Relocation to SaoPaulo w/kids

[Parvati]

Hi All,
It seems we might be relocating to Sao Paulo by the end of the year... I just got here in January and it was hard to find a school for the kids, a place to live, etc. Anyone here has lived in Sao Paulo? What areas are the ones you like the most? Safest? Can you recommend a realtor?
In addition to Graded School, are there other English mostly schools in the city that are expat friendly? Mind you, we only speak Spanish and English, no Portuguese, so we need a school that can help us out on that front.
Any tips and suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks in advanced
P

 

[El chabon]

Safety in SP is a huge problem but areas i most liked

Villa Olympia, Itam Bibi, Morumbi

Especially Itam Bibi I like

 

[earlyretirement]

I go to Sao Paulo once in a while on business. Jardins is by far the most upscale neighborhood (but also the most expensive).

Be prepared for the cost of living there as it's VERY expensive there compared to Buenos Aires. You hear many ex-pats complaining about Buenos Aires' cost of living but it's much more expensive in Sao Paulo.

Also, the crime there is much much worse.

Jardins, Pinheiros are nice. My friend lives near Morumbi with her kids and seems to like it there. I saw some apartments in Villa Olympia and it looks like it's really growing but I personally would live in Jardins if I lived there.

I will ask my friend where she sends her kids to school as she is an ex-pat but lived there for several years now. The private schools there must be pretty good as her son got accepted to Yale and Harvard and started at Yale this year. I'll ask her and then send you a PM.

 

[Thereandbackagain]

Hi! I lived in SP and really liked it. It was just a year and I don`t know too much since I was 80% time in the office but I can comment on a few things:

1. The Situation in SP is that you have all the Favelas in the outskirts of the city, on the other side of the big rutas (Tiete, Marginal Pinheiros) which enclose a part of the city like a triangle. This leads to a lot of insecurity outside of this triangle of good hoods and a relatively calm situation within.
Good neighborhoods are Higienopolis, Jardins, Lapa, Pinheiros, Morumbi, Vila Madalena, you may consider other hoods like Consolacao (here you have to know the street). Centro is filthy.

2. realtor: I can`t recommend any specific, but you amy have a look here:
http://www.zap.com.br/

3. SP is expensive. But you are able to earn good money as well. You do not have to fight for every single real like here in AR. If you deliver good work they usually pay very well.

4. Within this triangle of good neighborhoods mentioned above you will find many private schools. I have no kids, so I cannot recommend any, but I suggest you simply visit some of them.

Finally: I really loved the vibe of SP and the people. Much more healthy tahn BA. Yes, security is a big issue there, and at first look it is a ugly city (optically), but the more you get into the more enjoyable things you will find.

 

[lamarque]

Hi All,
It seems we might be relocating to Sao Paulo by the end of the year... I just got here in January and it was hard to find a school for the kids, a place to live, etc. Anyone here has lived in Sao Paulo? What areas are the ones you like the most? Safest? Can you recommend a realtor?
In addition to Graded School, are there other English mostly schools in the city that are expat friendly? Mind you, we only speak Spanish and English, no Portuguese, so we need a school that can help us out on that front.
Any tips and suggestions are appreciated.
Thanks in advanced
P

If i were you i will go for something smaller or re think about moving there specially if you have a family, but if you have already made your decision be prepare for big insecurity problems (compared to BA), very expensive cost of living and the feeling of been trapped between walls all the time (maybe that can be say of BA if you are from a smaller place, but SAO fell even more like a jungle of walls. Is not a beautiful city but that is subjective so that is for you to decide. If you already speak Spanish you will be better in other Spanish place, is already a big problem to move a entire family to another city and if you add different language then is just become harder.
You have good private schools already in the city for expats what has been your problem with that? Maybe people can help you finding a good place for your kids.

 

[Parvati]

Hi All,
First of all THANK YOU all!!!
We are not moving because we want to... My husband's company wants us there. We really have not a big input on the decision, and though it is not a done deal, given the current situation in Argentina it seems more likely to happen.
I have been told Sao Paulo is very expensive, but I hope that will be adjusted on the final offer. I have also been told it is not a pretty city or safe, so thanks for telling me what areas to look into. I know criminals move around and no one is completely safe, but a good neighborhood always makes a difference.
I need to start doing my research on the areas, and schools. Mostly because I know first hand the company's relocation agents are not the best, so a lot of the process will depend on us.
Lastly, my concern is getting the kids to adapt. My kids are bilingual English-Spanish, since I am from Mexico. So, Argentina was a good fit and I did not care much about having them in Lincon or any other big expat school. There, I think we will need a bigger support network just because of the language difference.
Oh well, another adventure awaits!

 

[Aleina Dee]

Love your attitude of "another adventure awaits " . Good on you and best of luck with your preps.
Maybe you could think about a crash course in Portuguese. It should not be so hard. Reliable sources inform me that "hispanohablantes" pick it up in no time.

 

[Parvati]

Thanks Aleina! When else will I have the chance to live in Sao Paulo again? I go to know Buenos Aires and a bit of Argentina and met great people and friends, so I figure there is will be the same. I do need to take a crash course on Portuguese, though.

 

[El chabon]

I go to Sao Paulo once in a while on business. Jardins is by far the most upscale neighborhood (but also the most expensive).

Be prepared for the cost of living there as it's VERY expensive there compared to Buenos Aires. You hear many ex-pats complaining about Buenos Aires' cost of living but it's much more expensive in Sao Paulo.

Also, the crime there is much much worse.

Jardins, Pinheiros are nice. My friend lives near Morumbi with her kids and seems to like it there. I saw some apartments in Villa Olympia and it looks like it's really growing but I personally would live in Jardins if I lived there.

I will ask my friend where she sends her kids to school as she is an ex-pat but lived there for several years now. The private schools there must be pretty good as her son got accepted to Yale and Harvard and started at Yale this year. I'll ask her and then send you a PM.

What about atleast 200% more expensive and probally even more because if you want to move around sometimes at night you need a car(or taking cabs all the time which are also expensive)

 

[El chabon]

Pineihros en Jardins are also really nice