Top 20 Facts about the city of São Paulo

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Top 20 Facts about the city of São Paulo

São Paulo is the capital of Brazil’s largest state, also called São Paulo. It is home to more than 41 million people.

The city is known for its large helicopter fleet, wet weather, gastronomy and the skyscrapers. It also hosted to 1950 and 2014 FIFA World Cup.

São Paulo is ranked among the top 10 most populous cities in the world. It is Brazil’s largest urban area, bigger than Rio de Janeiro. The city has numerous cultural institutions and a rich architectural tradition.

The buildings in the city are a mix of a neo-Gothic cathedral and the 1929 Martinelli skyscraper to the modernist curvy Edifício Copan.

Here are some facts about the City.

1. From a village to a megacity

São Paulo was founded in 1554 by two priests, Manuel da Nóbrega and José de Anchieta who were on a mission to convert the Piratininga natives to catholic religion.

In 1560 Piratininga grew to a village when people started moving to the region. It grew from a poor village to a city in 1711 when the locals started growing sugarcane in the provinces. 

The 20th century saw the boom of factories and the arrival of immigrants who moved to work there. The megacity is now the center of commerce and technology in Latin America.

Today, São Paulo is a centre of commerce, services and technology, and some people consider it the most important Latin American city.

2. It is the Industrial city of Brazil

São Paulo is the commercial and industrial center of Brazil. There are factories and stores that produce and sell different products.

The range is diverse from expensive shops to commercial districts with affordable shops selling clothes, and electronics.

3. The Oldest Museum in the city

Ana Paula Hirama – wikimedia

The Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo is one of the most valued art’s museums in Brazil.

It was founded on December 24, 1905, and was instituted as a state museum in 1911.

There is a wide range collection of Brazilian art that displays the 19th-century paintings and sculptures. Modernist artworks are also showcased. 

4. An iconic landmark in São Paulo

One of the greatest landmarks in São Paulo is the municipal theater of São Paulo. 

The architecture and historical value of the building is quite significant to the modern art-week show in 1922 that revolutionized art in the country. 

It now houses the São Paulo municipal symphonic orchestra, the lyric choir and the city ballet of São Paulo.

5. The Largest coffee plantation 

São Paulo has one of the largest coffee plantations in the country. The biological institute in Vila Mariana has over 1,500 coffee plants.

The state host a taste of the harvest event during the beginning of the coffee harvest.

Brazil has been producing a third of all coffee globally for the past 150 years. Coffee was first grown in the country in the 18th century,

6. Famous for the helicopters

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It is common to hear whirring helicopters every few minutes in São Paulo. The city has more than 200 helipads in its tall buildings, with over 500 registered helicopters.

There are at least 700 flights per day in the city, the largest in the world. This mode of transport is used mainly by the opulent in the city to avoid the crazy traffic in the streets down below.

7.  Exclusive Sumo Gymnasium

This city has the only gymnasium exclusively used for sumo sports outside of Japan, located in Bom Retiro.

This sport has been practised in São Paulo since the 80s. In 2011, the wrestlers were allocated the special gymnasium for practice and competitions.   

8. Buses are more convenient for transport in  the city

For a more convenient and affordable movement across the city, taking the bus is the most preferred option. There is over 16,000 fleet of buses in the city.

The buses have dedicated lanes that ease traffic and are faster compared to taking a taxi. 

They are better than the subway since they get you to locations that the subway grid wouldn’t.

9. Home to the Corinthians

By Alexandre Breveglieri – wikimedia

Brazil is known for its love of football. The people in the different cities in the country definitely identify with a football team or play in one. 

São Paulo has a number of football clubs among them the Corinthians.  

This club was started a century ago by a group of railroad workers and has grown to be one of the best clubs in the country.

The team has produced world-class players that play in English premier leagues and best players in the world cup in 2012.

10. The state, the city and the people 

São Paulo in itself is a state and a city at the same time. The locals of the city and the state identify by either Paulista or Paulistano.

Those born in the city refer to themselves as Paulistano while those born elsewhere in the state refer to themselves as Paulista. 

Paulistanos may be seen as proud and privileged for being from the city, unlike their state counterparts. 

This may soon be a thing of the past as the city keeps growing and may be hard to tell a Paulista from a Paulistano.

11. The City of drizzle

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São Paulo is known as the city of drizzle because of its unpredictable weather. 

