Mooca
Encyclopedia
Mooca from tupi mo-oka, meaning to build houses, is a district in the subprefecture of the same name
in the city of São Paulo
, Brazil
. Mooca today is about to reach the mark of 65,000 inhabitants, spread in 7.7 square kilometres (3 sq mi). It is also considered one of the fastest growing districts in the city, experiencing over the last years a boom in the construction industry. Mooca's economy consists of small businesses, some large industries and in the near future, big shopping centres as its ongoing economic growth is becoming more attractive to investors.
zones became residential.
In the early 1900s, many industries settled in Mooca's quiet plains, an isolated area back then. Because labour at that time was in high demand, many immigrants from Italy
, most of them coming from the city of Naples
, fled to São Paulo to take up jobs at local industries. Indeed, much of Mooca's development was an outcome of this strong Italian immigrant influence. Thus, by 1910, two out of three of its inhabitants were Italian, making it a stronghold in the Paulistan capital.
Amácio Mazzaropi
museum, named after a famous Brazil
ian comedian
born to an Italian father, is a site of interest that preserves some of Mooca's immigration golden age memories. Perhaps the biggest and most important collection on the history of immigration in Brazil can be found at Memorial do Imigrante , a government funded museum that offers a very interesting database of immigrant vynil records. Another site of interest that is strongly related to Mooca's Italian roots is Juventus Stadium (cap. 2000), a second-division soccer club stadium.
A great number of the working-class families from Mooca found prosperity and as São Paulo was gradually changing from an industrial city into a business centre, many of those families started their own businesses (such as the Lorenzetti
and Matarazzo
families). Many of the more affluent families now reside in Tatuapé
.
The local Italian community holds traditional religious celebrations and festivities all year round, being the most famous that of San Vito
, Our Lady of Casaluce
, San Gennaro (patron
saint
of Naples
) and Our Lady Achiropita in the district of Bela Vista. These celebrations take place on the streets, where, aside from the true markets offering typical dishes, handicrafts and wine, stages for dance presentations and live traditional music are set up.
background although over the last century, Mooca embraced other communities from other parts of the world and the country. Some representative communities that have contributed to Mooca's ethnic diversity are the Japanese
, Portuguese
, Spanish
, Croatian
, Lithuanian, Syrian, Lebanese
and more recently the Bolivia
n and Peruvian, besides Brazilians migrants from the Northeast.
Mooca's atmosphere has always been that of an industrial suburb. Buildings, homes and warehouses façades preserve traces of the Italian legacy and it is not unusual to find old preserved vilas operárias, narrow cobbled residential streets in big abandoned industries surroundings, where the Italians and other immigrant laborers first settled.
However, this scenery is quickly changing as in the last decades industries have been moving out of São Paulo
for it has become increasingly expensive. As a result of this phenomenon, many warehouses were simply abandoned, creating perfect conditions for real estate
speculation to turn Mooca into one of the fastest growing districts in Brazil's largest city.
Real estate
speculation not only is taking place in residential areas, but also in major business areas all over the district. Office towers have been built recently, mainly along Avenida Paes de Barros and a shopping mall, Shopping Capital, known to be Mooca's first shopping centre, was inaugurated in 2007. BRMalls, a shopping centre management company, is currently carrying out a sustainable shopping mall project. Shopping Mooca will contain as many as 200 stores in 112.000m² and will function as a green area too.
Due to Mooca’s industrial nature, there is a lack of green spaces in the district. The local government holds a tree plantation program through which residents may have trees planted in their sidewalks at no cost. It is quite evident, when visiting some parts of Mooca, that there is a need for green areas and locals have long claimed it. Over the past years, the attempts of the government to increase the amount of green spaces in Mooca, along with the launch of residential condiminiums projects that adopt a “green” concept have indeed changed much of Mooca’s gray landscape.
