Bars in Vila Madalena - How to get there

If you are a foreigner in São Paulo, so surely someone has already told you Vila Madalena is the place to go if you want to go to a bar, have fun, meet people... in other words, to have a real night out.
Just to support this argument, check this search on Google Maps for the word "bar" in the neighborhood:

But you can also see on the map that the buzz is quite far from the nearest subway station, which is called Metrô Vila Madalena, but is actually in a neighboring area (indicated by the green arrow on the top of the image). Although you could say "I don't mind walking", you can see that most streets in the area are not straight. This was originally a very montainous area, so you will have lots of steep streets to go up and down. If you risk it on your way there, it will be impossible on your way back, after some drinks...

So I'll tell you another route to get to the same spot. You can check from the map above that the bars concentrate around some blocks of streets, between Rua Mourato Coelho, Rua Wisard, Rua Girassol and Rua Inacio Pereira da Rocha. If you get to these parts, you can simply walk around and find the bar or nightclub that suits you best, or where you spot more interesting people going in.

Focus on these two streets that lie to the east of the hub of bars: Rua Cardeal Arcoverde and Rua Teodoro Sampaio (to the right). On the map below you can see they are quite close to the location of bars, and, better still, only straight and plain streets connect them to the desired area. (Yes, the green area near the "A" is a cemetery). Av. Rebouças, that you see on the bottom, to the right, is also a good alternative for buses.

These are main streets served by many bus lines. Rua Cardeal Arcoverde runs from the top of the map to its bottom, so it will be perfect if you are coming from Centro, or from somewhere near Av. Paulista. Rua Teodoro Sampaio runs "up", so it will work for you if you are coming from some neighborhood in the south of the city of São Paulo. (From somewhere near Av. Brig. Faria Lima, for example).

To find which bus line might work for you, go to this website: www.sptrans.com.br

You will see this on the top of the page:

Click on LINHA DE ÔNIBUS (which means 'bus line' and this is what you want to know), then insert your address in the first slot, in front of DE/Endereço. Put an approximate number of your location. On the second part, complete like me: R. Cardeal Arcoverde N° 1600. Then click on "Buscar".

You will get some bus lines that will take you there, and their routes.


GOOD LUCK!!!



FOOD TRUCKS IN SÃO PAULO

A recent local regulation has established rules to allow for food trucks to sell food around the city. As the new ventures start to organize themselves and brand new trucks look for the best location in town, a pioneer idea has already taken shape in the format of a "Food Park".

BUTANTAN FOOD PARK is an otherwise unattractive space close to a busy hub of major thoroughfares, avenues, bridges and minor street. However, as a home to several food trucks and some stalls selling delicacies, it managed to become an almost pleasing setting, specially on a fine day, as, despite of a covered area with tables, most of its buzz takes place in the open.

Food vendors will take turns, so most likely when you come back after some time you will find different options to taste. In my visit last Saturday (June 6th) there were, among others, Argentine empanadas, Uruguayan sandwiches, Indian samosas, sweet and savory waffles, pork ribs, gourmet burguers, Argentine wines, ice creams, French pastries, churros, artisanal beers, apple pies, pasta, and the very Brazilian macaxeira.

The intention is not to offer cheap food, but rather items with some gourmet addition... most things ranged from 5 to 10 US dollars, but in the whole I believed they were worth the price.

All around the area there are communal wooden tables for you to share with other foodies. Avoid Sundays which are usually extremelly crowded. A Saturday afternoon would be a perfect time to visit.

Where?

R. Agostinho Cantu, 47 (in the neighborhood called Butantã)

Opening times: Mon-Wed 11am to 4pm/Thu-Sat 11am to 10pm/Sun 11am to 8pm

Within walking distance of the Butantã subway station (Yellow Line)

Shopping Streets in São Paulo

As I have mentioned before, I don't really appreciate malls... I think shopping outdoors is much more interesting. To help you out if you believe the same, I'm listing below some of the main shopping streets in São Paulo:

• Rua 25 de março - the main shopping street in Brazil. In November and December, no cars are allowed, as the streets are literally taken by the sheer number of avid shoppers. Estimates say that in this period of the year, more than 1 million people visit is shops every day. However, going at other times of the year, of an early morning, can be quite a fun experience, as you will find shops selling practically everything, but especially custom jewellery, costumes, decoration, fabrics, and household appliances. It is the right place if you are organizing a party.

• Rua Augusta - see a more detailed post about Rua Augusta here. From Av. Paulista towards the region called Jardins, there are mainly clothes stores, the occasional shoe store and snack bars; towards the city center, movie theaters, bars, shops selling vinyls and other vintage stuff. Great to hang around just browsing and sitting down for the occasional beer.

