Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue

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Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue
Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima2.webp
View of the Avenue
Native nameAvenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima (Portuguese)
Former name(s) Rua Iguatemi (Iguatemi Street)
Length4.6 km (2.9 mi)
Location São Paulo, Brazil
North end Avenida Pedroso de Morais
Major
junctions
Rua Cardeal Arcoverde
Rua Teodoro Sampaio
Avenida Eusébio Matoso
Avenida Rebouças
Avenida Cidade Jardim
Avenida Juscelino Kubitschek
South end Avenida Hélio Pellegrino
Construction
Inauguration1970

Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima (in English: Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue), most commonly known as just Faria Lima, is an important avenue in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It spans the upscale Pinheiros, Jardim Paulistano, Itaim Bibi and Vila Olímpia neighborhoods. It is the main financial center in Brazil, being also an important commercial center that rivals the Downtown and Paulista Avenue areas. [1]

Contents

The avenue has recently started to be perceived as some sort of "Brazilian Wall Street" due to the many financial institutions headquartered there or on adjacent streets. Examples include BTG Pactual, Itaú BBA, Bradesco BBI (three of Brazilian biggest investment banks), Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan Chase, UBS and many others. It is not home to the city's stock exchange - the largest stock exchange in Brazil, B3, is located in the Historic Center of São Paulo - although B3 do hold an office on the avenue.

History

Faria Lima 3500, the most expensive building ever purchased in the country, worth more than 1 billion reais Faria Lima 3500.jpg
Faria Lima 3500, the most expensive building ever purchased in the country, worth more than 1 billion reais

Avenida Faria Lima was built in the late 1960s, with an initial stretch lying between Rua Iguatemi ("Iguatemi Street"), in the Itaim Bibi district, and Largo da Batata ("Potato Square"), in the neighborhood of Pinheiros, crossing the Jardins region of the city. Initiated in 1967 by São Paulo's then mayor, Brevet Brigadier José Vicente Faria Lima, it would receive his name two years later, after his death.

By 1970, the construction of several high-rise commercial buildings was started, tearing through the middle of the large residential area that had been there before. The large skyscrapers that started to rise above the Jardins prompted it to be called the "Second Paulista."

In the 1990s, then mayor Paulo Maluf devised a plan to extend the avenue in both directions, to the north between Largo da Batata and Pedroso de Moraes Avenue in Pinheiros, and to the south between Cidade Jardim Avenue in Jardim Paulistano and Hélio Pellegrino Avenue in Vila Olímpia. This was done by widening a small residential road in Itaim Bibi. The project was controversial because it would displace many citizens, and it was argued that the rapid expansion of the city would make it only a temporary solution to the growing traffic problems, but it was carried out and opened in the late 1990s.

Landmarks

Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue. Avenida Faria Lima, Sao Paulo.jpg
Brigadeiro Faria Lima Avenue.
B32 building square Whale monument - Sao Paulo B 01.jpg
B32 building square

On Faria Lima Avenue, there are many popular and important places that attract locals (Paulistanos) and visitors alike, such as:

The area is also known for its newly built and futuristic skyscrapers, such as:

The avenue itself and its surroundings have a prominent nightlife, with numerous bars and night clubs. The area also has other important city landmarks, such as Eldorado Shopping Center, and many elegant restaurants and hotels.

References

  1. Paulo, São. "Como a Faria Lima se tornou o principal centro financeiro do país". Gazeta do Povo (in Brazilian Portuguese). Archived from the original on 2024-06-13. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
  2. "Prédio mais caro do Brasil: conheça o edifício na Faria Lima comprado pelo Itaú por R$ 1,5 bilhão | Exame". exame.com (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2025-01-29.