In earlier years this church remained unwatched and with no care from the municipality of Surco and was inhabited by locals in poverty.

It is said that this old church was communicated to the Santiago Apostol Cathedral a few miles from there in old Surco by a sort of underground passages built by the Jesuits to be used in case of war or danger.

While sheltering at one point, Caceres didn't know from where the Chilean troops, who had just arrived a few hours earlier in Conchan, could attack the city.

There was an immense 300-year-old pine tree in the patio that divided the church from the house-property, and even though it fell in January 2001, it remains unbroken in the collective memory of Surco as a silent witness to what happened.

Julio César Escobar, the young boy, became a hero at the age of 13 during the San Juan and Miraflores battle by giving his life for the sake of the country.

Julio climbed up to the top of the pine tree, to be a lookout and warn Caceres about the Chilean troops' approach.

Surco, as it is commonly known, obtained the title of "garden district" four times in the management of Carlos Dargent.

The district covers the urbanizations of Valle Hermoso, Monterrico, Las Casuarinas, La Castellana, Los Álamos, La Floresta de Monterrico, Cerros de Camacho, Pancho Fierro, Santa Constanza, Chacarilla del Estanque, Higuereta, Neptuno, Tambo de Monterrico, El Dorado, Chama, Alborada, Liguria, Las Gardenias, Santa Teresa, Bella Luz, Vista Alegre, San Ignacio de Monterrico, Prolongación Benavides, Monterrico Sur, Los Rosales, La Capullana, Los Precursores, La Cruceta, Los Próceres, Santo Cristo, La Virreyna, San Roque, La Ensenada, San Pedrito, Sagitario, Surco Viejo or Surco Pueblo, Jorge Chávez, Santa María, Cercado de Surco, Los Parrales and Camino Real.

Its population belongs to both the medium-high socioeconomic level: urbanizations of Los Próceres, Los Precursores, Sagitario, La Campiña, Viñedos de Surco, etc; as well as, at the average socioeconomic level: urbanizations of Rodrigo Franco and Surco Viejo.

Likewise, there are areas inhabited by families of the lower-middle socioeconomic level, where the highest crime rate in the entire district is found: human settlements of Viva el Perú, San Gabino, Parque Alto, Parque Bajo, Tejada Alta, Manuel Medina Paredes and Señor of Miracles.

As in the districts of La Molina and San Borja, the homes in these human settlements and popular urbanizations are self-built.

The craft of wine preparation is demonstrated through macerating grapes by the traditional method of treading by foot.

A Reina de la Vendimia (Queen of the Harvest) is chosen and local performers stage their talents.

The first Vendimia was started by Engineer Pedro Venturo Zapata, owner and operator of "Hacienda Higuereta y Anexos - Negociacion Vinicola Pedro Venturo S.A." (1925–1952) Several of Lima's most important avenues pass through Santiago de Surco, including the South Cone avenues, which connect the district with downtown Lima, Cono Sur districts, San Isidro (Lima's financial district), and Miraflores.

Three stations of Line 1 of the Lima Metro (Jorge Chavez, Ayacucho and Cabitos) are located in the district.