• Rua Teodoro Sampaio - three very clear sections: going up from Av. Faria Lima, up to the corner with R. Fradique Coutinho, there are shops selling popular clothes, but mainly shoes. From this point on, there are dozens of shops selling home furniture, and a good number selling mattresses. Going further up, beyond Praça Benedito Calixto, the street is the site for musicians! Several shops selling musical instruments sit side by side along both sidewalks. See map here: http://goo.gl/maps/OME1z

• Rua Santa Ifigênia - Electronics! In the heart of a dilapidated area in the city center, Rua Santa Ifigênia and its neighbors are home to virtually hundreds of shops selling everything from lighting, CD/DVD players, HD TV monitors, videogames, audio and sound equipment, computer and any IT accessories, AC adaptors, you name it. Prices are usually very good, but you must also check if products are legal, as some shops may sell smuggled goods. Always ask for a receipt. Also beware of pickpockets. This area is quite close to an area in town where crack users gather, so you are very likely to spot some heavy users around.

• Rua dos Pinheiros - Even though the neighborhood in itself is already served by a good number of restaurants, Rua dos Pinheiros gathers so many of them you would probably take about a week to taste them all... not to mention the cafés and sweet shops. There are Italian, Brazilian, Mexican, Japanese, Portuguese restaurants... Just walk around and feel the smell.

This map can give you an idea...

 

Shopping Malls in São Paulo

I certainly would not recommend a Shopping Mall if you want to experience the city, but I must admit they may come in handy in some occasions, particularly if you want a cheap no-hassle meal.
Among the 53 (and counting), these are some of the most centrally located malls in São Paulo:

Shopping Light - right in the heart of the city - www.shoppinglight.com.br

Shopping Pátio Higienópolis - in a very traditional and upscale neighborhood, though in a very central area - www.patiohigienopolis.com

Shopping West Plaza - large, doesn't have much character, but is easily accessible via innumerable bus lines and still within walking distance from the Barra Funda subway station - www.westplaza.com.br

Shopping Bourbon - one of the newest malls in the city; a little bit dark, but offers a good mix - www.bourbonshopping.com.br

Shopping Center 3 - small compared to the others in this list, but very well located. Ample choice of fast-food restaurants, and an extremely interesting 'designers market' held in its corridors on Sundays - www.shoppingcenter3.com.br

Shopping Patio Paulista - nice location, near several cultural centers and the Paraiso subway station - www.shoppingpaulista.com.br

Shopping Eldorado - large, very interesting variety of shops, cafés, restaurants. It also has a large supermarket inside its premises - www.shoppingeldorado.com.br

Shopping Iguatemi - the most sophisticated mall in the city, home to several international top brands - www.iguatemisp.com.br

See link below for map with locations:
https://mapsengine.google.com/map/edit?mid=zwEE05c03lno.k6bobxIUn9t0



...

Intercity/Interstate/International Bus Terminal

Rodoviária do Tietê

Train services are virtually nonexistent in Brazil, therefore traveling from city to city must be done by bus (if not by plane). Intercity bus services in Brazil are quite reliable and punctual. 

São Paulo has 3 intercity bus terminals: 

Terminal Rodoviário Jabaquara - connected with the Jabaquara subway station on the blue line - buses to Santos and the southern coast of the state of São Paulo.

Terminal Rodoviário Barra Funda - connected with the Barra Funda subway station on the red line - buses to the west of the state of São Paulo, Center-west region of Brazil, and Bolivia.

And the largest bus terminal in Brazil, most commonly known as "Rodoviária do Tietê": 

Terminal Rodoviário do Tietê - Connected to the Tietê subway station on the blue line, it serves 65 bus companies that operate 300 lines, heading to 1,033 cities in 21 of the Brazilian states, and going as far as 4 countries in South America (Argentina, Chile, Paraguay, and Uruguay). 

If you are going by car or by bus, the address is:

Av. Cruzeiro do Sul, 1800 
Santana - 02030-000
São Paulo 
subway station: Portuguesa-Tietê
Phone number: 11 3866 1100


The bus terminal is quite clean and organized, and offers a good choice of souvenir shops and eateries. Toilets are also ok (you must pay to use them). However, it is also very large. To avoid getting lost or losing time, visit it some day before your actual trip (for example, go there to buy your tickets), so you find your bearings and do not get exasperated on the day of your trip. And it is not too much to say to keep your belongings close to you at all times. 

For a list of the cities served by the buses, see here .

For a map of the terminal, click here.

Boarding gates at the underground level

Some bus companies sell tickets online... try it here:

http://rodoviariadotiete.net/

To conclude, one warning: check the calendar of Brazilian holidays and avoid at all costs to travel in the evening before a long holiday... the Rodoviária will be overwhelmingly crowded! Just do it if your humor is above average!

And have a nice trip!

RUA AUGUSTA - Walking Along

RUA AUGUSTA – Downtown

Right next to the Consolação subway station, Avenida Paulista is crossed by Rua Augusta. Going all the way from the city center to the sophisticated (and snobbish) area of São Paulo called Jardins (“Gardens”), Rua Augusta has nothing in itself that could attract much attention; it is not wide nor beautiful. However, it offers several interesting options.

