place.

“In 2014, after we were forced to vacate our rented place in New Manila because it has been attacked by termites, we planned about getting our own house already. I consulted my brother who works as an urban planner in another real estate firm. To my surprise, he advised me to check out any of the residential projects being developed by DMCI Homes,” Florence shared. “It came as a surprise because I thought he would refer us to one of the developments being constructed by his company, but he told us that DMCI Homes offers better quality in terms of structure. And unlike in other developments, unit ownership is also for life and not just for a certain period of time.”

Last April, in line with the community development activities of DMCI Homes and in keeping with the active lifestyle approach that Arista Place offers, the Subido couple volunteered to conduct a basketball camp for young residents. Dubbed the “2015 Arista Place Basketball Camp,” the event gave children as young as 6 years old and teens aged 16 years old above an opportunity to learn basic basketball skills like dribbling and shooting from renowned basketball coaches led by Mr. Henry Subido himself. 

Aside from providing a relaxing and active lifestyle, the Arista Place is also a haven of comfort and convenience for its residents. “The 70.5 sqm, 2-bedroom unit we bought is very spacious. During summer, even if it’s hot, there is not much need for us to turn on the aircon since the flow of air inside the units is already very breezy. Our unit also comes with a balcony so we get to enjoy extra space. But what I like the most about our home is the design of the units, which is very much like a townhouse,” ends Florence.