Living in São Paulo

I've lived in São Paulo my whole life - spent some months in Rio, and did some exchange programs, but my home has always been there.

I'm paulistana, that's how you call a person who was born in the city of São Paulo - don't mistake it for Paulista, a person who was born in the state of São Paulo - and I love my city.

São Paulo is said to be one of the ugliest cities in the world, according to the website U City Guides. I believe that people who say so are stupid and can't see the real beauty in a big metropolis. People from Rio de Janeiro usually like to say that, but that's because São Paulo doesn't have an obvious beauty like Rio, with its nature and sea and mountains, but to admire it, you must get to know it for real.

Sampa, the city that never dies

Sampa, a nickname for the city, is a place for all tastes: it has green areas and parks (not as much as I wished, but there are many), cosmopolitan buildings, a lot of history, amazing gastronomy, mix of cultures and most of all, it has LIFE.

If New York is known as the city that never sleeps, São Paulo is the city that never dies. A Zombie city, if you wish. I've been to NY a couple of times, so I can tell, Sampa is much more alive than that. You can go anywhere at any time and there will be something happening. You can think of any culture and there will be a representation of it in São Paulo. You can wish for any food and you will find 24/7. I promise you: there is no way to get bored in SP.

Now that I convinced you to see São Paulo as an amazing city, let's get to the details about living in it.

General Information

In order to understand how life works here, you need to know a little bit of data about it. São Paulo is the biggest city in Latin America, with more than 10 million habitants - and almost 20 million if you count the urban area that surrounds it. It is also the richest town in Brasil, and some people even mistake it for its capital.

It is located in the Southwest region in the country, and it is the capital of São Paulo state. Both city and state are known for its early industrialization and urbanization. The economy there is very diverse, including all sectors. The strongest ones are the car industry, sugar cane and coffee plantations in agriculture, and services such as technology. Many important companies have headquarters there, Google, Amazon, and Facebook are some of them.

The city of São Paulo was founded in 1554 by Jesuits priests who came from Portugal to catequize the natives there. It is one of the oldest cities in Brasil.

Later on, in the 17th century, people from São Paulo started to grown an economy, that until then was only small agriculture. They started expanding their territory for bigger plantations and cattle raising. These people are known as Bandeirantes, and their expeditions were both successful for the economy but really socially cruel, since they killed many natives, extinguishing tribes and cultures on their way.

In the 19th and 20th century the state and city were already the richest in the country and the main place for Brasil's exportations. São Paulo became a coffee business industry, and many railways were built to drain the production. Also, a big seaport was built in Santos, a beach city less than 100km from Sampa.

During the 1930’s a separatist movement grew in São Paulo and the state got into a war with the Republic, demanding a more liberal government - that was ruled by Getúlio Vargas at the time. They lost the fight, but eventually, the government accomplished their demands by creating a new Constitution. The episode is known as Revolução Constitucionalista (Constitution revolution).

In the middle of the 20th century, São Paulo became a very cultural center as well, with many arts being created there. Painters, Musicians, Writer, and Poets gather in the city to create Brazilian art movements.

Also, a great migratory movement inside Brasil brought millions of people to São Paulo, looking for jobs and opportunities since it was the most important city of the country, where everything happened.

Just like that, São Paulo became what it is today: a mix of cultures, history, industry, and great economy.

Culture

Because there are so many people and activities in São Paulo, it is a very cultural city. Any neighborhood you go to, you will find at least one movie theatre, one museum or art gallery, and street art everywhere.

Also, the neighborhoods are very diverse, meaning you can find people and traditions from all over the world while walking in São Paulo streets. There are even some regions where big foreign communities gather, such as Liberdade, a neighborhood where the Japanese immigrants get together (did you know that the biggest Japanese community outside of Japan is in São Paulo), or Bexiga, where many Italian immigrants live.

The streets of São Paulo are as well covered with art pieces. There used to be a great graffiti wall in the avenue 23 de mayo, but the mayor João Dória destroyed it. Still, you can find graffiti, stickers, posters and more in the walls around town. A very famous place for that is Beco do Batman, in Vila Madalena neighborhood, an aisle covered with painting and graffiti all over.

So you don’t need to get inside a museum to see the culture in the city. But if you wish to, you can. There are many museums in São Paulo. The most famous of them is MASP, a city icon, it keeps many Brazilian art pieces and also temporary exhibitions. Other important museums are Pinacoteca, MAC, MAM, Ipiranga Museum, and Football Museum. And there are many more.

Every two years the city hosts a big Contemporary Art Festival inside Ibirapuera Park. It is called Bienal de Arte de São Paulo, and it attracts artists and people from all over the country - and the world.

