São Paulo is bursting with creativity, from its one-off boutiques and galleries to authentic gastronomic temples.
More from Travel + Leisure
Lay of the Land:
Centro: The once-gritty city center has been reborn, thanks to an influx of nightclubs and restaurants.
Higienópolis: Art lovers won’t want to miss this up-and-coming neighborhood, known for its Modernist architecture and galleries.
Jardins: The top hotels are located here, and the tree-lined Rua Oscar Freire has the city’s most exclusive shopping.
Pinheiros: Sandwiched between Vila Madalena and Jardins, Pinheiros has a rich, multicultural feel, with a wide range of ethnic shops and cafés.
Vila Madalena: São Paulo’s answer to New York City’s West Village is filled with pint-size shops and lounges.
Getting Around
Taxis are the best and safest way to navigate the city (roughly $15 for a 10-minute ride). Luckily, they’re ubiquitous—just try to avoid rush-hour periods (7:30–10 a.m. and 5–8 p.m.).
São Paulo: Shop
São Paulo is full of avant-garde fashion, accessories, furniture, and more.
Colorful, boho-chic dresses and tunics are displayed on luggage trolleys at Brazilian designer Adriana Barra’s new flagship store, in Jardins. Barra also creates the vivid prints for the home-furnishings collection on the second floor.
Galeria Melissa (pictured) is a mecca for plastic and rubber footwear. Expect stylish sandals, sneakers, and kitten heels by Vivienne Westwood, Karim Rashid, and Jason Wu, among others; the rotating installations by local artists at the massive entranceway draw even the non-shoe obsessed.
The woven baskets, wooden bracelets, and carved objets d’art at Projeto Terra have all been made by regional artisans using sustainable materials. And the shopping is guilt-free; a portion of the profits is reinvested in local communities. 150 Rua Harmonia, Vila Madalena.
At the rustic-chic Oficina de Agosto, sibling owners Antônio Carlos Bech and Sonia Bech Vitaliano work with craftsmen from the state of Minas Gerais, in the southeast, who produce rough-hewn trunks, whitewashed-framed mirrors, and brightly hued wooden sculptures. 243 Rua Harmonia, Vila Madalena.
São Paulo: See + Do
In the Vila Madalena district, Beco do Batman(Rua Gonçalo Afonso) is a long, graffiti-lined alley that continually evolves as street artists add new works. For a more traditional experience, swing byMuseu de Arte de São Paulo (1578 Avda. Paulista, Bela Vista); the 1968 Modernist building houses one of the most comprehensive Western art collections (ranging from Botticelli to Diego Rivera)in the Southern Hemisphere. São Paulo is a hotbed for contemporary art galleries: there’s newcomerRaquel Arnaud (125 Rua Fidalga), which represents more than 20 Brazilian artists, including sculptor Frida Baranek; Galeria Vermelho (350 Rua Minas Gerais), showcasing experimental works by international talent such as provocative Danish art collective Superflex; and Galeria Fortes Vilaca (1500 Rua Fradique Coutinho), one of the city’s largest gallery spaces. Leave time to see Oscar Niemeyer’s Auditório Ibirapuera and the impressive collection of Brazilian paintings, sculptures, and artifacts from the 1960’s at Museu de Arte Contemporânea (160 Rua da Praça do Relógio).
See the rest of the story at Business Insider