So here’s my new neighborhood: Vila Mariana.

South of the centre of the city, it’s one of São Paulo’s most bohemian neighborhoods. When I found the place on Airbnb I mailed a friend and former colleague, who had lived in São Paulo for three years, to inquire whether this area was a good one.

‘Book it’ was the short answer, it’s one of the best places to be.

And indeed, I really like it. My street, Rua Aurea, is nice and quiet, lined with trees, no traffic. Nearby Rua Joaquim Távora is filled with restaurants, little bars, and full of life. And they all look good! No way I will be able to test them all and find a favorite.

Close by is Parque do Ibirapuera (meaning: rotten tree in the native language), which I will explore in the coming days.

Yesterday I walked around a bit in the evening, the area is mostly residential, small houses (often behind fences, but safe) and a couple of residential high-risers thrown in. Luckily, some with a bit of color, an odd form of balconies or something else that sets them apart.

It seems the growing Metropolis needs more housing, so going up is the thing to do. It’s not necessarily beautiful architecture, but Europe has seen worse, not only in the former East. Those high apartment buildings ain’t nothing like Berlin Mahrzahn or similar Parisian suburbs.

I had a couple of beers in a bar, and some bruschetta, which rather turned out like tiny pizzas, as they came topped with melted cheese… I’m not complaining…

Funnily, Monday is a night when nearly all bars close early, at totally un-brasilian early hours. 10 pm or 11pm and that’s it. Well, it was enough time to get tipsy on a couple of not-too-strong Brazilian beer.