Mooca is split into four sections (known as bairros), although these are often confused as they are very integrated and locals refer to them simply as Mooca:
• Mooca: central area
• Hipódromo: northwest, along the railway and Avenida Alcântara Machado, known as Radial Leste
• Parque da Mooca: south, along Avenida Paes de Barros
• Alto da Mooca: northeast, along Rua Siqueira Bueno stretching to Rua da Mooca
lines that connect it to the city centre, neighbouring districts (such as Tatuapé
, Belém
, Brás and Água Rasa) and also other cities within Greater São Paulo
area (e.g. São Caetano do Sul
). Some of the most important avenues, such as Avenida Paes de Barros, offer express lanes designed for buses only.
system plays an important role in Mooca's transport network as it counts on three stations, named Brás, Bresser-Mooca and Belém, to service the district and its surrounding areas. This short surface segment of the Line 3-Red of the city's subway system was first built in the 70's along Avenida Alcântara Machado (Radial Leste), an eight-lane highway which is one of the main gateways to eastern parts of São Paulo.
) (English
: Metropolitan Trains of São Paulo) Line 9-Turquoise from Mooca station and by Line 11-Coral from Brás station, connecting with subway Line 3-Red.
The three universities, fifteen public schools (which include infant schools, primary schools, high schools and technical high schools), along with a number of private institutions offer a wide range of education options for students in Mooca. Some public schools are funded by the state of São Paulo while others are funded by the municipality of São Paulo. Also, the district offers at least three theatres, a public library (Biblioteca Affonso Taunay), and the well known museum Memorial do Imigrante.
Teatro Anhembi Morumbi (Attached to Universidade Anhembi Morumbi
)
Espaço Cultural (Attached to English school Cultura Inglesa)
EMEI Marcílio Dias (Municipal infant school)
EMPG Dr. Fábio da Silva Prado (Municipal primary school)
EMEDA Escola Municipal de 1º Grau (Municipal primary school)
EEPG Armando Araújo (State primary school)
EEPG Prof. José Freitas Carusi (State primary school)
EEPG Prof. Pandiá Calógeras (State primary school)
EEPG Prof. Theodoro de Moraes (State primary school)
EEPSG Antônio Firmino de Proença (State high school)
EEPSG MMDC (State high school)
EEPSG Oswaldo Cruz (State high school)
EEPSG Profa. Adelina Marzagão Alcover (State high school)
ETEC Prof. Camargo Aranha (State technical high school)
SENAI Morvan Figueiredo (Technical high school funded by the National Industry Association)
SENAI Felício Lanzara (Technical high school funded by the National Industry Association)
Colégio São Judas Tadeu
Colégio Santa Catarina
Colégio Ouro Preto
Colégio Santa Amélia
Colégio Passo Seguro
Colégio São Paulo (Anglo)
Instituto Pedagógico Maria Montessori
Instituto de Educação Cruz de Malta
Externato Nossa Senhora Menina
Externato São Rafael
Liceu Santa Cruz
Universidade São Judas Tadeu
Universidade Anhembi Morumbi
Centro Universitário Capital
If Mooca lacks green spaces on the one hand, it does offer some good sport venues and nature in the 196.000 m² of its sports club, Clube da Mooca, and at the local athletics club, Clube Atlético Juventus
, which has a namesake soccer team and a small stadium (Estádio Conde Rodolfo Crespi), as mentioned above. Juventus soccer team was formed in 1924 under the name of Cotonifício Rodolfo Crespi F.C. and was made up of players who worked at Cotonifício Crespi textile industry (see photo above). One year later, a piece of land at Rua Javari next to the industry grounds was given away by Crespi, owner of the textile industry, so there would be a proper sports venue for the community and for the recently formed team to play. Cotonifício Rodolfo Crespi F.C switched its name in 1930, a year after it won São Paulo state league. The name Clube Atlético Juventus
was suggested by Crespi. Estádio Conde Rodolfo Crespi is said to have hosted in 1959 a match between Juventus and Santos F.C. in which Pelé
scored the most beautiful goal in his career. SESC Belenzinho - currently closed as it is undergoing renovations - is a cultural centre and sports venue and, although it is located just outside the district, is going to be an important site of interest in the area as it will provide Mooca's population with a variety of theatre plays, busy cultural agenda and sports training.
Certainly the place with the largest number of pizza places per inhabitant in São Paulo
, and perhaps in the entire Latin America
, is Mooca. It has at least over 100 pizza shops and a huge number of Italian restaurants. Mooca is a top destination for people from other parts of the city who are after fine Italian food. Some of the most famous pizza places in Mooca include: Pizzaria São Pedro, Pizzaria do Angelo, Babbo Giovanni, Zio Pasquale, Bendita Maria, Emporio 167. Some of the local bars are traditionally famous in São Paulo particularly Elídio Bar, a soccer-themed bar, Vilarejo São Paulo, a square that concentrates a number of restaurants and bars and Bar Mooca . There are no nightclubs in the district, although there used to be some, those that did not close down eventually became venues for events.
