Thomas Locke Hobbs

Currently near San Francisco

 

São Paulo Skyline at Night

Avenida Paulista & Bela Vista from the roof of a friend's building on the lower part of Frei Caneca.

 
Saturday, July 16, 2005

 

Higienopolis

The hot new neighborhood in São Paulo circa 1910 was Higienopolis, literally "Hygiene City". The name sounds strange but at a time when Yellow Fever was a leading cause of death I'm sure it sounded like an attractive place to live. The neighborhood is still posh altho it has been completely verticalized. The first transformation came in the 1950s with "tropical modern" apartment buildings like Edificio Louveira (below) and Parque das Hortensias. More recently the noveau riche have been moving into Fake-French Neo-Classical high rises (which I suppose are the apartment building version of McMansions). I ended my walk and the neighborhood's new centerpiece: a shopping mall! Actually, Patio Hiegienopolis is the nicest mall I've seen here. I would've taken more pictures but the security goons told me to desist.

One of the few original houses left.

Edificio Louveira

Fake French Neo-Classical

Atrium of Patio Hiegienopolis

 
Friday, July 15, 2005

 

Soviet-style Building in Downtown São Paulo

I was first taken by the scale of this building. Then I noticed the clothes hanging out to dry from some of the windows This clear is or was an office building and the clothes don't belong, so I wonder if it's another invasion.

 
Wednesday, July 13, 2005

 

The intersection of Consolação & Itu at night. The site is a huge empty plot, soon to be a luxury hotel. Previously the block was filled with small bars and restaurants filled with a mostly gay clientele. People still hang out at the street corner on weekends, perhaps out of inertia.

 
Tuesday, July 12, 2005

 

Mercado Municipal

Marta Suplicy, the previous mayor of São Paulo, paid a lot of money to have the Municipal Market building renovated an upgraded. Inside there's a mezzanine level with chic restaurants. Having just seen Batman Begins, I was reminded of Gotham City. Inside the well-off eat expensive lunches while outside is a gritty comercial district of counterfeit goods, graffiti, neglected buildings, and the previously blogged vertical favela across the street. Blender Magazine has an extensive article on Rio Funk, a whole musical genre inspired by 2LiveCrew; "The only concern for these artists is, ‘What’s gonna make the girls dance, throw their clothes onto the stage and wanna have sex?’"

 
Monday, July 11, 2005

For more about me, please go visit my old geocities page.

Friends Luc Garcia, Bryan Chin, Vagner Cardoso, Aaron Holsberg, Jesse on the Brink, Overheard in NY, nblinks. Other blogs I like World Hum, Ted Gideonse, Subway Moblog, Philip Greenspun, Marginal Revolution, Made in Brazil, Joel on Sofware, Gothamist, GoodAirs, Gizmodo, Felix Salmon, Frank Malafronte, Cool Tools, CityRag, Brad DeLong, Beautiful Horizons, Bloggy, Amy Langfield, more. Blog Highlights Portraits [2004, 2005, 2006], Portugal, Sao Paulo Gay Pride, Sao Paulo Skyline, More Sao Paulo [1, 2, 3, 4], Buenos Aires [1, 2, 3], Mexico City, Curitiba, The Gates, Paris, Morocco [1, 2, 3, 4], NYC Gay Pride [2006, 2007], My Flickr Stream. Archives 15.06.03, 22.06.03, 29.06.03, 13.07.03, 20.07.03, 27.07.03, 03.08.03, 10.08.03, 17.08.03, 24.08.03, 31.08.03, 07.09.03, 14.09.03, 21.09.03, 28.09.03, 05.10.03, 12.10.03, 19.10.03, 02.11.03, 09.11.03, 16.11.03, 23.11.03, 30.11.03, 07.12.03, 14.12.03, 21.12.03, 28.12.03, 04.01.04, 11.01.04, 18.01.04, 25.01.04, 01.02.04, 08.02.04, 15.02.04, 22.02.04, 29.02.04, 07.03.04, 14.03.04, 21.03.04, 28.03.04, 11.04.04, 18.04.04, 25.04.04, 02.05.04, 09.05.04, 16.05.04, 23.05.04, 30.05.04, 06.06.04, 13.06.04, 20.06.04, 27.06.04, 04.07.04, 11.07.04, 18.07.04, 25.07.04, 01.08.04, 08.08.04, 15.08.04, 22.08.04, 29.08.04, 05.09.04, 12.09.04, 19.09.04, 26.09.04, 03.10.04, 10.10.04, 17.10.04, 24.10.04, 31.10.04, 07.11.04, 14.11.04, 21.11.04, 28.11.04, 05.12.04, 12.12.04, 19.12.04, 26.12.04, 02.01.05, 09.01.05, 16.01.05, 23.01.05, 30.01.05, 06.02.05, 13.02.05, 20.02.05, 27.02.05, 06.03.05, 13.03.05, 20.03.05, 27.03.05, 03.04.05, 10.04.05, 17.04.05, 24.04.05, 01.05.05, 08.05.05, 15.05.05, 22.05.05, 29.05.05, 05.06.05, 12.06.05, 19.06.05, 26.06.05, 03.07.05, 10.07.05, 17.07.05, 24.07.05, 31.07.05, 07.08.05, 14.08.05, 21.08.05, 28.08.05, 04.09.05, 11.09.05, 18.09.05, 25.09.05, 02.10.05, 09.10.05, 16.10.05, 23.10.05, 30.10.05, 06.11.05, 13.11.05, 20.11.05, 27.11.05, 04.12.05, 11.12.05, 18.12.05, 25.12.05, 01.01.06, 08.01.06, 15.01.06, 22.01.06, 29.01.06, 05.02.06, 12.02.06, 19.02.06, 26.02.06, 05.03.06, 12.03.06, 19.03.06, 26.03.06, 02.04.06, 09.04.06, 16.04.06, 23.04.06, 30.04.06, 07.05.06, 14.05.06, 21.05.06, 28.05.06, 04.06.06, 11.06.06, 18.06.06, 25.06.06, 02.07.06, 09.07.06, 16.07.06, 23.07.06, 30.07.06, 06.08.06, 13.08.06, 20.08.06, 27.08.06, 03.09.06, 10.09.06, 17.09.06, 24.09.06, 01.10.06, 08.10.06, 15.10.06, 22.10.06, 29.10.06, 05.11.06, 12.11.06, 19.11.06, 26.11.06, 03.12.06, 10.12.06, 17.12.06, 24.12.06, 31.12.06, 07.01.07, 14.01.07, 21.01.07, 28.01.07, 04.02.07, 11.02.07, 18.02.07, 25.02.07, 04.03.07, 11.03.07, 18.03.07, 25.03.07, 01.04.07, 08.04.07, 15.04.07, 22.04.07, 29.04.07, 06.05.07, 13.05.07, 20.05.07, 27.05.07, 03.06.07, 10.06.07, 17.06.07, 24.06.07, 01.07.07, 08.07.07, 15.07.07, 22.07.07, 29.07.07, 05.08.07, 19.08.07, 26.08.07, RSS Feed (let me know if it doesn't work) Contact thomas_hobbs at yahoo dot com does spelling it out really prevent spam?