Avenida Paulista

This is the area of Sao Paulo where Curtis has gone for doctor's appointments.

Long and straight and set on a ridge above surrounding neighborhoods, the Avenida Paulista was once lined by the proud mansions of coffee barons and rich industrialists, but now boasts rank upon rank of skyscrapers, the headquarters of the city's powerful banking and financial interests. It's generally regarded as the most expensive real estate anywhere in Latin America. Along the adjacent side streets there are numerous hotels catering to business travelers. Halfway along the street is São Paulo's top-notch Museum of Art, known by its Portuguese acronym as MASP. Avenida Paulista also effectively marks the border between the older working-class areas and the newer middle-class neighborhoods.