The city has mostly overcast skies prompting one to always dress accordingly.

The Paulistas are used to frequent rainstorms causing flooding in the state. 

12. Street Art is appreciated in São Paulo

Graffiti on the streets of the city has been approved by the city authorities, just like Rio de Janeiro. 

One famous street is Beco do Batman, an open-air wall-gallery. The art started in the 80s with a single drawing of the DC superhero character batman, other artists soon followed suit and spray painted their art on the walls. 

The street is located in the Vila Madalena district. Its cobblestone back street is an open-air gallery for some of São Paulo’s finest street artists.

13. International Cuisine in São Paulo

Gastronomy in São Paulo is the most dynamic on the continent. The city has more immigrants than any other country in South America.

The Italians, Jews and Japanese lead in numbers among other immigrants.

With leading numbers so does their cuisine, the city prides itself in having the best pizza in the world at Vila Madalena district.

The Liberdade district is famous for Japanese sushi and bars and fried goodies.

The city consumes approximately 1 million pizzas per day.

14. Arts and Crafts shopping in Embu das Artes

This colonial town is 18 miles (ca. 29 km) northeast of São Paulo city. It has historical buildings among them the 17th century Church of Our Lady of the Rosary.

The town is famous for its artists and craftsmen that hold weekly fair selling their pieces of art, home decor, clothes, furniture and paintings.

Embu municipality is full of art galleries, antique shops, bars and restaurants.

15. Ibirapuera Park São Paulo

This park was opened in 1954 during the 400th-anniversary celebrations of São Paulo. It receives an estimate of 14 million visitors annually.

The park was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, a famous Brazilian architect.

 He designed most of the buildings in the park such as the grand Marquise, a big wavy canopy supported by 121 columns.

Ibirapuera park receives at least 300,000 visitors per week. It has been compared to other big parks in cities such as Ueno Park in Tokyo, Central Park in New York, and Hyde Park in London.

The park has museums too; Museu Afro-Brasil, Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Museu de Arte Moderna 

16. São Paulo Big Market

São Paulo largest covered urban market was officially opened in 1933, it was designed by  architect Francisco de Paula Ramos de Azevedo.

 The two architects worked on the stained-glass and the regal columns in the market.

Mercadão, as it is commonly referred to in São Paulo, has a wide range of agricultural products grown in the country. There are tropical fruits, exotic spices and homemade sauces too.

The food stalls at the market have specialized food menus that make local delicacies with a Brazilian touch.

17. Ilhabela, the sailing capital in São Paulo

This beautiful archipelago befitting a high-end vacation is loved and frequented by the rich in São Paulo.

It is the biggest island in Brazil, located 126 miles (ca. 203 km) outside the São Paulo city. 

The tropical island has beautiful white sandy beaches, volcanic peaks, and numerous waterfalls, quite a magical island.

The island is a UNESCO protected site with over 40 beaches, it is also known as the sailing capital of Brazil.  It has numerous restaurants, souvenir stores and ice cream shops too.

18. Wine tasting in São Paulo

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Natural wineries in São Paulo are diverse and quite lively a reflection of the increasing natural wine scene in the country.  

Restaurants, pubs and wine stores that sell locally made wine have broadened their market base from their previous small circle clienteles, attracting more wine lovers across the board.

Some well-known spots are  Pinheiros, Jardins, and Vila Madalena. They sell more than 150 labels of natural and organic wine. 

The restaurants and bars pair their menus with the wines and cheeses. Other than selling wine, they also have wine tastings. 

19. Tourist magnet in Brazil

The city of São Paulo is the largest tourist destination in the whole of Brazil, it receives at least 12.5 million tourists annually. 

This has led to an increase in the number of hotels in the city and the continent. There are 410 hotels with 42,000 rooms.

Other than the usual tourists, the city is also frequented by health tourists who travel in search of the best doctors at an affordable price.

20. Organic food market São Paulo

São Paulo holds three market days a week at the Agua Branca Park. Organic farmers et to sell their locally produced harvest at an affordable price.

There are fresh vegetables, spices, fruits, fresh fruit juices, jams, eggs and many more products. 

The farmers market is usually open on Tuesdays (morning & evening), Saturday and Sunday morning. 

The market offers a variety of options for shoppers. Some farmers sell breakfast that one can have at the market.