Santiago Centro is the colonial and civic heart of the city — the grid of streets around the Plaza de Armas that Pedro de Valdivia first laid out in 1541. The neoclassical government buildings, the cathedral, the central market, and the pre-Columbian museum are all here. It's not a neighbourhood where many people live; it's a place you come to understand the city's history and to eat at the Mercado Central.
The neighbourhood runs roughly from the Mapocho River in the north to the Alameda in the south, and from the bus station in the west to the financial district in the east. The Paseo Ahumada and Paseo Huérfanos pedestrian streets cut through the centre, busy with commuters and street vendors during the day. The area quiets considerably after 7 p.m. when the offices empty out.