San Pedro Garza García
Encyclopedia
San Pedro Garza García (also known as San Pedro or Garza García) is a city-municipality of the Mexican
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...

 state of Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...

 and is part of Monterrey's Metropolitan Area
Monterrey Metropolitan area
The Monterrey metropolitan area refers to the surrounding urban agglomeration of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon. Officially called Area Metropolitana de la Ciudad de Monterrey or AMM, the metropolitan area is the 3rd-largest such area in Mexico....

, based on the suburban North American model. It is a contemporary commercial suburb of the larger metropolitan city of Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

 between Puente de la Unidad
Puente de la Unidad
Puente de la Unidad or Viaducto de la Unidad is a cable-stayed bridge designed by Óscar Bulnes that crosses the Santa Catarina River and connects the cities of Monterrey and San Pedro Garza García in the Mexican state of Nuevo León...

 and the Alfa Planetarium
Alfa Planetarium
Alfa Planetarium is a planetarium located in Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. This institution was created by ALFA in 1978 to promote science and technology in Latin America. It includes an interactive science museum, an Omnimax system cinema, an aviary, "The Universe Pavilion" and a great area for...

, including areas surrounding Calzada del Valle/Calzada San Pedro
Calzada del Valle/Calzada San Pedro
Calzada del Valle and Calzada San Pedro, is a beautiful three lane intersecting gardened boulevards inside the exclusive area of San Pedro Garza García, a suburb of the larger metropolitan city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. Some of the most exclusive shops, apartment buildings and business...

.

La m
La m
Being part of the Sierra Madre Oriental, La m or the "eme" is a figure located on top of the mountain chain, in the state of Nuevo León, México....

, Chipinque Ecological Park, and La Huasteca Climbing Area are notable aspects of the city. The city is highly overflowed by parks, art galleries, private schools, gardens, museums and companies. It hosts the headquarters of influential corporations such as ALFA
ALFA (Mexico)
ALFA is a Mexican conglomerate composed of four business groups: Alpek , Nemak , Sigma Alimentos and Alestra ....

, Cemex
Cemex
CEMEX is the world's largest building materials supplier and third largest cement producer. Founded in Mexico in 1906, the company is based in Monterrey, Mexico...

, Gamesa
Gamesa
Gamesa is Mexico's largest manufacturer of cookies . The company also makes pasta, flour, ready to eat cereals and other related products. It is headquartered in San Pedro Garza García, Nuevo León, and have production facilities in eight states across Mexico and one in Colombia...

, Vitro, Pyosa
PYOSA
PYOSA is a Mexican multi-national industrial family-owned group Founded by Rafael Fernández Saldana and his sons Alberto Fernández Ruiloba and lately participating Rafael and Jorge Fernández Ruiloba, fully based on the chemical industry...

, and Cydsa.

Geolocation

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. 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
Sierra Madre Oriental
The Sierra Madre Oriental is a mountain range in northeastern Mexico.-Setting:Spanning the Sierra Madre Oriental runs from Coahuila south through Nuevo León, southwest Tamaulipas, San Luis Potosí, Querétaro, and Hidalgo to northern Puebla, where it joins with the east-west running Eje Volcánico...

.

Community

Some inhabitants of the municipality consider San Pedro as one of Mexico's cleanest and safest cities thanks in part to their involvement in the community's welfare. Due to its fast urban and commercial development many wealthy citizens of San Pedro are moving out towards the southern area of the city, mainly to Valle Alto
Valle Alto (Monterrey)
Valle Alto is an exclusive suburb in the metropolitan city of Monterrey, the capital city of the northeastern Mexican state of Nuevo León. Also tied economically speaking with San Pedro Garza García, the city is a modern business center. The suburb of Valle Alto has population of 75,000, within a...

 and Santiago
Santiago, Nuevo León
Santiago is a municipality located in the center of the Mexican state of Nuevo León. It is part of the Monterrey metropolitan area and its area comprises around 763.8 km² . According to the 2005 census, its population is 37,886 inhabitants ....

, both areas considered as potentially to succeed San Pedro Garza Garcia as exclusive sectors.