Subprefecture of Mooca
The Subprefecture of Mooca is one of 31 subprefectures of the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It comprises six districts: Brás, Mooca, Belém, Pari, Água Rasa, and Tatuapé....
in the city of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
. Mooca today is about to reach the mark of 65,000 inhabitants, spread in 7.7 square kilometres (3 sq mi). It is also considered one of the fastest growing districts in the city, experiencing over the last years a boom in the construction industry. Mooca's economy consists of small businesses, some large industries and in the near future, big shopping centres as its ongoing economic growth is becoming more attractive to investors.
History
The plains where Mooca lies were first settled by ancient Native American communities, such as the Tupi-Guarani. São Paulo, known in the 16th century as São Paulo de Piratininga, arose from a Jesuit mission, founded in 1554 to convert indigenous populations, and its history is often confused with that of Mooca. In 1567, Portuguese Bandeirantes, or pathfinders, based in the village of São Paulo de Piratininga moved eastwards in their expeditions and that was probably when the region was first explored. Over the centuries, Mooca became an important rural area, containing a number of farms and cottages, dependent on the work of enslaved African-Brazilians. In the 1890s the area was divided into large plots that were put on sale in order to encourage Mooca's development. The district eventually became an important industrial area as the farms gave way to factories and industries towards the beginning of the 20th century. One of the first working-class sections is Vila Maria Zélia in the northern district of Belém. Many of the industrial installations eventually moved out of the city or closed down (even though a number of them are still active) and, much of the industrialIndustry
Industry refers to the production of an economic good or service within an economy.-Industrial sectors:There are four key industrial economic sectors: the primary sector, largely raw material extraction industries such as mining and farming; the secondary sector, involving refining, construction,...
zones became residential.
Italian settlement
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, most of them coming from the city of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
, fled to São Paulo to take up jobs at local industries. Indeed, much of Mooca's development was an outcome of this strong Italian immigrant influence. Thus, by 1910, two out of three of its inhabitants were Italian, making it a stronghold in the Paulistan capital.
Amácio Mazzaropi
Amácio Mazzaropi
Amácio Mazzaropi was a Brazilian actor and filmmaker.- Filmography:* Sai da frente - * Nadando em dinheiro - * Candinho - * O gato da madame -...
museum, named after a famous Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
ian comedian
Comedian
A comedian or comic is a person who seeks to entertain an audience, primarily by making them laugh. This might be through jokes or amusing situations, or acting a fool, as in slapstick, or employing prop comedy...
born to an Italian father, is a site of interest that preserves some of Mooca's immigration golden age memories. Perhaps the biggest and most important collection on the history of immigration in Brazil can be found at Memorial do Imigrante , a government funded museum that offers a very interesting database of immigrant vynil records. Another site of interest that is strongly related to Mooca's Italian roots is Juventus Stadium (cap. 2000), a second-division soccer club stadium.
A great number of the working-class families from Mooca found prosperity and as São Paulo was gradually changing from an industrial city into a business centre, many of those families started their own businesses (such as the Lorenzetti
Lorenzetti
Lorenzetti is an Italian surname and may refer to:*Ambrogio Lorenzetti - Sienese painter*Enrico Lorenzetti - Italian moto GP racer of the 1940s and 1950s*Pietro Lorenzetti - Sienese painter, brother of Ambrogio Lorenzetti...
and Matarazzo
Matarazzo
Matarazzo is an Italian family name. Originating in Sicily, it derived from the Arabic "Matrah", a place to lie down, and subsequently the Sicilian word "Matarazzu", mattress.The following articles refer to this name:...
families). Many of the more affluent families now reside in Tatuapé
Tatuapé
Tatuapé is a district in the subprefecture of Mooca, in São Paulo, Brazil. It is divided by a railway and the eight lane Radial Leste highway cutting the district into two, northern and southern, parts....
.
The local Italian community holds traditional religious celebrations and festivities all year round, being the most famous that of San Vito
San Vito
San Vito is a comune in the Province of Cagliari in the Italian region Sardinia, located about 45 km northeast of Cagliari.San Vito borders the following municipalities: Burcei, Castiadas, Muravera, Sinnai, Villaputzu, Villasalto....