When it comes to music, you can hear it from the subway, or the streets - where some artists play to get some change in their starting carrier - to music houses where shows and gigs happen every night. Pick a music gender and you’ll find it in São Paulo. National and international artists go to the city every week for shows, just stay tuned.

Architecture

By now you must have understood that São Paulo is not a uniform city. Its architecture is not steady as well. Mixing elements of Colonial architecture, in the city center, and modern age buildings in the financial areas of town, like Faria Lima avenue, it has a very crazy skyline.

Most buildings in São Paulo are very tall and grey. But some of them stand out. Copan, Altino Arantes (also known as Banespa), Martinelli are some of them located in the center of the city, they were built in the 20th century when the city was becoming a real metropolis.

Also, in Paulista Avenue, the most famous in town, you can find houses from the 19th century that used to be mansions owned by a businessman of the coffee industry.

Many famous architects built-in São Paulo as well, including Oscar Niemeyer, the most famous Brazilian architect.

Food

Besides what comes to the eyes while in São Paulo, you can also have great experiences with your mouth. It is said to be the gastronomy capital of the world due to its diversity of cuisines.

Famous chefs from around the world have restaurants in the city and there are many five star places to eat there. The most famous are Fasano, Figueira Rubayat, D. O. M and more.

But he gastronomy industry in São Paulo is so good that even those restaurants who are not very well known can be great. If you don’t like fancy places, you can go to any small restaurant with more than 3 stars on google and you won’t be disappointed.

Due to the many immigrants, São Paulo has great Italian, Japanese and Arabic cuisine. Also, food from all over Brasil can be found there, if you want a barbecue just like gauchos (south Brazilians), go to a steakhouse, if you want to have açaí (typical fruit from the north of the country) you can find it at sandwich and healthy restaurants or juice bars, and feijoada, most famous Brazilian dish, can be found at any corner at Wednesdays and Saturdays.

For snacks, just go to a neighborhood bakery and you’ll have a blast. Bakeries or padarias in Portuguese (also called ‘padocas’ by the locals) are very typical of São Paulo and they serve food from 5 am to 11 pm. Ask for a pingado (coffee with milk) and a pão na chapa (heated bread with butter) or a pão de queijo (Brazilian cheese bread) and you will be a real paulistano.

Work

São Paulo is not only about having fun, though - actually it is mostly a work city. People from all over the world go there, but most come to find a job or for business trips.

That is because of the big economy the city has. Like I said earlier, every sector of the economy has a space in São Paulo, so you can be either a constructor, a farmer or a businesswoman/man and you will have something to do in Sampa.

During times of crisis, like the one Brazil is facing now, it can be difficult to find a job - but São Paulo has the biggest job offer in the country, so there is usually something to be done (even if it is just for a freelancer).

Be careful not to be a workaholic and spare sometimes for enjoying the city as well.

Study

If you don't work yet, studying is also great in São Paulo. Most of the best universities in Brasil (and Latin America) are there. Universidade de São Paulo (USP), Universidade de Campinas (Unicamp), Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (ESPM), Fundação Getúlio Vargas (FGV), Mackenzie University, are some of them.

It can be hard to get into these schools since there are many people applying for them. Students take a big test called "Vestibular" to get approved. For exchange students, though, it may be easier - the universities have mobility programs so you don't need to take this exam.

Also, since there are many cultural places to go, studying in São Paulo is a larger experience. You will learn not only in the classes but also in the streets.

Party

Like I said, São Paulo never sleeps or dies, so after work hours there are always other things to do. The city’s nightlife is just as awake as during the day.

Restaurants, bars, and clubs are open for late hours every day, and there are options for every taste.

Every corner of the city has a bar to have cheap beer and talk with friends, the so-called botecos. But if you wish a more fancy or cheerful, you should go to a pub.

Happy hours happen every day from 6 pm to 11 pm, and after that, you can go to a nightclub. The happy hours happen at bars with nice drinks, music (sometimes live music) and great snacks.

Parties happen everywhere, from clubs to private houses rented for that, to abandoned places, museums, and cultural centers. You need to stay tuned to get to know what’s the best option for a night.

There are some neighborhoods where every day is a great day for partying. The most famous is Vila Madalena, filled with pubs in the streets. Vila Mariana, Vila Olímpia and Itaim Bibi are also good.

Transportation

Since I only talked about the good things of the city, let’s get some realness. São Paulo doesn’t have such a good transportation infrastructure as it should.

It has a lot of traffic during rush hours (8am to 10 am in the morning, and 5pm to 7pm in the afternoon), and the public transportations are usually crowded. Bus trips can be too long and subway lines are not very diverse, so it is hard to run from the traffic.

