Before You Start:
Welcome to the New York of Brazil, where the busy streets give you a thrill! Brigadeiro is one of the most elite neighborhoods of the city. As you stroll down Paulista Avenue, you cannot help but be reminded of Park Avenue in NYC, with skyscrapers, metro stops, and the constant rush hour of bodies. The streets exude wealth, power, and history. Brigadeiro highlights how São Paulo is one of the leading, fastest-rising cities for business. It is a region primarily composed of big, privatized buildings. The first thing that catches one’s eye is the architecture. Behind the historical buildings stands looming businesses and corporate offices, meshing the old with the new. After the completion of the Brigadeiro metro station in 1991, traveling to and from Avenida Paulista became easier and allowed paulistanos to commute to the workplace. Come with us and explore the architecture and history of Brigadeiro.
Boralá: Begin at Brigadeiro Metro station and continue forward towards R. Teixeira da Silva. To your left, across the street, you will see the Santa Catarina Hospital alongside the church named Capelo do Hospital Santa Catarina. As you continue to walk, you will be greeted by a blue wall promoting feminism, LBGTQ rights, and messages of self-love on the corner of. Posters such as these typically fill the empty walls of Avenida Paulista promoting upcoming protests and political events. If you see a poster promoting a protest that sparks your interest, do not hesitate to join!
Hospital Santa Catarina:
Hospital Santa Catarina was created in 1906 by an Austrian doctor by the name of Walter Seng, Don Miguel Kruse and most importantly, a nurse by the name of Sister Beata Heinrich. She wanted the Congregation of Santa Catarina to help people in São Paulo, as they were doing in other cities like Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul. As you walk along the hospital, you will see many interesting plaques and a big, beautiful church which shows its religious origins.The reason Hospital Santa Catarina is considered one of the most important hospitals in Brazil is because of their resources. Brazil’s health system is called The Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), meaning Unified Health System. The SUS’ priority is to give all Brazilians access to primary health care for free. Funding for SUS comes from taxes, social insurance contributions, out-of-pocket spending and employers’ health-care spending. Three quarters of the population use SUS as their source of healthcare. However, this is very expensive and not all public facilities have the resources for surgeries or specialized treatment. Hospital Santa Catarina is a private hospital, therefore, many surgeries or other types of exclusive care that are of high complexity and need high technology, more clinical staff, or cases of high risk pregnancies are sent here. They have a surgical center with facilities in anesthesia and constant monitoring of the patient, cardiac surgery and hemodynamics. The hospital also specializes in kidney and cornea transplants. However, you must be wondering why is there a private hospital, if SUS is free for everyone? In an elite area like Brigadeiro, there are many people of the upper class who want faster medical attention and do not want to be associated with the lower classes. Therefore, most elites use private medical facilities such as Santa Catarina.
Let’s Keep Going: After admiring the beautiful architecture of the hospital, continue down Av. Paulista where you will find what appears to be an old yellow mansion called The Casa das Rosas (The Rose Garden). A garden of roses surrounds the building and right behind it stands a glass skyscraper building where multiple businesses reside such as Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro and Albert Einstein, Ensino. To the left of the garden, do not hesitate to grab a cup of coffee from the small French cafe, II Pastaio.
Casas das Rosas: The Casa das Rosas honors some of Brazil’s most prominent poets, playwrights, and novelists of the early 20th century. When most paulistanos think of Casa das Rosas, the first name that comes to mind is Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo. Azevedo is responsible for some of São Paulo’s most prominent buildings such as the Municipal Theater and the São Paulo Public Market. In 1935, Azevedo moved him and his family into the home where he pulled most of his influence to create it from French architecture as seen through the 30 bedrooms, the courtyard and the rose garden. Casas das Rosas served as just another home on Avenida Paulista along with other mansions owned by millionaires. After his heirs moved out of the home in 1985, the city of São Paulo declared the Casas das Rosas a national landmark and opened it up as a museum. Due to São Paulo’s history of being a space where millions of paulistanos gather each day for protest and social events, the Casa das Rosas was renamed the Espaço Haroldo de Campos de Poesia e Literatura in 2004. The Casa das Rosas opens its doors to people of “various types” of backgrounds says one of the bodyguards João Maureceo.
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a mural!
Look up at the sky and say hi, once you look at his face, you will never want to say goodbye! One of the most beautiful parts of walking down this area, is a colorful mural of Oscar Niemeyer. As you continue to walk it is impossible to miss him. Simply continue to head towards Praça Da Oswaldo Cruz and you will be right underneath the man who started it all.
