Avenida Paulista
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Avenida Paulista (English: Paulista Avenue) is one of the most important avenues in São Paulo, Brazil. It is notable for the large number of financial institutions and corporations with buildings there, and the area is sometimes identified as the "business center" of the city. Being one of the highest points in the city, it is also clustered with radio and TV station antennas such as the Bandeirantes Tower. Avenida Paulista is generally regarded as the second most expensive real estate anywhere in Latin America (after México City´s President Masaryk Avenue).
Once a residential neighbourhood thoroughfare flanked by many mansions of the city's gentry (of which few survive, a notable example being the restored Casa das Rosas), the avenue has undergone a massive verticalization over the second half of the 20th century.
It is home to a small native forest park, the Parque Siqueira Campos, commonly called Trianon, and to the São Paulo Art Museum (MASP - Museu da Arte de São Paulo). MASP is known not only for its excellent collection, but also for the remarkable architecture of its building, which is one of São Paulo's landmarks.
The avenue today is home of world's biggest financial intitutions and a symbol of the economic power of State of São Paulo, along with Avenida Berrini located in the south of the city, and Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima.
It's estimated that more than 800 thousand Brazilian citizens work around Avenida Paulista everyday.
During the year various parades take place along Avenida Paulista like the Sao Paulo gay pride parade, the March for Jesus, and political demonstrations, making the traffic in its neighboring streets chaotic. The avenue has an efficient metro system, with the Green Line of the Metrô (São Paulo's Metro system) running underneath the avenue from one end to the other.
The history of the avenue was the subject of a comic book by Brazilian award-winning artist Luiz Gê, originally commissioned by Revista Goodyear (Goodyear Magazine) for a special edition commemorating the 100th anniversary of the avenue, in 1991. As the Goodyear magazine was a public relations publication not sold in newsstands, this special issue is rather rare and highly sought out by fans. Years later, the story was reprinted in album form by another publisher.
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