United Nations Avenue

For the road of the same name in Mandaue, see N841 highway.

United Nations Avenue (also known as U.N. Avenue and formerly known as Isaac Peral Street) is a major thoroughfare in Manila, Philippines. A commercial, residential and industrial artery, it runs east–west near the city center, linking Ermita and Rizal Park with the eastern districts. It is home to the World Health Organization Western Pacific headquarters.

United Nations Avenue

U.N. Avenue
U.N. Avenue westbound towards Taft Avenue
Former name(s)	Isaac Peral Street
Part of	N156
Namesake	United Nations Isaac Peral (formerly)
Maintained by	Department of Public Works and Highways - South Manila District Engineering Office[1] and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority
Length	1.9 km (1.2 mi)
Location	Manila
East end	N156 (Quirino Avenue Extension) / Paz Mendoza Guazon Street / Cristobal Street in Paco
Major junctions	N182 (Romualdez Street) N181 (San Marcelino Street) N170 (Taft Avenue)
West end	AH 26 (N120) (Roxas Boulevard) in Ermita

U.N. Avenue begins at a fork in Quirino Avenue Extension, Paz Mendoza Guazon Street, and Cristobal Street, just west of Pandacan. It continues through the area of Tanque and Isla de Provisor in the northern Paco district, passing several rows of warehouses and a few institutional buildings. West of Taft Avenue lies the busy Ermita district, with a mix of hotels, offices and hospital buildings. Roxas Boulevard lies at its western terminus, with the U.S. Embassy in Manila as the terminating vista.

The avenue is served by the United Nations LRT station.

History

United Nations Avenue was formerly known as Isaac Peral Street, after the Spanish engineer who designed the world's first fully capable military submarine in the late 19th century.^[2] Originally a short street in Ermita,^[3][4] it was later extended towards Paco, linking it to what was then called Calle Canonigo, which later became part of the avenue that ended at the present-day Tanque Street.^{[citation needed]} It was previously planned to reach as far as Pandacan at the east; however, it only reached up to its present-day terminus in Paco.^[5]

It was later renamed in recognition of the World Health Organization, a United Nations agency, whose building was built in 1959 in the former University of the Philippines property located at the southwest corner with Taft Avenue.^[6] The avenue was also the site of the first Hilton Hotel in the Philippines, which opened in 1960.^[7] This hotel is now Waterfront Manila Hotel and Casino.

Intersections

This is ordered from west to east:

• Roxas Boulevard
• Ahambra Street
• Guerrero Street
• Del Pilar Street
• Cortada Street
• A. Mabini Street
• Jorge Bocobo Street
• Maria Orosa Street
• Taft Avenue/General Luna Street
• San Marcelino Street
• Romauldez Street
• Perez Street
• M. Gandhi Street
• Tanque Street
• Cristobal Street/President Quirino Avenue Extension/Paz Mendoza Guazon Street

Points of interest

The Waterfront Manila Pavilion Hotel and Casino at the junction with Maria Orosa Street

This is ordered from west to east:

• Bayview Park Hotel Manila
• Manila Doctors Hospital
• National Bureau of Investigation (old headquarters)
• World Health Organization Western Pacific Regional Office
• Times Plaza
• Waterfront Manila Hotel and Casino (closed since the 2018 fire)
• United Nations station
• Araullo High School
• Plaza Rueda
• Medical Center Manila
• Philippine Bible Society
• Manila Police District headquarters

• UN Square
• Insurance Commission
• Philtrust Bank Building
• Santa Maria Goretti Parish
• Pope Pius XII Catholic Center
• Asilo de San Vicente de Paul
• Unilever Philippines (old office)
• Estero de Paco
• Khalsa Diwan Sikh Temple