Where to stay in Sao Paulo: The best places and Neighborhoods
Choosing well the area where stay in Sao Paulo is key to make your visit a success. In this article we tell you how are areas like Centro, Jardins, Vila Madalena, Pinheiros, Itaim Bibi and others that we consider successful for your accommodation in Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo is the capital of the state of the same name located in the southeast of Brazil, it is an open, vibrant city (as you can see in the samba schools of its carnival), cosmopolitan, fresh, full of alternative culture, close.
Paulines are curious by nature, adventurous by definition and enthusiastic with their own by conviction.
The best areas to stay in Sao Paulo
The city of Sao Paulo is divided into 31 sub-prefectures, each with unique attractions, each ideal for spending a vacation time, for sleeping in Sao Paulo at ease and close to everything interesting to see in this Brazilian megalopolis.
However, since we recommend the most interesting districts s, with better transport connections, with good and varied urban accommodations, the preferences are on the side of the central district, the neighborhoods of ConsolaƧao, Pinheiros, Jardim Paulista and Moema and Ibirapuera and the areas of Brooklin, Itaim Bibi, Vila Madalena, Bela Vista and Republic.
We see all these locations one by one.We start, as it could not be otherwise, by the center of the city of Sao Paulo.
1.Center
The historical center of the city of Sao Paulo coincides with the foundational nucleus and the oldest area of the Brazilian capital .until the 1960s, the center was a financial district, which today has been displaced to other areas.However, it is still an administrative and government centre where cultural spaces, shops and restaurants abound.
The central district is one of the key areas when visiting Sao Paulo, to be close to what counts in the city and to stay in Sao Paulo, as they say, on foot even if you have to pay an extra for the location.
Among the cultural institutions worthy of a visit in the historical center, one must include, yes or yes, the Pinacoteca do Estado de Sao Paulo, the Portuguese Language Museum, the Sacred Art Museum, the Sala Sao Paulo, the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil and the Julio Prestes Station, today an exhibition space.
To move around in the center of Sao Paulo and for to connect with other parts of the city , there are several options.The bus is the cheapest, no doubt with its SPTrans cards, but the traffic is usually dense during rush hours and mobility also plummets in that strip, which can be extended to the taxi service.
The most recommended alternative is the subway, which has five lines, well connected to the center. Sao Paulo-Guarulhos Airport , located 22 kilometers from the center, is connected to the city’s metropolitan transportation network.
– Accommodation in the Center
2.It is a district mainly residential in which there are many apartment buildings and lodgings under a timeshare regime.
The area was one of the first to be populated after the Portuguese foundation and it is home to the modern buildings most representative of the city.This part of the city was also the seat of the wealthy class of SĆ£o Paulo since the beginning of the 20th century, especially because of its relative height above the rest of the city and the wide streets and avenues that contrasted with the urban layout of the city’s coast.
As representative historical buildings, the churches stand out above all, the main one being the Church of Consolation , a temple of Neo-Gothic style (very particular) that can become a haven of peace on a busy day.The building is surrounded by tall palm trees and old trees, which gives it a very unique appearance.
The other outstanding temple is the Church of San Luis de Gonzaga on Avenida Paulista.There are tombs with very artistic designs
For culture lovers, ConsolaƧao offers several theaters which are the center of the cultural life of Sao Paulo You should not lose sight of the EspaƧo Parlapatos, the Augusta, the da Rotina, the Lucas Pardo Filho, the da Memoria, among others, with its theatrical performances, but sometimes it hosts music recitals.Be sure to check out their calendar of events, which can be found on the SĆ£o Paulo City Hall website.
In the area, there are three shopping centers which are ideal for stopping off on any visit and having a quick meal (or not) and for buying branded goods or local products to take home as a gift or souvenir.They are the shopping centers of Center3 and Shopping Frei Caneca and the PĆ”tio HigienĆ³polis.all central and accessible.
To move in transport in the area, to make purchases and to move to other districts, the reference is the Rua da ConsolaƧao that joins the district with the center of the city and with other key avenues: Paulista, Doutor Arnaldo and RebouƧas.
A bus service , which passes by Rua da ConsolaƧao, also allows to get off at the center (North and South bus corridor).
Pinheiros is another residential district very close to the urban center of Sao Paulo and as old in its population as the one of ConsolaƧao which is immediately northeast of Pinheiros.It receives its name from the river Pinheiros, which serves as its boundary, and the name Pinheiros comes from the abundance of pine trees in the land that today occupies the district.The settlement of Korean, Italian, German, Japanese, Chinese or Portuguese nationals has turned the area into a mecca of international restaurants, some of them with their own identity and tradition.
