Can anyone describe Guatemala City?

Question

Can anyone describe Guatemala City?

Answer 1

It's very large, diverse and lovely, although the air could be cleaner.  There aren't many tall buildings because Guatemala is very prone to earthquakes.  The city is divided into zones, and each one is very unique.  Zone 1 the "center" and it the most historic zone.  Zone 10 is very modern and stylish.  There is no subway but there are plenty of buses, taxis and noisy motorcycles.  It's very urban, it could use some more green areas.  

You can buy almost anything in Guatemala City, there's everything from shiny new malls to old markets where you can still negotiate your price.  

Anything else, just ask.  I lived there for 7 awesome years.

Answer 2

It is the capital and largest city of the nation of Guatemala. It is also the largest city in Central America.

Population estimates for Guatemala City is 2,541,581. The city is located at 14°38′N 90°33′W, in a mountain valley in the south central part of the country. Temperatures in the city vary from 10 to 25 degrees celsius.

Guatemala City is the economic, governmental and cultural capital of the Republic, and it functions as the main port of entry into the country, with the country's largest international airport, La Aurora International Airport. In addition to a wide variety of restaurants, hotels and shops, the city has a wide variety of art galleries and museums (including some fine collections of Pre-Columbian art) and continually offers an increasing amount of cultural activities. There are 10 universities, Universidad Mariano Gálvez, Universidad Panamericana, Universidad Mesoamericana, Universidad Rafael Landivar, Universidad Francisco Marroquin, Universidad del Valle, Universidad del Istmo, Universidad Galileo, Universidad Rural and Universidad de San Carlos, the third oldest university in the New World.

Guatemala City does not have an efficient public transportation service, despite the many proposals and projects for the construction of a mass transit system. Although the construction of freeways and underpasses by the municipal government, as well as the establishment of the Department of Metropolitan Transit Police, PMT, has helped traffic flow in the city, the Guatemalan metropolitan area faces a growing transportation problem. However, a new project called Transmetro, consisting of special-purpose lanes for high-capacity buses, began operating in 2007 and aims to improve traffic flow in the city.

Guatemala City is subdivided in 25 zones, each one with its own streets and avenues, resulting in very easy to find addresses in the city. However, the city has grown so fast in the past years that it has already absorbed into it most of its neighbor towns, including Villa Nueva, Santa Catarina Pinula, Mixco, and the suburban area of Carretera a El Salvador.

The Historic Center (Centro Histórico) of the city lies in the very heart of the city, and there is located many important buildings including the National Palace, the Metropolitan Cathedral, the National Congress, and the Presidential House.

Among the most popular areas for Pop Culture and Shopping as well as entertainment we find Majadas, 4° Norte, Pradera Concepción, the largest mall in Central America, and Zona Viva, where most of the hotels, restaurants, bars, discotheques, and other entertainment places in the city are located.

The city has been host of several sports events. In 1950 it hosted the VI Central American and Caribbean Games, and in 2000 the Futsal World Cup.

Answer 3

There are two types of areas in Guatemala City:  The first you should avoid and the second you can´t afford.  Maybe that´s a little harsh, but your money would go a lot further in Panajachel or Antigua, unless you have a compelling reason to go there.  Basically, ¨Guate¨ is a big, polluted, noisy, traffic choked, dirty, busy, confusing and dangerous city.  Go there to visit the bars or work but stay in Antigua if you can.