A few thoughts on São Paulo

I didn’t know anything about São Paulo when I arrived there last week.

Crayton had told me it was big, but I didn’t expect how big: skyscrapers and high-rise apartment towers, a solid chain of them, squeezed together end-to-end on the horizon like a mountain range. Multi-story buildings loomed against the highways. More people technically lived in Mexico City, but São Paulo felt like Gotham from the Batman movies. I was dwarfed — slapped — by its grit and bustle almost immediately. (Where were the charming four-story art deco buildings that I know and love?)

I liked the place right away. São Paulo is the fastest-growing economy in Latin America. There’s a sense of urgency and order there that doesn’t exist in Mexico City. People have places to go, money to make. I ended up on Avenida Paulista my first day in town — it’s a wide avenue lined with skyscrapers, and the center of the city’s financial district. People in suits rushed by, talking on cell phones and texting. They crossed at the stoplights en masse and then disappeared into the subway stations. It felt just like New York.

São Paulo is super expensive, but since I was on vacation, I did a lot of upscale Paulista things that I wouldn’t have been able to do if I lived there. I wandered around the Jardim Paulista — a high-end Polanco-like neighborhood — and bought a lacy scarf and yummy-smelling hand soap from a boutique. (“Is this a gift?” the soap lady asked me. “Oh no, it’s for me,” I said, kind of embarrassed.) I booked a day tour with Around SP and visited some really cool São Paulo markets.

And we braved the traffic. Every Paulista has a car, so it takes at least 30 minutes — repeat, at least — to get anywhere. Crayton and I debated over whose traffic was worse, DF or SP. We were split down the middle.

Overall, I was only there for two days, but I left feeling intrigued and kind of mystified. São Paulo didn’t seem like an easy place to live, but it hinted that it rewarded the people who stuck it out.

On another note, I apologize for the lack of posting lately. I was traveling most of November, then sick, and now I’m finally feeling better. I promise things will be busier around here in the next few months. More photos from São Paulo and Rio to come!