Oscar Niemeyer Mural: Along with Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo, Oscar Niemeyer was one of the most influential architects of Brazil. Niemeyer is most known for his designs in the capital of Brasilia. Due to his exile during the military dictatorship in 1974, Niemeyer is known in Paris, Spain, and Italy. Street artist Eduardo Kobra designed the gigantic and colorful mural of Niemeyer that overlooks Avenida Paulista in honor of his death in December of 2012. Kobra strategically placed the mural on one of Avenida Paulista’s most populated streets. The dedication to Niemeyer is not just artwork for the elite members who gather in Avenida Paulista each day, but also for those that have to commute hours each day to work.
If one looks close enough, he or she can recognize some of Niemeyer’s most popular works inside of the mural.
Shopping Time! I know after all this walking you must be starving! There are food trucks that are located under the mural of Oscar Niemeyer. They have churros, crepes, waffle burgers, Middle Eastern food, and much more. They close at 10:00pm from Monday-Thursday and 10:30pm on Friday-Sunday. Right after grabbing a snack to eat, the fun is not over. Behind the food trucks there is a prestigious building, with a beautiful grandfather clock in the center called the Shopping Patio Paulista opened on November 13, 1989. The second you enter you can tell the mall is located in a very privileged location due to its style, including even flower arrangements to decorate the mall with elegance and sophistication. The mall is composed of 234 stores, five floors, a movie theater and three floors of parking. It is a very popular and busy location, due to its diverse mix of fashion, food, services and leisure. There are major international brands such as Zara, MAC, L'Occitane, A2You , Calvin Klein Jeans, Sephora, among others. There are modern, beautiful lounges with sofas, armchairs and futons. In addition, there is a library and a VIP Patio in the parking lot, which offers a comfortable waiting room with air conditioning and lounge chairs. In 2011, they created a new space that has a family station with several exchangers, breastfeeding room with armchairs and a microwave. Every detail of this mall shows the wealth of the people in the neighborhood, with a demographic of mostly white and upper class shoppers, it’s a perfect final stop to end the tour.
Welcome to the New York of Brazil, where the busy streets give you a thrill! Brigadeiro is one of the most elite neighborhoods of the city. As you stroll down Paulista Avenue, you cannot help but be reminded of Park Avenue in NYC, with skyscrapers, metro stops, and the constant rush hour of bodies. The streets exude wealth, power, and history. Brigadeiro highlights how São Paulo is one of the leading, fastest-rising cities for business. It is a region primarily composed of big, privatized buildings. The first thing that catches one’s eye is the architecture. Behind the historical buildings stands looming businesses and corporate offices, meshing the old with the new. After the completion of the Brigadeiro metro station in 1991, traveling to and from Avenida Paulista became easier and allowed paulistanos to commute to the workplace. Come with us and explore the architecture and history of Brigadeiro.
Boralá: Begin at Brigadeiro Metro station and continue forward towards R. Teixeira da Silva. To your left, across the street, you will see the Santa Catarina Hospital alongside the church named Capelo do Hospital Santa Catarina. As you continue to walk, you will be greeted by a blue wall promoting feminism, LBGTQ rights, and messages of self-love on the corner of. Posters such as these typically fill the empty walls of Avenida Paulista promoting upcoming protests and political events. If you see a poster promoting a protest that sparks your interest, do not hesitate to join!
Hospital Santa Catarina:
Hospital Santa Catarina was created in 1906 by an Austrian doctor by the name of Walter Seng, Don Miguel Kruse and most importantly, a nurse by the name of Sister Beata Heinrich. She wanted the Congregation of Santa Catarina to help people in São Paulo, as they were doing in other cities like Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, Mato Grosso and Rio Grande do Sul. As you walk along the hospital, you will see many interesting plaques and a big, beautiful church which shows its religious origins.The reason Hospital Santa Catarina is considered one of the most important hospitals in Brazil is because of their resources. Brazil’s health system is called The Sistema Único de Saúde (SUS), meaning Unified Health System. The SUS’ priority is to give all Brazilians access to primary health care for free. Funding for SUS comes from taxes, social insurance contributions, out-of-pocket spending and employers’ health-care spending. Three quarters of the population use SUS as their source of healthcare. However, this is very expensive and not all public facilities have the resources for surgeries or specialized treatment. Hospital Santa Catarina is a private hospital, therefore, many surgeries or other types of exclusive care that are of high complexity and need high technology, more clinical staff, or cases of high risk pregnancies are sent here. They have a surgical center with facilities in anesthesia and constant monitoring of the patient, cardiac surgery and hemodynamics. The hospital also specializes in kidney and cornea transplants. However, you must be wondering why is there a private hospital, if SUS is free for everyone? In an elite area like Brigadeiro, there are many people of the upper class who want faster medical attention and do not want to be associated with the lower classes. Therefore, most elites use private medical facilities such as Santa Catarina.