The half of Augusta that leads to the city center (signaled by the Banco Safra building on the corner) is called “Baixo Augusta” on its first blocks. This is probably the area where you will meet all the interesting, alternative and exotic types of São Paulo. A clearly gay-friendly area (the parallel Rua Frei Caneca and the shopping mall of the same name are commonly referred to as ‘Gay Caneca’), it is also full of intellectual types, tattooed girls, not to mention prostitutes and transvestites that can be seen at night.  If you have no money to spend on a club but want to have a night out, this is the place to go. Going down from Avenida Paulista, the first blocks are full of laid back bars in which people sit on plastic tables on almost every corner; going further down, you reach the area called Baixo Augusta, full of clubs. But actually most of the party takes place on the street… on Saturday night cars can barely move. At 4am the street has probably more people circulating than at 4pm…

These are some of the highlights:

·    At number 1611 is the side entrance to Shopping Center 3, a small mall which offers several fast food options, but more interestingly, an arts and crafts market on its corridors every Sunday. But these are not traditional/boring crafts, but quite modern and creative stuff.

·    A Mexican fast food called Tollocos is located at # 1524

·    A cool movie complex, Espaço Itau de Cinema, at Rua Augusta, 1475 is famous not only for the modern audience, but also for opening its doors for not-so-commercial flicks, such as European or arts movies.

·    After the film, why not go for a slice of pizza? The first place to sell pizza by the slice in São Paulo is nearby, at 1463; it is called “O Pedaço da Pizza”.

·    Cross the street and walk down some steps for a different option: an Indian fast food. Nice, varied and cheap food – approved by my Indian friend. Madhu, Rua Augusta, 1420.

·     At #1372 is a cool store housing several ‘boxes’ (literally) where designers may sell their objects, among which are glasses, costume jewellery, and clothes.

·     If you are into music and movies, and looking for something old or sold out, this might be a place to spend one or two hours… all kinds of Brazilian and imported CDs and DVDs on sale.

·     The modern, healthy-looking and attractive fast food at 1360 reminds me of “Pret a Manger”, where I used to eat in London… here it is called “Pic Nic”.

This should be enough to have you walking down some blocks further, and you will come across hair salons, bars, clubs, as well as one of the major comedy clubs in São Paulo… If you enjoy people watching, you will have tons of fun.

RUA AUGUSTA - Walking Along

RUA AUGUSTA – Southward

Right next to the Consolação subway station, Avenida Paulista is crossed by Rua Augusta. Going all the way from the city center to the sophisticated (and snobbish) area of São Paulo called Jardins (“Gardens”), Rua Augusta has nothing in itself that could attract much attention; it is not wide nor beautiful. However, it offers several interesting options.

The southbound half of Augusta (signaled by the Banco do Brasil building on the corner) is also called “lado Jardins”. Amid several clothes and shoes shops, and the kilo restaurants, the highlights on this stretch of the street are:

·  On the block between Avenida Paulista and Alameda Santos lies a group of buildings and shopping arcade collectively known as Conjunto Nacional.  On the ground floor, among some clothes shops, drugstores, candy stores and the like, lies the most beloved bookstore in São Paulo: Livraria Cultura. It has branches in other shopping malls, but it was born here and it has expanded its empire. Cultura has now five separate shops in the area, including one for geeks (with videogames and other geek paraphernalia), one for art books and a deliciously cozy megastore, with a nice café inside. It also holds a theater (Teatro Eva Herz) and a movie theather (Cine Cultura).

Apparently a regular street

·   Going down for one more block you will find a McDonald’s, a Habibs (local fast food restaurant which offers a good cost/benefit relation – and probably the cheapest ice cream in town, a scone for R$ 2,50), a Subway (near #1954) and a Starbucks (at # 1967, on the corner with Alameda Jau).

·  Just opposite, at number 2014 lies a shop selling funny and alternative T-shirts.

·  Rua Augusta, 2075 is home to Cinesesc, a movie theather holding unusual film festivals, providing a space for alternative, independent or classical movies, as well as flicks in languages other than English. The venue also boasts one of the finest and cheapest cafés in this area. You can drop by just to have a cup of coffee and you will not regret it.

·  Two branches of Escola São Paulo, at 2074 and 2113. Bearing the slogan “Creative Economy”, the school offers free courses of design, photography, fashion, cinema and the like.

·  From this point on, Rua Augusta becomes a reference point for the sophisticated area called Jardins. Most of the perpendicular streets bring top-notch shops, restaurants and bars, especially Alameda Lorena and Oscar Freire, which is home to several luxury brands, Brazilian or international, which hold here snobbish shops and concept stores.

·  Galeria Ouro Fino, a shopping arcade at number 2690, is famous for the alternative shops, catering for those interested in alternative fashion, and those looking for cool and creative gifts.