Many people have to live away from their jobs to pay lower rent, and commuting is very common in town. People take more than 2 hours from their houses to work every day. Terrible.

But there are always solutions: São Paulo subway is open every day from 4 am to midnight (or 1 am on Saturdays), and although it doesn’t take you everywhere because the lines are little, it can help you move in the center of the city.

Also, uber, cabby and cabs are always available, so you don’t need to worry about parking your car, fueling the gas tank, or avoid drinking.

Last but not least, there are some bicycle paths around town and the culture of the bike and public transportation is getting better and better every year.

Problems

Besides transportation, there are other many problems in the city. Social inequality, poverty, homeless people and violence are some of them.

There are many poor and dangerous neighborhoods in town, so-called favelas, where the living conditions are not good.

Also, pickpockets and robbers are all around the city. You need to watch your things always, and avoid going to places you don’t know very well.

For people who don’t have much money, having to rely on public services is not good. Public Health services and schools are very crowded, and can’t attend every one.

If you have insurance, money for your education and can pay for living in a safe neighborhood you will be fine, though. It is just sad to live in such an unequal place.

Places to go

In spite of these problems, I love living in São Paulo and I recommend the experience for anyone.

If you’re in São Paulo, as a tourist or as a resident, there are some places you can’t miss. I’m going to list them below with a little description (some of them I already mentioned during the texts). I hope that you love Sampa just like I do.

• Paulista Avenue

The most famous and important avenue in the city, it used to be the place where the coffee businessman would live, and it was filled with mansions. Nowadays it still has a couple of these houses, but mainly comercial buildings. There are also many shopping centers and cultural centers in the avenue.

On Sundays, the avenue is closed for cars and open for pedestrians, and it becomes almost a park, with people walking dogs, skateboarding, riding a bike, having picnics and more.

• MASP

Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP) is a museum located in the Paulista avenue, and it is a city icon for art an architecture. It is a building sustained by four red pillars, creating a big interspace under it, where art fairs and events take place.

The museum has a permanent exhibition with art pieces from famous Brazilian artists such as Portinari and Tarsila do Amaral, and also temporary exhibitions with modern and contemporary art from all over the world.

• Rua Augusta

One of the streets that cross Paulista Avenue is Rua Augusta, a place where you will find many nice places such as cinemas, cultural centers, art galleries, thrift shops, and original restaurants. During the night, the street gets even more alive, with many bars and clubs. It is a great place to go out at night, and it has options for every taste, from LGBT nightclubs to country parties.

Rua Augusta connects Praça Roosevelt, a square in the center of São Paulo where people skateboard and go out at night, to Paulista Avenue and Jardins, a rich neighborhood in the city.

• Galeria do Rock

São Paulo is a place where many different people live and there are activities and places for everybody's taste. For those who like Rock culture, there is a shopping center called Galeria do Rock, where you can find CDs and vinyl shops, clothing stores related to rock bands, and piercing and tattoo studios. It is a great place to get inside the rockers.

• Minhocão

  Elevado Presidente João Goulart, also known as Minhocão by the locals, is a car viaduct that connects the center of the city to the west zone of São Paulo. It used to be a very polluted place since there are many car traffic in it, but nowadays it is almost a park.

  The region was revitalized and the buildings that surround Minhocão are now filled with graffiti, vertical gardens, and some even work as theaters. Cars can only go through the viaduct during weekdays from 7 am to 5 pm. After that, the road is open for people to practice jogging, go for a walk, enjoy the open air, and do many other activities.

• Praça da Sé

Right in the center of São Paulo (really, on the mark zero of the state) is Praça da Sé, an historic square in the city. It is surrounded by old buildings from the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, and palm trees. It is the address for São Paulo's cathedral: Catedral da Sé, a gothic church built to honor the Jesuits who founded the city.

• Edificio Copan

Also in the center of the city, you will find Edificio Copan, one of the most iconic buildings of São Paulo. It was projected by the architect Oscar Niemeyer and it is shaped like a wave, with curvy walls. It is really beautiful and tall, and you can go up to its top to have a great view of the city.

• Mercado Municipal

Mercado Municipal, also known as Mercadão, is the main market of the city, where farmers sell their fruit, vegetable, and meat every day. It used to be a place for citizens to buy supplies, but nowadays it is a more touristic place, with restaurants, bars and more.

There you will find all types of Brazilian food, but the typical dish to try there is Mortadela Sandwich.

Besides the food, the place is very beautiful. It was built at the beginning of the 20th century and it has many stained glass windows representing agriculture.

