In 2007, I spent an epic month traveling around South America, a journey as remarkable for what I did experience (Peru, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay) as for what I didn’t: Brazil. The country is so large, so culturally dynamic, it just didn’t feel right to try to squeeze it in. I promised myself I’d make a separate trip one day.
Well, a mere 18 years later, I made good on that promise. The little nudge I needed was learning that Brazil would once again start requiring visas for US visitors on April 10, 2025. (The requirement was paused in 2019.) Of course, Rio de Janeiro was on my itinerary, but because I’m fascinated by megacities, São Paulo was of particular interest to me too. I love being enveloped in an urban world that feels inexhaustible. Give me New York, Tokyo, and Mexico City, and I am comforted and thrilled by the abundance.
Of course, living in or visiting a metropolis requires a refuge, and because I like to experience cities as a local would, I knew an Airbnb would be the way to go. A friend who had studied in São Paulo recommended the upscale district of Jardins, southwest of the city center. A search on Airbnb for one-bedrooms led me to the Atelier 11, a so-called artist’s flat. The photos of the bright, well-appointed space caught my eye and seemed just the kind of calming atmosphere to recharge in while exploring this vast and hectic town.
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Flying from Rio, I landed in Congonhas–Deputado Freitas Nobre Airport, which is closer to Jardins than the larger Guarulhos Airport. From there, I took a 30-minute car ride to the apartment, located on the second floor of a high-end modernist building on a quiet street a few blocks from the main thoroughfare of Avenida Paulista, the subway, and the São Paulo Museum of Art (SAMP). Because there’s a doorman and a coded lock on the apartment door, no keys are needed. Once inside, I could see how well the photos in the listing represented the charms of the space.
In fact, if anything, the photos undersold the size of it. An entryway opened into a huge main room containing a dining area, a formal seating spot, and an office where a minimalist desk faces the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the street. It was the perfect location for journaling, if not catching up on some work while observing the life outside. To the right of the desk was a cozy sitting nook with a sofa and a beautiful wood and leather Brazilian lounge chair I wanted for my apartment back home. Plants were dispersed here and there to bring a little “jardim” inside.
But any description would be incomplete without mentioning the art. Almost every wall boasted a dramatic oversized canvas or a collection of smaller pieces, with sculptures scattered throughout. One painting rested on an easel beside a director’s chair, as if the painter had just stepped out. It was like being in a bright, luminous gallery.
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The comfy bedroom was situated at the center of the apartment, where the low light allowed for great sleep, and a large, sleek eat-in kitchen was just off the entryway. I took note of all the tools and gadgets for cooking, but I knew that I’d be forgoing any homemade meals in favor of the city’s stellar gastronomic offerings. São Paulo is known for its bakeries, and there were some gems in Jardins. On the same block as the apartment is the all-day café Casaria SP, where I breakfasted in the lovely covered garden. Also of note nearby: Vivant Padaria Artesanal (get the Romeu e Julieta, a Danish pastry with guava and sweet cheese) and Zestzing (I’m still thinking about the pistachio-cream kouign-amann). Beyond breakfast, I made a pilgrimage to Clandestina in nearby Via Madalena for a memorable Brazilian dinner, and to Tan Tan, in the next-door district of Pinheiros, for a cocktail (try the Old Passioned—I was obsessed with anything made with passion fruit during my stay).