Ermita, Manila

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Ermita

City	Manila
Population (2000)	5,969
– Density	per km²
Area	km²
– Barangays	13
– Cong. Districts	5th District

Ermita is a district of Manila, Philippines located halfway between Intramuros (the old walled city) and Malate. It was known before as the city's red-light district that has gained fame and notoriety among locals and foreigners alike. This has all changed when a number of nightspots were closed down by then mayor Alfredo Lim who has deemed these places as "immoral". Nightlife in the area has since dwindled though it has picked up lately with the help of the emergence of the nearby Malate district and the Roxas Blvd. Baywalk area in the nightlife scene.

Other than the night life, there are a number of coin shops and antique shops, as well as some artists who remained in the area, such as National Artist F. Sionil Jose who maintains a modest bookstore on the area. Other attractions include Manila City Hall, the Supreme Court, the United States Embassy, Rizal Park (the only widest open urban based public park in the country), the Quirino Grandstand, the Philippine Postal Office building, the old government circle as envisioned during the American era by architect and urban planner Daniel Burnham with buildings like the Department of Tourism and the National Museum of the Filipino people and several universities and hospitals, including Philippine General Hospital and the University of the Philippines, Adamson University, Santa Isabel College, the Philippine Normal University, the Technological Institute of the Philippines, Universidad de Manila (formerly the City COllege of Manila) and Manila Science High School, the city's premiere specialized science and technology oriented curricula for secondary education. The students have turned Robinson's Mall into a bustling shopping center and rendezvous with several other coffee shops and outdoor-type cafes.