But if the local gastronomic tradition is what you’re looking for, in the restaurants of the area you should ask for a virada paulista , a rice dish, with meat and beans very typical.
Don’t miss the Victor Civita Square , a kind of experimental ecological oasis that meant the recovery of a marginal area of the city as a park, a project worth copying.
Close to Largo da Batata Cemetery of Araca is also worth visiting, like the one in ConsolaƧao, a visual gift, very artistic, in the heart of the city The Sao Paulo da Cruz Church is another landmark to discover (close to Benedito Calixto Square).It is an immense neo-baroque temple to which one must go during the celebrations of its festivities (in June).
Two places to go shopping, the Shopping Iguatemi , the oldest (1966), and the Shopping Eldorado , one of the biggest shopping centers of the city with its more than 150.
To buy local curiosities, every Saturday a antiques fair is held at Plaza Benedito Calixto . Another option is the Central Fair which offers fashion, home and decoration items.
About transportation in the neighborhood and from the area and to other districts, we recommend the use of the metro of Sao Paulo which has three stations in the place: Fadrique Coutinho, Faria Lima and Pinheiros. The Paulista Metropolitan Train Company offers services in the area to move around in the region of Sao Paulo (Line 9 Esmeralda).
In Pinheiros, you can find urban hotels and some luxury , but also apartments, for longer and cheaper stays to stay in Sao Paulo otherwise and to take the lifestyle of home to Brazil.Independently.
– Accommodation in Pinheiros
4.Jardim Paulista
Jardim Paulista is a neighborhood socially elitist and residential and commercial of the center of Sao Paulo that is encompassed in a part of the city known as Jardins.This is one of the safest places in Sao Paulo , however, it is one of the most expensive districts in the city when it comes to real estate.
Oscar Freire Street is a perfect commercial street for shopping that reminds us of New York’s Fifth Avenue. Parks like the Tenente Siqueira Campos , the Paulistano or the JardĆn Europa , with its big tropical trees, ideal for a family picnic or simply to rest in the middle of the city and take the fresh air between intense greens.
The reference of the transport in the area is the metro station Trianon MASP (line 2, green).
The Avenida Paulista concentrates the best urban hotels recommended to stay in Sao Paulo.
5.Moema and Ibirapuera
Moema is another exclusive neighborhood of the city of Sao Paulo which is located in the southern center of the capital.Moema, over time, has become a very vertical district in which there are abundant high buildings and s apartment blocks (more than 30,000 apartments).
The great development of the area occurred in the 1970s.In practice, the district is divided into two areas, Moema Birds and Moema Indians, which are divided into their cafes, restaurants, shops and hotels one, two, three and four stars.
A place where you can spend a quiet afternoon with your family, the nearby Bicycle Park , ideal for cycling (Alameda Irae, 35).
The Ibirapuera is another residential area, located immediately southeast of Pinheiros and Jardins, and an emblematic area of the district is the Ibirapuera park.
The park is its green areas that occupy 158 hectares, its Aristotle Orsini Planetarium , its great lakes, its Museum of Modern Art and its pavilions (Japanese, the one of the Industries and the one of Manuel da NĆ³brega), besides the monument to the bandeirantes.
In the park, don’t miss ‘La Oca’ , an exhibition hall and auditorium located inside the park and designed by the architect Ćscar Niemeyer.
Another curious visit that can be proposed is to go to the Ibirapuera Shopping Center , which was the first of its kind in Brazil, to do some shopping, of course, but also to admire a pioneering commercial complex that, despite the years that have passed since its construction, is still a sign of identity of Sao Paulo.
A curious museum in the area is Afro Brasil , on Avenida Pedro Ćlvarez Cabral, dedicated to the culture and traditions of the people of African origin who arrived in Brazil as slaves.
The metro is the most recommended means of transport for getting around in and out of Ibirapuera (line 2, closest station, Pinheiros).The neighborhood has a good offer of apartments perfect to stay in Sao Paulo as a couple, with family or friends.
– Accommodation in Moema and Ibirapuera
Is this article about the best neighborhoods to stay in Sao Paulo useful?We also recommend you: Where to stay in Rio de Janeiro, where to stay in Salvador de Bahia, where to stay in Fortaleza
6.Brooklin
Brooklin (Campo Velo) is another high level residential and business district of Sao Paulo immediately south of Moema’s. It is a garden district with plenty of green areas and modern office buildings, some of them belonging to multinationals.
