São Paulo, the New York of the Southern Hemisphere

Rarely does Brazil's traveler find himself in the richest and most chaotic city in Brazil. No wonder. As the Brazilian proverb says: "In Rio de Janeiro you live, in São Paulo you work". But what hardly anyone knows is that the 19 million metropolis is considered the New York of the southern hemisphere.

The endless skyline, into which Manhattan would fit several times, has the most exclusive stores and most star restaurants in South America. The inhabitants of São Paulo, affectionately known as Paulista, know exactly how to compensate for the missing beach fun. There are 121 theaters, 272 movie theaters, 70 museums, China Town, and a huge park in the middle of the city. Everything available in New York is not missing in São Paulo.

Edifício Itália, the Empire State Building of São Paulo, is one of the highest buildings in Brazil. From the 165m high viewing platform on the 41st floor, one has the best view over the sea of houses of the metropolis. In the district Liberdade, you will find the China Town of Sao Paulo. The term "Japan Town" would be more appropriate, as it is the largest Japanese community outside Japan.

The largest green space in the middle of São Paulo is the Parque do Ibirapuera and can hardly be distinguished from Central Park in New York. This is where the Paulistas come to jog and walk or to attend concerts, exhibitions, and sporting events. The number two most exclusive shopping mile in America is Rua Oscar Freire in São Paulo. It is only one place behind 5th Avenue in New York. In the exclusive Jardins district of São Paulo, every second apartment building looks like the Soho House, so beloved by the New York upper class, which is for "Members Only" with its pool on the roof.

Among the gastronomic top addresses are the D.O.M., the Fasano, and the A Figueira Rubaiyat with its 300-year-old fig tree. It is not for nothing that São Paulo bears the title "International Capital of Gastronomy", alongside Paris, New York, and Tokyo. The 20th century Teatro Muncipal in São Paulo, inspired by Milan's La Scala, even outshines the New York Metropolitan Opera and should be part of every Brazil vacation.

And in the evening? In the evening you go to the in-district Vila Madalena. Countless bars are located in small villas. The tables are packed tightly in front of the door, leaving hardly any room to get through, and at some point everyone dances in the street until dawn. Only Brazilians celebrate like this!

Source: bz-berlin.de