Hi

leaving for SP. I have heard from so many people, coworkers included, that it pretty much sucks down there. (sorry to offend - but this info does come from some Brazilians, too).

what fun stuff is to be had for a few days alone? I'm not a clubber, definitely not alone, so shopping and some sightseeing would be nice.

we go twice a year to visit family working there. there are several museums worth seeing. MASP, and modern one in the park.
can take a tour - usually arranged thru a hotel. private tour costs about $60 - 75 us dollars for driver and guide - will show you the city, speak english, takes 3-5 hours.

look at a south american guide book.

nice park - ibapuera (sp).

safe if you stay in nicer areas and go out during the day. take taxi's at night. very cheap. exchange rate is 3 to 1 in our favor.

If you can change plans at this point, I suggest you go to Rio de Janeiro. Been there already? Doesn't matter, go there again. Just forget about Sao Paulo. Yes, the highlights of the city are night clubs and restaurants, but your friends are right when they tell you it sucks down there.

PS: I am Brazilian and know what I'm talking about - lived in the country for 25 years before moving to NY.

Best thing to do in S.P. is to fly to Rio. Or, fly to Foz de Iguacu and see the falls.

Have a good trip.

I was in Sao Paulo last year with my partner as a prelude to Rio. Since we like to visit large cities, Sao Paulo didn't disappoint. We arrived there after visiting Mexico City. Sao Paulo has one of the best and cleanest subway systems I've ever seen, and there's plenty to see if you know where to look including parks and museums. Everything is fairly inexpensive depending on your tastes. The Japanese population here is second only to Japan itself, so there's a variety of restaurants and temples in the Japan Town if you're interested.
We were fascinated by the diversity of the people, and we made sure we got to see and stay downtown where we could experience a little more "reality" than some of the more upscale areas. We are both over 6'4" which may or may not have something to do with the fact that we never had any problems, even in the roughest neighborhoods. Selling one's body, by the way, is legal. Unless I was feeling very adventurous and wreckless, I wouldn't attempt it. To each his/her own. You might think differently. Those Brazilians are quite attractive (most of the time).
A bus ride is 6 hours from Sao Paulo to Rio. It's cheap and comfortable. I recommend taking a motion sickness pill if you're in any way prone to car sickness before taking the bus.
In general, if you're looking for the beach or the rainforest, don't go to Sao Paulo, but if you're excited about seeing one of the largest cities in the world then I think it's for you.

Come to Rio. It's the best thing to do.

Sao Paulo:

dirty and smelly and utterly charmless.

however, good shopping, NICE friendly super people, and good food.

I would go back, if only to explore more/jump to other parts of Brazil.

Sao Paulo has good museums, theater, excellent shopping, excellent restaurants, excellent danceclubs and amazing racial and ethnic diversity plus beaches and mountains nearby...

sounds so terrible*rolls eyes*

Sao Paolo sounds just fine if a person is able & willing to stay in the nicer parts of the city. Like any major city, you likely have your slums and you likely have very wealthy sections.

I do think that if I were to stay at Hotel Emiliano that I would have a very different impression who have not cared for Sao Paulo.