The Southern Metropolis

[muppet]

The Minhacao (the Big Worm) is a 5km long stretch of a multilane highway, that's closed on weekday nights and weekends.

By day -ugly, yet somehow epic:




By evening the entire way becomes a giant gallery of street art, that covers entire highrises on every block.

Playgrounds, seating, sand, doggie parks, volley ball, giant chess sets and sculptures are laid out, like giant toys strewn across the way:











xxx

[muppet]

Vila Madalena is one of the hipster zones of the city

















The other one if you're interested is Pinheiros, which we visited by day





Not my pic -but you get the vibe it would have in the evening:




Instead we spent it under Niemayer's creation - a city within a city, whose bottom floors and streets around are now flushed with bars. Wish I had more pics of the nightlife (every night that is) but I look like a fat faced drunk in each

[muppet]

The river is lined with condos in some zones and business districts in others






And landscaped parks:











Low flying planes pass between buildings on the way to nearby Congonhas Airport (and why Sampa has such a strict height limit, despite burgeoning demand)








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[muppet]

Then it's time to head for lunch in Little Italy (in reality Sao Paulo is the world's largest Italian city by ancestry -a whopping 15 million reside in the State):

Things that catch my eye on the way













We get waylaid by an epic public lawn





It's under the awesome arch of an office block, and the world's biggest arse mirror








This is the block - Darth Vader's HQ






Little Italy is a hive of upmarket and traditional restaurants:

[muppet]

xxx

I say my goodbyes to the city, on the way to the airport. Thank you Sampa, it really has been lovely















Byeee Augusta









Byee Paulista











Byee Trianon










Byee Downtown











Byee Sao Paulo - you've been immense yet intricate, startling yet genteel, dynamic and historic. Dated and cutting edge, rich and poor, green yet urban, and utterly, utterly intoxicating.
It's been so much fun and pretty damn compelling -this is why we go to cities.








xxx

[muppet]

And big-up thank you to my incredible hosts Yuri and Lucas, who walked a lot, got drunk a lot and danced a lot -y'all showed me the new world

Mates always xx

[Yuri]

Muppet, another amazing set! I thought we'd seen all, but you always have a surprise!

Minhocão is absolutely great! The most diverse urban setting with the most diverse and creative people.

Pinheiros and specially Vila Madalena is not my thing, but a tourist must check it all. Pinheiros is more interesting and even though it's expensive, it's booming, with new tall rising every week for dispair of their NIMBYs.

Marginal Pinheiros/Faria Lima Avenue is São Paulo's, actually Brazil's financial district. It's São Paulo's modern look.

Little Italy, called Bixiga, it's a neighbourhood inside Bela Vista, a district on Central São Paulo. It looks rundown, but it's full of rather expensive family Italian restaurants (cantinas) and also home of tens of LGBT nightclubs. Bela Vista not only contain Little Italy, but it's itself a massive gayhood, probably the world's largest.

Byee Sao Paulo - you've been immense yet intricate, startling yet genteel, dynamic and historic. Dated and cutting edge, rich and poor, green yet urban, and utterly, utterly intoxicating.
It's been so much fun and pretty damn compelling -this is why we go to cities

Love it!

And big-up thank you to my incredible hosts Yuri and Lucas, who walked a lot, got drunk a lot and danced a lot -y'all showed me the new world

Mates always xx

It was our pleasure. It was amazing to have you here! The best urban explorer!