From Wikitravel

Liberdade, meaning "liberty" in Portuguese, is São Paulo's version of the Los Angeles's Little Tokyo district.

[edit] Understand

A tourist is bound to find here everything Japanese and Asia-related. Originally the resting place of cavalry troops that arrived from Santos on the seashore, the oldest street is the Lavapés (footwash) street where travelers stopped to wash in a stream before entering the city. Liberdade has some historic colonial churches, such as the Santa Cruz dos Enforcados, now Liberdade Square, where convicted criminals were executed at the pillory. Many enslaved Africans are said to have been killed there and the church is a popular pilgrimage site where devout Spiritualist Catholics light candles on Monday, a day consecrated to pray for the souls of the dead and ask for favors from the spiritual world. After slavery was abolished, Italians moved in as they arrived in the city from the port of Santos and before moving to more traditional Italian neighborhoods such as Bela Vista, Bras, Mooca, Pari, Ipiranga, and Barra Funda. The Japanese was the next group to follow and up to today, some of the architecture and light posts are Japanese in origin. But as the following Nipo-Brazilian generations integrated more to the society, got an education and prospered, they moved to more upscale areas and cities. Some even relocated to Japan. Liberdade today has more Chinese and Korean inhabitants than Japanese. It continues to have Brazilians from the city and other parts of the country, many of whom live in crowded housing called "corticos" and "pensões." Pensões are particularly popular with students as well, as there are important colleges in the area as the FMU or Metropolitan United Colleges and a business school and some prep day and night schools. Liberdade is also home to the Cancer Hospital, Hospital Adventista de São Paulo, Servidor Público Municipal Hospital, Beneficência Portuguesa and others.

There are projects to restore Liberdade, as it is not a particularly well kept district beyond the touristic Oriental section where businesses and restaurants are and where parades, ceremonies and fairs happen. Real estate entrepreneurs have started building as well, lured by the relatively cheap land, the proximity to the Old Centro and the Paulista avenue regions, and the easy subway and highway connections in all directions.

[edit] Get in

• Stations São Joaquim and Liberdade of Line 1 - Blue.

[edit][add listing] See

• Capela dos Aflitos.  edit
• Igreja da Boa Morte.  edit
• Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (Santuário Basílica de Nossa Senhora do Monte Carmelo), Rua Martiniano de Carvalho. A vast baroque Basilica decorated with frescos by Benedito Calixto, a legendary local painter.  edit

[edit][add listing] Do

• Teatro Célia Helena, Rua Barão de Iguape, 113, +55 11 3209-0470.
• The Chinese New Year celebration is held every year.

[edit][add listing] Buy

• On Saturdays the Feira Oriental is held in front of the subway station, with booths selling Asian foods and handicrafts.
• The high-rise department store right by the station is full of small shops selling electronics, jewelry, clothing, CDs and DVDs (such as bootleg Japanese music), and Japanese anime figures.

[edit][add listing] Eat

• Aska, Rua Galvão Bueno, 466, tel. (11) 3277-9682
• Chi Fu, Praça Carlos Gomes, 168, tel. (11) 3104-2750. The hard part is understanding the menu.
• Deigo, Praça Dr. Almeida Júnior.
• Guxian Cun (谷香村飯店), Rua dos Estudantes, 184 (Two blocks from Metro station), ☎ (11) 3209 4290. Very inexpensive (huge servings) and very authentic Chinese. You're likely to not hear a word of Portuguese being spoken among the clientele.  edit
• Hong He, Rua da Glória, 622A.
• Kabura, Rua Galvão Bueno, 346, tel. (11) 3277-2918.
• Kinoshita, Rua da Glória 168, ☎ 011/3105-4903. Moderately priced Japanese restaurant that mixes the fresh fish and produce with Western and Japanese ingredients.  edit

[edit][add listing] Drink

• Choperia Liberdade, Rua da Glória, 523, tel. 11 3207-8783. A mix of restaurant, karaoke and snooker bar, this unimaginable place packs on Thursdays and Fridays and is often featured on TV. Get in after 10PM.

[edit][add listing] Sleep

• Akasaka Hotel, Praça da Liberdade, 149 (directly in front of Metro Liberdade), ☎ (11) 3207-1500, [1]. As of January 2011, undergoing renovation but still operating with limited services. Doubles R$119.  edit
• Banri Hotel, Rua Galvão Bueno, 209 (3 blocks down from Metro Liberdade), ☎ (11)3207-8877. Clean, inexpensive, good service, good breakfast. Excellent value. Doubles R$119, 10% discount with advance payment.  edit
• Nikkey Palace, Rua Galvão Bueno, 425, ☎ (11) 3207-8511, [2]. Probably the fanciest place to stay in Liberdade.  edit

[edit] Contact

[edit] Cope

Near Bela Vista/Liberdade/Paraiso, the Fellowship Community church caters to English speakers in the morning and services are spoken in Portuguese in the evening. Calvary Baptist church in Campo Belo features services in American English and Saint Paul's Anglican in Alto da Boa Vista, in British English.

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