Paulista is a district in Sao Paulo.

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• One of the most beautiful areas in the city is nestled between residential and office buildings. Lieutenant Siqueira Campos Park, more popularly known as Trianon, was inaugurated in 1892 as a meeting point for the wealthy residents of the mansions built on the avenue designed by the Uruguayan engineer, Joaquim Eugênio de Lima. Across from the park, the imposing Museu de Arte de São Paulo (Masp) building reigns supreme, with its 74-meter ceiling. The museum houses a brilliant collection of more than 7,000 works, among them “Pink and Blue,” by Renoir, “The Schoolboy,” by Van Gogh and several Portinaris.

• The area around Paulista Avenue is a favorite for moviegoers. With nearly 40 theaters located nearby, there are enough venues for both big blockbusters, which play at movie houses such as the Bristol, and independent features, shown at Espaço Unibanco and Reserva Cultural. Check out the schedule of shows, plays, exhibits and lectures—many free of charge—at the FIESP Cultural Center and Itaú Cultural. Located nearby, the Casa das Rosas building was designed in the 1930s by the architect Ramos de Azevedo for his daughter. Yes, he’s the same guy who designed the Teatro Municipal, Shopping Light and the Mercado Municipal. While you’re there, pop into the Sesc Paulista.

• Heading Downtown from Paulista Avenue, lies another beautiful Catholic house of worship, the Nossa Senhora da Consolação, built in a gothic style with towers that soar 75 meters into the sky. Pay attention to the beauty of the paintings, murals and stained-glass windows. Home to the tombs of Count Matarazzo, Tarsila do Amaral, Mário and Oswald de Andrade and the Marquesa de Santos, Cemitério da Consolação is another interesting option for a visit. Brecheret sculpted “the Sepulture” at the tomb of Olívia Guedes Penteado, a well-known patron of the arts. On the topic of temples, the Catedral Ortodoxa in the neighborhood of Paraíso, inspired by the Santa Sofia Cathedral in Istanbul, is also worth a visit. From the inside, the stained-glass windows are breathtaking.

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• A trip to São Paulo is not complete without an afternoon of shopping on Oscar Freire Street. Between one luxury shop and another, a quick stop for an espresso at one of the neighborhood’s coffee boutiques is worth your while. Another chic option is a visit to the spectacularly beautiful—only for those with deep pockets—Shopping Pátio Higienópolis in the traditional neighborhood of the same name that still safeguards beautiful mansions, celebrity residents and hideaways such as Buenos Aires Square or the fashionable Villaboim Square. The latter is located near the Armando Álvares Penteado Foundation—FAAP, whose theater was sold out for months on end with the show Mademoiselle Chanel, starring the famed Brazilian actress Marília Pêra. Also in FAAP you can find the Museu de Arte Brasilieira (MAB), with a rich collection of Brazilian artists’ works and exhibitions of international art.

• Now back to Paulista Avenue. For a change, go shopping at the trendy Galeria Ouro Fino, on Augusta Street where designers who shine today on the Brazilian fashion scene once sewed their first stitches. Also, some of the best bookshops in the city are located there. Martins Fontes is a great place for imported titles. FNAC has a little bit of everything, from children’s books to DVDs and electronics. And Livraria Cultura, located in Conjunto Nacional, always has a tempting title on its shelves. Open-air markets are always a good option on Sundays. Both the ones in Bixiga, on Praça Dom Orione, and at MASP, held under the museum’s vaulted ceiling, specialize in antiques.

Eat

• Some of the city’s best restaurants are on the Paulista: the top-starred and very pricey Figueira Rubayat, the Fasano—located at the family’s luxury hotel, D.O.M. serving contemporary cuisine by the famed Brazilian chef Alex Atala, and the traditional Mássimo, owned by Mássimo Ferrari. For those looking for a bite to eat in the early morning, the Galeria dos Pães, or bread gallery, serves sandwiches and a delicious soup buffet. The region is also home to GLS hotspots.

• For those who value tradition, one side of the Paulista takes you to the region of Bixiga, or Bela Vista. Treze de Maio Street and its side streets are known for their old-time cantinas serving generous portions. Speranza, one of the most famous pizzerias in the city, is located there and is credited with having introduced the marguerita pizza to Brazil. The other side of Paulista Avenue heads into Jardins, where, before visiting the Museu Brasileiro de Escultura (MuBE) and the Museu da Imagem e do Som (MIS), you should take a look at the church Nossa Senhora do Brasil, on Brasil Avenue.

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