• Rua 25 de março

Very near Mercado Municipal is Rua 25 de Março, a place where you can find many cheap things. It is a market and shopping street, where people go to buy anything from clothes to decorations for a low price.

It can be a rather crowded place and dangerous - with many pickpockets- but it is very interesting to visit and understand how crazy Brazilian economy can be.

• Pinacoteca

  Pinacoteca is a museum in the center of São Paulo where many famous Brazilian art pieces are exhibited, and some temporary expositions as well. Also, it is a very beautiful building, made of red bricks and used to be an art school. It is located inside Parque da Luz, a very nice green area in the center of the city. Great place to go for a culture and enjoying the open air.

• Estação da Luz

São Paulo's most important subway station is Estação da Luz, and old railway station where the coffee producers and their products would get to the city. It is located in the very center of the city and it is a beautiful building with a big clock tower and a train platform with a glass ceiling. Every day, thousands of people go there and it is a great place for seeing paulistanos' lives.

• Sala São Paulo

If you're into classical music, opera and such you should definitely go to Sala São Paulo, the best spectacle house in Latin America. It is located in an old building in the center of São Paulo, where there used to be an important rail station: Estação Júlio Prestes. It was reformed to become an acoustic place to receive musicians from all over the world. Every week there are spectacles and tickets are easy to get. I recommend going there to admire the building and music.

• Vila Madalena

Away from the center of the city, there is a very bohemian neighborhood called Vila Madalena, where you will find many bars, pubs, and clubs with great music and drinks. There are also many restaurants, stores and art galleries there. It is a cool place.

• Beco do Batman

In Vila Madalena there is a street where the walls are all covered with grafitti and street art. It is Beco do Batman. A great place to visit.

• Largo da Batata

Another bohemian place to go in São Paulo is Largo da Batata, in Pinheiros neighborhood. It is a great square where there used to be a railway. Now it is a place where people gather for events and for having a drink since there are many bars and pubs around.

• Av. Faria Lima

Faria Lima avenue is one of the most important avenues for the São Paulo business. It is a very new street, where great commercial buildings where built and are now the headquarters of important companies such as Google and Facebook.

The buildings are very modern and futuristic and since there are many workers there everyday you can find many restaurants and happy hour bars around.

• Parque Ibirapuera

São Paulo also has green areas, the most famous park in the city is Parque Ibirapuera. It has more than 1, 5 thousand square meters, many species of trees and a big lake, where water shows take place.

It is a great place to walk dogs, play, do sports and enjoy the open air.

• MAC (Museu de Arte Contemporânea)

Just outside Ibirapuera Park, there is great Museum called MAC, where many contemporary art pieces are exhibited. It is also possible to go to the top of the building and see a panoramic view of the city and the park. Really nice place to go - and the entrance is free!

• MAM

Inside Ibirapuera Park, there are some museums. One of them is MAM (Museu de Arte Moderna). An art center that exhibits temporary events related to modern art.

• Oca

Another museum inside Ibirapuera Park is Oca, a building in the shape of a half-sphere projected by Oscar Niemeyer. It is an art hall that exhibits modern and thematic expositions.

• Liberdade neighborhood

Liberdade is a neighborhood in São Paulo where the Japanese community gathers. It is decorated as an oriental city, with red lanterns and curvy ceiling houses. There you will find many Japanese, Chinese and Korean stores and restaurants. It is a great place for knowing these different cultures.

• Bexiga neighbourhood

If the Japanese gather at Liberdade, the Italian are at Bexiga neighborhood. The Italian community in São Paulo is very big and there are many restaurants and events organized by them in this region. Great place for having pasta and partying like Italians.

• Cidade Universitária

The main campus of Universidade de São Paulo (USP), the most important university in the country, is in the city of São Paulo in a place called Cidade Universitária (or University city, in English). It is a big area with many green spaces, trees and College buildings. Most students of USP study there and many live inside it - in the student's residence.

Besides the study, the campus is a great place to visit for enjoying the open air, attending academic events, or practicing sports.

• Estádio do Pacaembu and Museu do Futebol

Brazil is very recognized for its football (or soccer, like North Americans say) and São Paulo has great representation of this sport - the best teams in the country are there (and in Rio de Janeiro, as well). The city has 4 major stadiums - the oldest one is Pacaembu stadium, located in the west zone of São Paulo.

Almost every Sunday and Wednesday there are football matches there and they are great to watch - with the crowd cheering, the emotion is great. Also, inside the stadium, there is a museum that tells the history of football in Brazil and the world: Museu do Futebol. A really nice place to go to being a soccer fan or not.