Andréa Novais

Andréa Novais


The Brazil Business

Updated

House Hunting in São Paulo

Andréa Novais

Andréa Novais


The Brazil Business

Updated

This article will give you a profile of the neighborhoods in São Paulo ranked as the ones with the higher concentration of foreigners.

Background

São Paulo is the destination of most businessmen coming to Brazil and over the years, the city has managed to build upscale neighborhoods in order to attend to this demand. The most popular neighborhoods are Itaim, Pinheiros, Jardins, Moema, Vila Nova Conceição, Vila Mariana, Brooklin and Paraíso.

Besides upscale houses and apartments, all these neighborhoods offer a particular characteristic that is seen as a plus to specific groups of foreigners, but safety, presence of international restaurants and schools, and proximity to the workplace are also desirable features.

Neighborhoods and Nationalities

All the eight neighborhoods share a very similar quality pattern as all of them have a fair share of green areas and upscale restaurants, schools and services, and are adequate to any foreign willing to establish in the city. However, some of them are famous for its historical concentration of specific nationalities, as it matches cultural profiles.

Also, age is an important aspect, as young businessmen who come to São Paulo alone, regardless on the nationality, are likely to look for an area where it is possible to have some fun after a workday. For these people, the most attractive areas are Jardins and Moema. This group of people usually look for modern furnished flats, that are easy to keep clean and organized, and that offer access to laundry and cleaning services.

Those who are a little bit older and bring their families to São Paulo, seek safety and logistic comfort, as it is important that to live close to work and good schools, specially international ones.

Moema and Jardins: Americans

This neighborhood attracts foreigners for its high level of quality of life and the proximity to good schools and major roads, such as Av. 23 de Maio. It is the favorite destination to Americans and young businessmen, as it concentrates several bars and clubs.

Americans also value proximity to their workplace and look for apartments in one of the neighborhoods of the Jardins area, as it is located among Av. Paulista, Av. Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, Av. 9 de Julho and Av. Rebouças, offering easy access to main financial centers and a variety of upscale services such as restaurants and stores.

This area, along with Moema, tends to attract Americans, as many companies demand that their employees must live in condominiums. Many of these companies hire risk control agencies, so that they can evaluate the security of the area where the house is located and Jardins and Moema areas are very well ranked.

Brooklin is also a considerable neighborhood as it is located between Av. Das Nações Unidas and Bandeirantes. The neighborhood is a mixture of houses and apartment blocks, containing good commercial infrastructure and green areas.

Alto da Boa Vista: Germans

Germans tend to prefer neighborhoods that are famous for sheltering German immigrants in the past. For this group of people, Alto da Boa Vista, located on the south side of the city, is the perfect option. It has German schools and restaurants, besides offering more houses rather than apartments.

Paraíso and Liberdade: Japanese

Japanese are concentrated in Paraíso neighborhood, as it has lots of Asian restaurants and stores and is very close to Liberdade neighborhood, which is almost like a Japanese colony in the heart of São Paulo.

Ibirapuera Region: French

French people prefer Vila Mariana, Vila Nova Conceição and Moema, as it is close to Ibirapuera park. Ibirapuera area is a very popular location for foreigners, mainly because of the park's lure, but also due to the growth of the office space nearby Itaim.

Another advantage is the proximity to the domestic airport Congonhas, as well as the city's largest shopping mall, Ibirapuera. Some of the problems though are heavy traffic and poor public transportation.

Prices

São Paulo is the most expensive city to live in Brazil. In general, renting an apartment in an upscale area ranges from BRL 4.000,00 to BRL 12.000,00 per month. Properties ranging 150sqm in one of the neighborhoods mentioned previously cost an average of monthly BRL 9.000,00.

Just to give an idea, some CEOs rent 440sqm apartments that range from BRL 55.000,00 to 60.000,00.

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