São Paulo/Southeast

In the first half of the 20th century, the Southeast was mostly occupied by industries and working class neighborhoods, with a large number of foreign immigrants. During São Paulo's great economic and populational growth during the second half of the 20th century, industries have been replaced by services, or moved to peripherical areas of the city. Foreign immigrants and their descendants advanced to middle and high social classes.

Nowadays, the Southeast remains heavily populated by immigrants and their descendants, mostly Italians, but also Spanish, Japanese (most from Okinawa), Portuguese, Lithuanian, Lebanese, Koreans and Yugoslavians. There is also a large number of migrants from the Northeast of the country. Verticalization is accelerate and progressing towards the east part of the region. This is attracting shops and restaurants to the area, but it is also causing problems, including increase of traffic and pollution.

Besides, buildings from the industrial era of the region are disappearing, with a significant number of them only remaining in the Brás and Belém districts. Tatuapé is the center of gastronomy, shopping and nightlife in the Southeast, and Museu do Ipiranga, probably the most beautiful museum of the entire São Paulo state, is one of the primary reasons to visit the region.

Brás is also one of the busiest centers of popular commerce in São Paulo, and it is particularly important for the Christian Pentecostal community: the district is home to the central churches of Congregação Cristã and Igreja Mundial do Poder de Deus, and the new colossal cathedral of Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus, a replica of King Solomon's temple, is being constructed there.

• 🌍 Aquário de São Paulo, Rua Huet Bacelar, 407 - Ipiranga (Near Imigrantes station), ☏ +55 11 2273-5500. Daily 09:00-18:00. The largest oceanarium in South America, with 1 million liters of seawater and 300 different animal species. A night visit, with flashlight and dinner included, can also be scheduled by groups (more costly than regular visit). R$45 for kids aged 2 to 12 years, and R$90 for the full ticket. (updated May 2019)
• Basílica Nossa Senhora da Penha (Our Lady of Penhaa), Rua Santo Afonso, 199. Penha. One of the oldest churches of São Paulo. 
• 🌍 Cemitério da Vila Formosa, Praça Estevão Ribeiro Neto, Carrão. With 780,000 m², Cemitério da Vila Formosa is the largest necropolis of Latin America, with most of the 1.5 million buried people belonging to low and low middle classes. Interestingly, the cemetery is used for leisure and sports by locals, as it is the only green area of the surrounding neighborhoods. 
• Santuário Santa Isabel Rainha, Alameda Rainha Santa, 322 - Vila Santa Isabel, ☏ +55 11 2781-1048. Perhaps the most beautiful church of the region, projected by Benedito Calixto and sitting in a small hill in a peaceful residential neighborhood between Carrão and Vila Formosa. It has Neoclassic-Roman style and a 90-meter-high tower, which can be visited. 
• Teatro Sílvio Romero, Rua Coelho Lisboa, 334 - Tatuapé. 
• 🌍 Vila Maria Zélia, Entrance at crossing between Rua dos Prazeres and Rua Cachoeira - Belém. The historical neighborhood was built in 1917 to be the home of workers of Companhia Nacional de Tecidos de Juta, a textile factory. The architecture and many buildings from that time remain, although only the church is completely preserved. 

The Southeast has a rich and diverse shopping scene, not much behind Downtown, West and South Central.

