Cubao, south of Diliman is an important commercial area. At its heart is the Araneta Center, along EDSA (C-4) and Aurora Boulevard (R-6). It is a 35-hectare commercial estate owned and developed by the Araneta family. Department stores and retail centers can also be found here, such as Gateway Mall, Plaza Fair, Rustan's, and Shopwise Supercenter. At the center is Araneta Coliseum, often called the Big Dome. Many musical concerts, ice shows, circus shows, religious crusades, wrestling, cock-fighting and basketball games are held in this 20,000-capacity coliseum. In the outskirts of Araneta Center is the Cubao Expo, an artists' colony and site of weekend flea markets.

Makro Supercenter is located just outside the Araneta Center, along EDSA.

Seedy nightclubs also abound within the Cubao area, catering to a full range of tastes.

There are residential areas ranging from the middle class to the upper-upper class. Araneta Center is also home to the Embassy of the Republic of Colombia.

North from Araneta Center along EDSA (C-4) are numerous bus terminals, a place where one can take a bus ride to almost any point in Luzon as well as in the Visayas especially Samar, Leyte, and Iloilo. It is also an intersection point for two of city's commuter train lines (the MRT-3 and the LRT-2).