São Paulo Districts

The Historical Center of the city is an intriguing place to start exploring with numerous sites of interest being located here. Although not much remains of the colonial past it is still well worth a visit, in particular the industrial and commercial development of the last century is most visible.

For those looking to delve into the cultural and artistic heart of São Paulo, a trip to Vila Madalena is indispensable. It is here that artists, actors, musicians and designers converge into the numerous galleries and studios of modern and contemporary art. Not only in these conventional mediums can the artistic flair of Vila Madalena be discovered – winding streets and alleyways are adorned with fabulous graffiti created by the most famous of Brazilian artists. Amongst the most visited sites are a record store with 80,000 vinyl and a “green building” which is designed using entirely sustainable concepts – a life form in the midst of a metropolis.

Another compelling district of São Paulo is the Bairro Liberdade (Japanese Quarter) which reveals the strong influence that Japanese people have had the city. São Paulo has the largest community of Japanese people outside of Japan, of which there are more than even in some cities of Japan itself.

Liberdade was named as such alter the abolition of slavery in 1888, before which it had been the main center for punishing slaves who had attempted escape from coffee plantations. Nowadays, it is often most adequately referred to as “Japan in Brazil” as almost all aspects of the East Asian island’s culture are replicated here in some form. This can firstly be seen in the elaborate red porticos, streetlamps and pagoda buildings that are crafted in a fashion characteristic of Japanese design and architecture. Beyond the décor, the district has Japanese films, manga, galleries, restaurants, tea shops, theatres and shops full of Japanese imports halls brimming from the streets in all directions. On Sundays there is an Asian market with handicrafts and delicious imported foodstuffs.

South West of Liberdade is Bela Vista – the Italian Quarter of São Paulo where some excellent Italian restaurants can be found.  There is a handicraft fair on the weekend that has a great variety of antiques for sale.

Perhaps the most pleasant and affluent district of inner city São Paolo is Jardims. Portuguese for gardens, Jardims is an upscale district of residential houses, so named for the greenery that their residents maintained which distinguished the area from the industrial districts of the city. This is a great place for visitors to relax and the less adventurous will even choose not to leave the area during their São Paulo vacation; there are multiple shops, restaurants, bars, clubs, parks and attractions to keep travelers occupied and a delectable range of hotels to boot.