Let’s Keep Going: After admiring the beautiful architecture of the hospital, continue down Av. Paulista where you will find what appears to be an old yellow mansion called The Casa das Rosas (The Rose Garden). A garden of roses surrounds the building and right behind it stands a glass skyscraper building where multiple businesses reside such as Banco Sumitomo Mitsui Brasileiro and Albert Einstein, Ensino. To the left of the garden, do not hesitate to grab a cup of coffee from the small French cafe, II Pastaio.
Casas das Rosas: The Casa das Rosas honors some of Brazil’s most prominent poets, playwrights, and novelists of the early 20th century. When most paulistanos think of Casa das Rosas, the first name that comes to mind is Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo. Azevedo is responsible for some of São Paulo’s most prominent buildings such as the Municipal Theater and the São Paulo Public Market. In 1935, Azevedo moved him and his family into the home where he pulled most of his influence to create it from French architecture as seen through the 30 bedrooms, the courtyard and the rose garden. Casas das Rosas served as just another home on Avenida Paulista along with other mansions owned by millionaires. After his heirs moved out of the home in 1985, the city of São Paulo declared the Casas das Rosas a national landmark and opened it up as a museum. Due to São Paulo’s history of being a space where millions of paulistanos gather each day for protest and social events, the Casa das Rosas was renamed the Espaço Haroldo de Campos de Poesia e Literatura in 2004. The Casa das Rosas opens its doors to people of “various types” of backgrounds says one of the bodyguards João Maureceo.
It’s a bird. It’s a plane. It’s a mural!
Look up at the sky and say hi, once you look at his face, you will never want to say goodbye! One of the most beautiful parts of walking down this area, is a colorful mural of Oscar Niemeyer. As you continue to walk it is impossible to miss him. Simply continue to head towards Praça Da Oswaldo Cruz and you will be right underneath the man who started it all.
Oscar Niemeyer Mural: Along with Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo, Oscar Niemeyer was one of the most influential architects of Brazil. Niemeyer is most known for his designs in the capital of Brasilia. Due to his exile during the military dictatorship in 1974, Niemeyer is known in Paris, Spain, and Italy. Street artist Eduardo Kobra designed the gigantic and colorful mural of Niemeyer that overlooks Avenida Paulista in honor of his death in December of 2012. Kobra strategically placed the mural on one of Avenida Paulista’s most populated streets. The dedication to Niemeyer is not just artwork for the elite members who gather in Avenida Paulista each day, but also for those that have to commute hours each day to work.
If one looks close enough, he or she can recognize some of Niemeyer’s most popular works inside of the mural.
Shopping Time! I know after all this walking you must be starving! There are food trucks that are located under the mural of Oscar Niemeyer. They have churros, crepes, waffle burgers, Middle Eastern food, and much more. They close at 10:00pm from Monday-Thursday and 10:30pm on Friday-Sunday. Right after grabbing a snack to eat, the fun is not over. Behind the food trucks there is a prestigious building, with a beautiful grandfather clock in the center called the Shopping Patio Paulista opened on November 13, 1989. The second you enter you can tell the mall is located in a very privileged location due to its style, including even flower arrangements to decorate the mall with elegance and sophistication. The mall is composed of 234 stores, five floors, a movie theater and three floors of parking. It is a very popular and busy location, due to its diverse mix of fashion, food, services and leisure. There are major international brands such as Zara, MAC, L'Occitane, A2You , Calvin Klein Jeans, Sephora, among others. There are modern, beautiful lounges with sofas, armchairs and futons. In addition, there is a library and a VIP Patio in the parking lot, which offers a comfortable waiting room with air conditioning and lounge chairs. In 2011, they created a new space that has a family station with several exchangers, breastfeeding room with armchairs and a microwave. Every detail of this mall shows the wealth of the people in the neighborhood, with a demographic of mostly white and upper class shoppers, it’s a perfect final stop to end the tour.