Sé (São Paulo)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sé is the name of the most central borough in the city of São Paulo, in Brazil. The name comes from the Portuguese name for "The Holy See" (A Santa Sé), and it's also the name of the central square (Praça da Sé). In this borough are located the downtown area, which includes the Metropolitan Cathedral, the stock exchange (Bovespa), the mayor's palace, and most of the historical buildings in the city, such as the Municipal Theater, the São Paulo Music Hall (Sala São Paulo) and the central railway Luz Station (Estação da Luz).

Outside the downtown area in Sé, some ethnic groups were established in the districts of Sé: Italians (in Bela Vista), Japanese (in Liberdade), Koreans (in Bom Retiro) and Jews (in Consolação). Sé is also the borough with the largest number of subway stations. The landscape is very diverse: there are many areas of popular commerce, like the 25 de Março Street (one of the most popular area of commerce in Brazil, though often illegal), and high-class areas such as Pacaembu and Higienópolis. The famous Paulista Avenue (Avenida Paulista) is the southwest limit of this borough, with the borough of Pinheiros.

This borough is also an important college center, with the very traditional law school of the University of São Paulo and Mackenzie University, founded by North American Presbyterian missionaries in the 19th century.