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60°F / 16°C
(Drizzle. More Clouds Than Sun. Cool.)
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Guatemala's first street nomenclature was devised in 1855 when the Conservative Government decreed the use of proper names, such as Calle del Calvario, Calle de los Olvidos, or Calle de la Merced. The system was descriptive and easy to remember, but rapid growth of the city led to its replacement by a numbering method first proposed by the engineer Raúl Aguilar Batres in 1877. Despite its Byzantine complexity, this system is still used today. Streets from north to south are called "Avenida" and those from east to west are called "Calle". Each address has three numbers—"1 Avenida 5-25" for example—to indicate the street number and the approximate distance, in meters, from the nearest cross street. The distance in meters (in this case "25"), is odd for houses on the north side of a street (or avenue) and even for those on the south. Each address is determined by the Municipality of Guatemala.
The zones of the city are also numbered. Using the center of the city as a starting point, numbers increase starting from the north then spiraling outwards, using main roads or geographic divisions as boundaries between each zone. The Avenida Aguilar Batres, for example, separates zones 11 and 12 and the Avenida Reforma divides zones 9 and 10. The logic behind this system is that the city can continue expanding without running out of zone names. Each zone has its own attractions and characteristics, described below.
Zone 1
This is the historic center of the city. In 1775, when Guatemala de la Asunción was founded, the most important governmental and ecclesiastical buildings were constructed here, as well as the houses of the leading families of the era. Private houses were characterized by the mudejar architectural style, with a construction so uniform that the only thing to differentiate between each was the size of the property. Public buildings were constructed in a Neo-Classical style and few of them had more than one floor. Today, the heart of Zone 1, where the Plaza Mayor de la Constitución and most of the important government and church buildings are located, is protected as historic heritage. In this area, there are lots of shopping centers and stores, such as shoe stores, boutiques, fabric stores and other businesses where you can buy good merchandise at low prices.
Zone 2
This zone was founded as a town for indigenous people transferred from Antigua, Guatemala, the former capital of the kingdom. With the construction of the North Hippodrome, during the Liberal Government, many wealthy families built residences on the Avenida del Hipódromo. Some of these houses are still standing today, and belong to private families. The famous Mapa en Relieve of the Guatemalan Republic was constructed in 1904. It is the only map of its kind in the world and a tourist attraction in its own right.
Zone 4
In 1890, during President Barillas' term in office, the canton of Exposición was formed, with the Guatemalan Pavilion of the Paris World Fair in its center. The Centro Cívico is located in this zone, and houses the Bank of Guatemala, the Guatemala Tourist Institute, the Supreme Court of Justice, Guatemala City municipal offices and other governmental buildings. These buildings were built between 1954 and 1970. They are decorated with impressive murals. In the Cultural Center is the national theater, called Centro Cultural Miguel Angel Asturias. Constructed in 1978, this consists of the Main Theater, the Chamber Theater, an open-air stage and the Salon Dorado. The building is shaped like a crouching jaguar. This complex is venue to magnificent theatrical and musical performances.
Zones 9 & 10
In 1892, the public garden Boulevard 30 de Junio was created. Today it is known as the Avenida La Reforma. Traveling along this avenue is a very pleasant trip because of the gardens and the many statues of animals and important historical figures. This avenue separates zones 9 and 10, where the best hotels, restaurants, night-clubs and shopping centers are located. Zone 10 is known as the Zona Viva because there is a party here almost every night!
Zones 13 & 14
These zones are separated by the Avenida Las Américas. At one end of the avenue, a small square was built to celebrate the first Eucharistic Congress. As its name suggests, the avenue is dedicated to the countries of the American continent. In each corner of the square, a picture with wrought iron adornments was installed. Each picture has the shield and the name of an American country. Along here you can see beautiful gardens and many small squares and statues lining the avenue.
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