Let Sao Paulo surprise you

Photo: Collection/SPTuris

With almost 11 million citizens, Sao Paulo is the fourth largest city in the world. To be honest, it feels like a lot of different cities in one. It doesn'te matter what you're looking for, you will find it here.


The city of gastronomy
It offers over 12.5 thousand restaurants of 52 different kinds of cuisine, 15 thousand bars,  3.2 bakery shops, 500 churrascarias (all-you-can-eat steak houses), 250 japanese restaurants and 1.5 thousand pizza places. Sao Paulo is home to Alex Atala, considered one of the 20 most influential chefs of the world presented at MadridFusion. 


Culture and entertainment
Sampa, as it is known to its citizens, has 160 theaters, 110 museums, 260 projection rooms in 55 cinemas, 40 cultural centers, 64 parks and green areas, 7 theme parks (in the greater Sao Paulo area), 7 great show arenas, 294 rooms for concerts and and shows, a thousand gyms, 2 yatch clubs, 12 golf clubs, 7 soccer stadiums, one international racetrack. Pay attention to the architecture of buildings, designed by great artists such as Ruy Othake and Oscar Niemeyer, as well as to the graffitti of OSGEMEOS and others.


Events
Considered the south american capital of trade fairs, São Paulo is among the top 15 destinations for international events in the world (12º place). It holds 75% of brazilian trade fairs and 90 thousand events each year (1 every 6 minutes). In 2010, its Great Prix received 140 thousand people, its International Automobile attracted 750 thousand people and its Gay Parade carried 3 million people through the main streets of the city.


Shopping
With 240 thousand stores and 79 shopping malls, São Paulo is a paradise for shoppers. From popular commerce such as the crazy 25 de março street to the high end Oscar Freire street - the eighth most glamourous in the world. Places like Cidade Jardim mall, with a store that has a helicopter AND a yatch in it, made the name of the city.


Accommodation
If you're worried about where you're gonna take a break from it all, do not despair! The city has 42 thousand hotel rooms in 410 establishments. One of them, Fasano hotel, is considered the 14th best in the world by Condé Nast Traveller.


Nightlife
If São Paulo has many faces, its nightlife reflects them all. From luxurious and expensive nightclubs to laid back bars, where you can listen to all kinds of electronic music, underground and classic rock, pop/rock bands, 80's and 90's flachback and typical brazilian sounds such as "Sertanejo" (a type of country-music) and, of course, Samba. While bars open early, clubs often don't open before 11 p.m. And most people will arrive by midnight or 1 a.m. Most importantly, you can always find a place to go way after the sun rises - afterhours last until noon or so.
*Numbers by Observatorio do Turismo da Cidade de São Paulo, at www.cidadedesaopaulo.com  


Sao Paulo is all that and much more. This blog is a declaration of love to a city that, built by immigrants, makes you feel at home, regardless of where you come from.