San Pedro Garza García

San Pedro Garza García
Coat of arms
Nickname(s): San Pedro, Garza Garcia
Motto: Libertad con Orden y Justicia (Freedom with Order and Justice)
Coordinates: 25°40′N 100°18′W
Country	Mexico
State	Nuevo León
Founded	November 20, 1596
Government
• Mayor	Ugo Ruiz Cortés (PAN)
Area
• City	69.4 km2 (26.8 sq mi)
Elevation	540 m (1,770 ft)
Population (2005)
• City	122,009
• Metro	3,664,334
• Metro density	1,758/km2 (4,550/sq mi)
Time zone	Central Standard Time (UTC-6)
• Summer (DST)	Central Daylight Time (UTC-5)
Website	http://www.sanpedro.gob.mx

San Pedro Garza García (also known as San Pedro or Garza García) is a city-municipality of the Mexican state of Nuevo León and is part of the Monterrey Metropolitan area. It is a contemporary commercial suburb of the larger metropolitan city of Monterrey between Puente de la Unidad and the Alfa Planetarium, including areas surrounding Calzada del Valle/Calzada San Pedro. Cerro de Chipinque, Chipinque Ecological Park, and La Huasteca Climbing Area are notable aspects of the city. The city hosts the headquarters of corporations such as ALFA, Cemex, Gamesa, Vitro, Pyosa, Home Depot, and Cydsa. With a population of 121,977 (city) and 122,009 (municipality) at the 2005 census, it is the seventh-largest city and eighth-largest municipality in Nuevo León.

Geography

Ecological Park near MusicLab

The municipality has an area of 69.4 km² (26.8 sq mi) and is almost entirely urban, lying adjacent to the southwest side of Monterrey. It sits in a valley surrounded by mountains; most notably La Loma Larga and Sierra Madre Oriental.

Government

The current municipal president (mayor) of San Pedro is Ugo Ruiz Cortés representing the National Action Party (PAN).

History

Two months after the foundation of its neighbor, Monterrey, in 1596 the land on which San Pedro Garza García lies was turned into a large plantation called "Los Nogales", where crops like corn, wheat, beans, and many other foods were produced.

During the 18th century, the plantation often went by the name of "San Pedro", in honor of Saint Peter.

The city was not elevated to the status of "Villa" (Village) until December 14, 1882, when it was given the name Garza García, in honor of the governor of Nuevo León, Genaro Garza García.

It was not until 1988 that the mayor at the time, Alejandro Chapa Salazar gave the city its current name, adding the reference to what it was called centuries before.

Landmarks and attractions

San Pedro boasts one of the best preserved national parks in the country, the Chipinque park, within the Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey. The park is located at the foothill of the Sierra Madre, and is the only naturally forested spot in metropolitan Monterrey.

1. Centro Cultural Alfa. A science interactive museum, the first one of its kind in Mexico. It is located within a tilted column-shaped structure and surrounded by lush gardens. It is worth to visit, especially for kids. There is a good planetarium, and an impressive masterpiece glasswork by Rufino Tamayo.
2. Auditorio San Pedro. A mid-sized auditorium used for plays and concerts.
3. Shopping Malls. The Paseo San Pedro and Plaza Fiesta San Agustín malls with some of the best stores in town. Paseo San Pedro is the newest mall in San Pedro. It includes a movie theater, a NH hotel, a Palacio de Hierro store, an ice skating rink, and a food court.
4. Calzada del Valle/Calzada San Pedro. Beautiful three lane intersecting gardened boulevards. Some of the most exclusive stores lie on this avenue (Louis Vuitton, Fendi, Cartier, among others). Joggers can be seen in the mornings. In Christmas trees are lit by thousands of lights to add splendor to the zone.

Panoramic view of Monterrey from southern San Pedro neighborhood.

1. Opened in 2003, the Puente de la Unidad (sometimes called Puente atirantado) is a suspension bridge that crosses the Río Santa Catarina and joins San Pedro Garza García with Monterrey.
2. El Centrito. A traditional place to drink a good coffee, have dinner or meet friends in a casual environment. Many restaurants and nightclubs are located here (Classico, Dubai, Gêorge Club).
3. The Avalanz Tower. The tallest skyscraper in the Monterrey metropolitan area, and the tallest in Mexico outside Mexico City. Previously named Dataflux Tower.
4. The Comercial America Tower. The second to the tallest skyscraper in the metropolitan area.
5. Barrio de Tampiquito - A lower income area, known for its creativity fairs, which promote the workshops of the craftsmen in the neighborhood. Tampiquito has its own symbol - the Lion of Tampiquito - a symbol that plays an important role in the integration of the area.
6. Hotels in San Pedro. Camino Real, Quinta Real, Hotel Habita Monterrey, Hotel Presidente Intercontinental, among others.
7. Strip malls. Plaza Tanarah, Calzada 401, Gomez Morin 404, Plaza Duendes, Plaza 02 Vasconcelos, among others.
8. Centro Cultural Alemán. Representative German school of the German embassy. Zazil Treviño is the name of the coordinator.
9. Diego Rivera park. One of the biggest parks in San Pedro, which has a great view of the Valle Oriente skyline.

Education

Universities

The Catholic Universidad de Monterrey (UDEM) ranks among the top universities in the country and offers bachelor's degree and master degree programs.

Graduate schools

The Escuela de Graduados en Administracion y Direccion de Empresas (EGADE) is the Graduate School of Business of the Tecnológico de Monterrey. The EGADE Monterrey Campus is located in Valle Oriente, an elite commercial and residential zone in San Pedro Garza García.

The Escuela de Graduados en Administración y Política Pública (EGAP) is the Graduate School of Politics and Public Administration of the Tecnológico de Monterrey. The EGAP Monterrey Campus is located also in Valle Oriente, besides the EGADE Monterrey Campus. EGAP offers different graduate programs including one jointly with the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government.

External links

• (Spanish) San Pedro Municipal Website
• (Spanish) Nuevo León Enciclopedia de los Municipios de México