Government

The municipal president (mayor) of San Pedro is Mauricio Fernández Garza
Mauricio Fernández Garza
Mauricio Fernández Garza is a Mexican politician and businessman directly related to the Fernández Ruiloba wealthy and prominent family; owners of PYOSA . He is currently mayor of San Pedro Garza García, former senator and current member of the board of Grupo Alfa, a Monterrey-based chemical, food...

 representing the National Action Party
National Action Party (Mexico)
The National Action Party , is one of the three main political parties in Mexico. The party's political platform is generally considered Centre-Right in the Mexican political spectrum. Since 2000, the President of Mexico has been a member of this party; both houses have PAN pluralities, but the...

 (PAN).

History

Two months after the foundation of its neighbor, Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

, in 1596 the land on which San Pedro Garza García lies was turned into a large plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...

 called "Los Nogales", where crops like corn, wheat, beans, and many other foods were produced.

During the 18th century, the plantation
Plantation
A plantation is a long artificially established forest, farm or estate, where crops are grown for sale, often in distant markets rather than for local on-site consumption...

 often went by the name of "San Pedro", in honor of Saint Peter
Saint Peter
Saint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...

.

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
Governor of Nuevo León
The Mexican state of Nuevo León has been governed by more than a hundred individuals in its history, who have had various titles and degrees of responsibility depending on the prevailing political regime of the time....

, 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 sightseeing

  1. Chipinque Park (see below under "Natural Areas")
  2. 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.
  3. Auditorio San Pedro. A mid-sized auditorium used for plays and concerts.
  4. Shopping Malls. The Paseo San Pedro
    Paseo San Pedro
    Paseo San Pedro is a small, high-fashion shopping mall in Monterrey, Mexico, located in San Pedro Garza García, in the intersection of Avenida Gómez Morín, Avenida José Vasconcelos, and Calzada del Valle, in front of Los Tubos...

     and Plaza Fiesta San Agustín
    Plaza Fiesta San Agustín
    Plaza Fiesta San Agustín is one of the largest shopping malls in Mexico, and the largest located in the metropolitan area of Monterrey. Founded in 1988, it has grown to include shops and department stores dedicated to over 150 commercial activities....

      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.
  5. Calzada del Valle/Calzada San Pedro
    Calzada del Valle/Calzada San Pedro
    Calzada del Valle and Calzada San Pedro, is a beautiful three lane intersecting gardened boulevards inside the exclusive area of San Pedro Garza García, a suburb of the larger metropolitan city of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico. Some of the most exclusive shops, apartment buildings and business...

    . 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.

  1. Opened in 2003, the Puente de la Unidad
    Puente de la Unidad
    Puente de la Unidad or Viaducto de la Unidad is a cable-stayed bridge designed by Óscar Bulnes that crosses the Santa Catarina River and connects the cities of Monterrey and San Pedro Garza García in the Mexican state of Nuevo León...

     (sometimes called Puente atirantado) is a suspension bridge that crosses the Río Santa Catarina and joins San Pedro Garza García with Monterrey
    Monterrey
    Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...

    .
  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
    Barrio de Tampiquito
    Tampiquito is a neighborhood in San Pedro Garza García, a city and a municipality of the Mexican state of Nuevo León.Tampiquito is one of the most traditional areas of San Pedro Garza García and is known for its craftsmen workshops...

     - 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.

Education

San Pedro has some of the best private schools in the entire country. The following are some of the most important Private Schools in this municipality.

Basic

Licensed by the Ministry of Education of Nuevo León, México

The American School Foundation of Monterrey (ASFM), a private school in Mexico, offers a non-religious, and mixed-gender co-educational schooling experience. ASFM provides a U.S.-type education to international and Mexican students. While the school offers a curriculum similar to U.S. schools in many respects and is fully accredited in the U.S., it is incorporated and licensed in Mexico. Also named one of the best schools in Mexico and South America.

Colegio Inglés is an independent, privately owned, co-educational school with grades from Pre-Kindergarten through 9th grade. Colegio Inglés is accredited by the State Department of Mexican Education (SEP) and is an active member of the Association of American Schools of México (ASOMEX), also Colegio Inglés has international accreditations such as: the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges) and the CIS (Council of International Schools).
http://www.cingles.edu.mx/menu/web/MAIN.htm

Instituto San Roberto
Instituto San Roberto
Instituto San Roberto is a private school founded on March 8, 1982 by Monica Sada. The school's current enrollment is approx. 2,500 students spanning over two campuses located in the Monterrey, Mexico metropolitan area. The school offers a variety of student activities such as soccer, basketball,...

