The Magic of Place: Players in the Nakpil Revival

Abstract

This chapter looks at the gay history of Malate, how urban gay spaces emerged among the district’s sex strip, and what gay urban history contributes to contemporary manifestations of urban magic. The chapter continues the story of the Malate Renaissance as it shifts to Nakpil Street, focusing on how place-making changes under the direction of a key gay cafe owner, David, and a community development activist, Angie. They create notions of urban magic through their facilitation of a spontaneous street culture that encouraged the mixing of pedestrians, street space, gay life, and creative performances with the local businesses on Nakpil. This was the “golden age” of the Malate revival and one that many viewed as Bohemian and gay-performative.