• 🌍 Brás (Near Brás station). The Brás neighborhood is one of busiest centers of popular commerce in the city, particularly of clothes, with the shops typically owned by Arabs, Koreans and Chinese. Many clothes sold in local retailers around the city were produced in Brás. During the day, most shops can be found in and nearby Rua Oriente, Rua Maria Marcolina e Largo da Concórdia. During the night (03:00-10:00), Feirinha da Madrugada happens, with shops concentrated in galleries and open-air spaces in and nearby Rua Oriente, Rua São Caetano and Rua Monsenhor de Andrade. 
• 🌍 Central Plaza Shopping, Avenida Dr. Francisco Mesquita, 1.000 - Vila Prudente (continuation of Avenida do Estado). The shopping mall is popular among younger people due to its nice area for bowling, billiards and games. Also has 26 shops specific for house furnishing. Quite spacious parking lot. About 240 shops. 
• 🌍 Mooca Plaza Shopping, Rua Capitão Pacheco e Chaves, 313 - Mooca. The second upscale shopping mall in the region, a consequence of the valorization of the Mooca region. About 232 shops. 
• 🌍 Praça Silvio Romero (Near Tatuapé station). Praça Silvio Romero, in Tatuapé, and its surroundings, like R. Serra de Bragança and R. Coelho de Lisboa form an important middle class commercial area, that concentrates a large number of shops, bars and services. 
• 🌍 Shopping Anália Franco, Av. Regente Feijó, 1739 - Vila Formosa, ☏ +55 11 4003-4133. The first shopping mall in the East with a more upscale profile, i.e. more expensive shopping options and a better decorated interior. The favorite option of middle class and wealthy inhabitants of Tatuapé, Mooca and Vila Formosa. About 329 shops. 
• 🌍 Shopping D, Av. Cruzeiro do Sul, 1100 - Pari (near Armênia station, crossing between Av. Cruzeiro do Sul and Marginal Tietê). Shopping mall easy to spot from Marginal Tietê due to its "Lego" architecture. About 230 shops. 
• 🌍 Shopping Metrô Boulevard Tatuapé, Rua Gonçalves Cresp w/R. Tuiti - Tatuapé (linked to Tatuapé station). Basically an extension of Shopping Metrô Tatuapé, constructed in the other side of the Tatuapé station. It is far less crowded than the "other Metrô Tatuapé mall", making it popular among those who are after more leisure and less shopping, like couples. An area in the ground floor of the shopping mall hosts diverse expositions. About 150 shops. 
• 🌍 Shopping Metrô Tatuapé, Rua Domingos Agostim, 91 - Tatuapé (linked to Tatuapé station), ☏ +55 11 2092-9444. The shopping mall, due to its connection to the busy Tatuapé metro, train and bus station, has become one of the most crowded shopping malls of the city. Has a very diverse public, frequented by people from various social classes coming from the East. A favorite among teenagers. It is also physically linked to Shopping Metrô Boulevard Tatuapé. About 300 shops. 

• Attrio Pizza and Bar, Rua Serra de Japi, 1275. Pizzeria. 
• Bracia Parrilla, Rua Azevedo Soares, 1008. Lunch, happy-hour and dinner.. Barbecue, with meat prepared by Uruguayan and Argentinian parrilleros. 
• Burgguers, Rua Azevedo Soares, 1172 - Tatuapé, ☏ +55 11 2094-3940. Hamburguer restaurant with thematic decoration of comics. 
• Espetinho Giba, Rua Baquiá, 70 - Carrão, ☏ +55 11 2227-1294. A favorite among locals of Carrão, owned by a Japanese family. Serves skewers (chicken, beef, cheese, bread and others), which may be accompanied by Japanese rice balls (onigiris). R$ 3 per skewer. 
• Hakken, R. Azevedo Soares, 541 - Tatuapé. Japanese cuisine. 

• La Pergoletta, Rua Itapura, 1478 - Tatuapé. Italian restaurant, with specialities in pasta. 
• Sol do Oriente, Rua Azevedo Soares, 679 - Tatuapé. Vegetarian food, with self service. 

• Bulls Club, Avenida Salim Farah Maluf, 1500 - Belém, ☏ +55 11 2601-4488. The largest club of the Southeast. Has two dance floors 
• Copacabana Bar, Rua Coelho Lisboa, 537 - Tatuapé (near Praça Silvio Romero), ☏ +55 11 2295-4364. Bar with Rio de Janeiro theme. Live Brazilian music on Fridays and Saturdays. 
• Elídio Bar, R. Isabel Dias, 57 - Mooca, ☏ +55 11 2021-3097. Bar owned by Italians that serves 130 types of snacks. Football is the theme of the decoration. 
• Jordão, R. Apucarana, 1462 - Jd. Anália Franco, ☏ +55 11 2671-0670. Typical German pub, with one of the best beers of the city. 
• Bargunça´s Tatuapé, Rua Coelho Lisboa, 534 - Tatuapé, ☏ +55 11 99551-6169. 

• Blue Tree Towers Anália Franco, Rua Eleonora Cintra, 960 - Anália Franco, ☏ +55 11 2672-7000. In front of Parque Anália Franco. 
• Meliá Tryp Tatuapé, Rua Serra da Juréia, 351 - Tatuapé, ☏ +55 11 2942-4900. Includes: Cable TV, Internet, international restaurant, swimming pool and sauna. 

The Southeast is relatively safe, and as proven by crime statistics, it is actually the safest region of São Paulo. The only area which is more dangerous than the average of the city is Vila Heliópolis, in the district of Sacomã, a neighborhood that was once the largest favela of São Paulo.

Brás used to be a dangerous area in the past. Although there are still some run-down areas (typically the areas occupied by abandoned factories), today, the commercial center is relatively safe. Watch your belongings as in any crowded area.