 (ISR) is a mixed-gender school which offers trilingual education that ensures that students communicate with clarity, purpose and understanding of audience in Spanish, English, and French. Instituto San Roberto is accredited by Meritas Family of Schools and one of the two schools in the city accredited by SACS (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools). Instituto San Roberto has grades from Pre-Kindergarten through 9th grade. http://www.sanroberto.edu.mx/

The American Institute of Monterrey (AIM) is a mixed-gender school which offers a bilingual education from lower preschool to junior high. Along with its bilingual program, the AIM offers its students a wide spectrum of technological knowledge. Students in junior high can decide between taking a diverse variety of Optative Courses in order to learn a third language or develop new extra-academic skills. The AIM excels in their mathematics department, being a top competitor in the National Mathcounts competition in Mexico. In 2002, the American Institute of Monterrey received its accreditation by the New England Association of Schools (NEASC) and the European Council of International Schools (ECIS). http://www.aim-net.mx/

The Legion of Christ
Legion of Christ
The Legion of Christ is a Roman Catholic congregation of pontifical right, made up of priests and seminarians studying for the priesthood. It was founded in Mexico in 1941, by Fr. Marcial Maciel, who directed the congregation as its General Superior until January 2005...

, a strong and growing Catholic order among Mexico’s elite but with recent credibility problems, holds three different private Catholic schools in this suburb. The first two offer a bilingual same-sex educational program. Instituto Irlandes de Monterrey is an all boys prep school and C.E.C.V.A.C. is the all girls version of the same. Both schools offer pre-school (Irish Valley), primary, secondary and preparatory (Bachillerato Anahuac) schools. The wealthiest and most elite people in Monterrey send their kids to [Instituto Irlandes de Monterrey] or/and [C.E.C.V.A.C.]. Colegio Himalaya is the Legion’s new pre-school and primary school which offers a bilingual co-educational program. All three of these schools require daily formal uniforms and are part of Oak International Academies.

Other schools like , Euroamerican School of Monterrey and Colegio Ingles offer other excellent bilingual programs.

The Liceo de Monterrey, a Catholic school under the personal labor of Opus Dei, is one of the most distinguished all-girls and all-boys schools of the country. It offers: trilingual education (Spanish, English, and French), the KUMON math system, and SOI
SOI
SOI might be an acronym or abbreviation for:Technology:* Silicon on Insulator* Signal operating instructions* Service Oriented Infrastructure* Start of injectionScience:* Southern Oscillation Index...

 -a learning/studying system-, and -the same as ITESM- the IB Diploma Programme
IB Diploma Programme
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is a two-year educational programme for students aged 16–19that provides an internationally accepted qualification for entry into higher education, and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the early to mid-1960s in Geneva by...

 for high school.

University

The Catholic Universidad de Monterrey
Universidad de Monterrey
The University of Monterrey is a Roman Catholic institution of higher learning located in Monterrey, Mexico....

 (UDEM) ranks among the top universities in the country. Although much smaller in size and endowment than ITESM, which is considered the best private university in Mexico, both offer competing bachelor and master degree programs. UDEM's main campus is located within the suburb of San Pedro and it also offers several high school programs in separate campuses, while ITESM's main campus is located in the capital city of the state, Monterrey. Today, ITESM and UDEM are the most expensive private schools in the country, and fully accredited worldwide.

Graduate

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. In 2008, it ranked as the best Graduate Business School in Latin America.

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.

Natural areas

San Pedro boasts one of the best preserved national parks in the country, the "Chipinque" park, within the Parque Nacional Cumbres de Monterrey. See Chipinque website.

The park is located at the foothill of the breathtaking Sierra Madre, and is the only naturally forested spot in metropolitan Monterrey. It's an excellent place for biking and jogging. There is a resort hotel within the park, with facilities for small business conventions.

External links

San Pedro Municipal Website
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