São Paulo

São Paulo is both the name of a state, as well as, a city. Those born in the city of São Paulo are called “Paulistanos.” Those born in the state of São Paulo but, not in its capital, are called “Paulistas.”

São Paulo state has 645 municipalities and a population of approximately 40 million inhabitants. According to IBGE, Brazil’s main government research institute, the population in the city of São Paulo is about 11 million inhabitants. If we take into account the metropolitan area, which includes 38 smaller cities around the capital, the population is almost 19,000,000 inhabitants. In Brazil, 81.3% of the population lives in urban areas even though the amazon rainforest covers up to 57% of the total area of Southern hemisphere’s largest country. This urban concentration helps to explain why it is more expensive to rent an office in São Paulo than in New York City.

One of the biggest challenges of living in São Paulo is definitively the commute. In São Paulo, the average traffic jams on Friday evenings is 180km (112 miles) and as long as 295km (183 miles) on bad days according to local traffic engineers. However, smart visitors can get a free pass if they stay in Jardins, Higienópolis or Centro as most sights, galleries, restaurants and shops will be within easy reach. There are 420 helicopters registered in São Paulo, a total second only to New York, according to the Brazilian Association of Helicopter Pilots. In São Paulo state there are 700 registered helicopters and 1,900 in Brazil.

São Paulo is home to the largest Japanese diaspora in the world. There are 1.5 million people of Japanese origin living in SP. The architect Ruy Othake, one of the most emblematic Japanese-Brazilians, is the head behind the half-moon-shaped Hotel Unique, one of São Paulo’s most recognizable landmarks and South America´s most surprising hotel. São Paulo’s “Japan town” neighborhood is called Liberdade, which means “freedom” in Portuguese, and has a McDonald´s with a Japanese-style garden around the back.

São Paulo is home to the world’s largest gay parade. According to the organizers, 3.5 million people attended the 17^th Gay Pride parade and the festivities that followed on June 2, 2013. According to Paul Thompson, founder of LGBT Capital, a specialist asset management and corporate advisory business for this sector, the Brazilian LGBT market is worth R$ 300 billion (US$133 billion) and is booming. This estimate puts Brazil’s gay market only behind its European ($870 billion), American ($750 billion) and Chinese ($300 billion) counterparts.

Other large events organized in the city include The São Silvestre Race, which attracts on average 15,000 runners from about 20 countries and the Formula 1 Grand Prix in Interlagos. In fact, more than 90,000 events are organized in the São Paulo city per year, including one of the world’s most important Auto Show.