The name of the neighborhood comes from the American Brooklyn for which the Paulistas see similarities with that of Sao Paulo.the district was populated mostly in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries by German immigrants who gave character to the neighborhood.
Proof of this are two annual celebrations, the Maifest (in May) and the Brooklinfest (in October) , inspired by the f iestas of the German beers .The neighborhood has a lively nightlife in bars, restaurants and entertainment venues.the most exclusive hotels in the city are in this area.
To move in the area, the subway of Sao Paulo, Brooklin stations, line 5.In the area, there are hotels and aparthotels (4 and 5 stars) with a lot of class for to stay in Sao Paulo and enjoy high levels of comfort.and remember it forever.
– Accommodation in Brooklin
7.Itaim Bibi
Itaim Bibi is the name given to the part of the city of Sao Paulo also known as Brooklin Viejo, Brooklin Velho, annexed to Brooklin-Campo Velo.It is a residential neighborhood of upper-middle class .
In the area of Vila Olimpia, you can find restaurants and nightclubs with a wide range of nightlife (Brascan Open Mall, Market Place Shopping Center, Vila Olimpia Shopping Center and Shopping Center D&D).
There is a good offer of medium-high level hotels , ideal for not giving up sleeping in Sao Paulo with amenities.
– Accommodation in Itaim Bibi
8.Vila Madalena
Vila Madalena is another residential neighborhood of high class in downtown Sao Paulo located next to the neighborhood of Pinheiros.It is known for its nightlife, for its cultural and bohemian tradition , for its famous galleries and alternative art studios and for the street graffiti that are an indissoluble part of its identity.
The bars, shops and restaurants (many of them vegetarian) of Vila Madalena have that same nonconformist and alternative touch of the neighborhood , something you have to discover if you want to really know how to live in one of the cultural hearts of Sao Paulo.
Transportation in the area: SĆ£o Paulo subway, Vila Madalena station, line 2, green In the neighborhood, you must be willing to enjoy its charming hotels and some boutique, to stay in SĆ£o Paulo otherwise.
– Accommodation in Vila Madalena
9.Bela Vista
Bela Vista is a residential district in the center of Sao Paulo, west of Pinheiros and ConsoloaƧao .Bela Vista is formed by two well-defined areas from a sociological point of view.
The neighbourhood of Morro de los Ingleses is a more affluent area and the highest also in height; while in the neighbourhood of Bixiga live more popular classes , heirs of the old European immigrant population that settled in the place in the middle and end of the 19th century.
In Bixiga, the famous cafes and theatres occupy buildings of modernist design, something that has turned this part of Bela Vista into an increasingly tourist destination.Also worthy of attention are the Oswaldo Cruz German Hospital, the very particular Gioconda Gianinni Glasses Museum (for glasses), the Bixiga Memory Museum (local history), a series of historic hospitals.
There are also quite a few theatres with history and class (Bibi Ferreira, Brigadeiro, Denoy de Oliveira, Frei Taza, Abril, Ćgora, Taller, Prensa or by RaĆŗl Cortez), located in singular buildings whose visit is already a spectacle.
A celebration not to be missed in the Bela Vista neighbourhood is the Festa de Nossa Senhora de Achiropita which takes place every August and was introduced in the 19th century by the Italian immigrants who settled in the city from Calabria.
The parish of Nossa Senhora de Achiropita is another remarkable landmark that is recommended to visit.A neo-baroque style temple founded by Italian immigrants in 1926 that offers a perspective of emigration and the Italian faith outside of Europe that is, to say the least, interesting.
To move around Bela Vista and connect with other parts of the city, you must use the green line of the SĆ£o Paulo Subway (line 2).
– Accommodation in Bela Vista
10.RepĆŗblica
RepĆŗblica is a commercial area which is very close to the historical centre of Sao Paulo, northwest of ConsolaƧao.The small district was part of the first expansion of the city in the nineteenth century, becoming known as the New Center.
Other references to visit are: the Republic Square, the Obelisk Piques , the oldest monument of the city (1814), the Post Office Palace and the Municipal Library of Sao Paulo.
The commercial streets to take into account in the area are the avenues of Ipiranga, Sao Joao and Largo do Arouche, where you can find branded stores and fast food restaurants, ideal to replenish your strength between visits and visits to outstanding places.