, Our Lady of Casaluce
Casaluce
Casaluce is a comune in the Province of Caserta in the Italian region Campania, located about 20 km north of Naples and about 13 km southwest of Caserta....
, San Gennaro (patron
Patrón
Patrón is a luxury brand of tequila produced in Mexico and sold in hand-blown, individually numbered bottles.Made entirely from Blue Agave "piñas" , Patrón comes in five varieties: Silver, Añejo, Reposado, Gran Patrón Platinum and Gran Patrón Burdeos. Patrón also sells a tequila-coffee blend known...
saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
of Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
) and Our Lady Achiropita in the district of Bela Vista. These celebrations take place on the streets, where, aside from the true markets offering typical dishes, handicrafts and wine, stages for dance presentations and live traditional music are set up.
Cultural influences
A large number of Mooca's inhabitants have an ItalianItalian Brazilian
-Italian immigration to Brazil:The Italian government claims there are 25 million Brazilians of Italian descent, which would be the largest population of Italian background outside of Italy itself. There are no actual surveys, or even verifiable calculations supporting such claims. According to...
background although over the last century, Mooca embraced other communities from other parts of the world and the country. Some representative communities that have contributed to Mooca's ethnic diversity are the Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
, Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
, Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
, Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
, Lithuanian, Syrian, Lebanese
Lebanese people
The Lebanese people are a nation and ethnic group of Levantine people originating in what is today the country of Lebanon, including those who had inhabited Mount Lebanon prior to the creation of the modern Lebanese state....
and more recently the Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n and Peruvian, besides Brazilians migrants from the Northeast.
Urban development
However, this scenery is quickly changing as in the last decades industries have been moving out of São Paulo
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
for it has become increasingly expensive. As a result of this phenomenon, many warehouses were simply abandoned, creating perfect conditions for real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
speculation to turn Mooca into one of the fastest growing districts in Brazil's largest city.
Real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
speculation not only is taking place in residential areas, but also in major business areas all over the district. Office towers have been built recently, mainly along Avenida Paes de Barros and a shopping mall, Shopping Capital, known to be Mooca's first shopping centre, was inaugurated in 2007. BRMalls, a shopping centre management company, is currently carrying out a sustainable shopping mall project. Shopping Mooca will contain as many as 200 stores in 112.000m² and will function as a green area too.
Due to Mooca’s industrial nature, there is a lack of green spaces in the district. The local government holds a tree plantation program through which residents may have trees planted in their sidewalks at no cost. It is quite evident, when visiting some parts of Mooca, that there is a need for green areas and locals have long claimed it. Over the past years, the attempts of the government to increase the amount of green spaces in Mooca, along with the launch of residential condiminiums projects that adopt a “green” concept have indeed changed much of Mooca’s gray landscape.
Mooca is split into four sections (known as bairros), although these are often confused as they are very integrated and locals refer to them simply as Mooca:
• Mooca: central area
• Hipódromo: northwest, along the railway and Avenida Alcântara Machado, known as Radial Leste
• Parque da Mooca: south, along Avenida Paes de Barros
• Alto da Mooca: northeast, along Rua Siqueira Bueno stretching to Rua da Mooca
Buses
Mooca is served by several bus and trolleybusTrolleybuses in São Paulo
Trolleybuses in São Paulo provide a portion of the public transport service in Greater São Paulo, in the state of São Paulo, Brazil, with two independent trolleybus systems...
lines that connect it to the city centre, neighbouring districts (such as Tatuapé
Tatuapé
Tatuapé is a district in the subprefecture of Mooca, in São Paulo, Brazil. It is divided by a railway and the eight lane Radial Leste highway cutting the district into two, northern and southern, parts....
, Belém
Belém
Belém is a Brazilian city, the capital and largest city of state of Pará, in the country's north region. It is the entrance gate to the Amazon with a busy port, airport and bus/coach station...
, Brás and Água Rasa) and also other cities within Greater São Paulo
Greater São Paulo
The Greater São Paulo is a nonspecific term for one of the multiple definitions the large metropolitan area located in the São Paulo state in Brazil.-Definitions:-Metropolitan Area:...
area (e.g. São Caetano do Sul
São Caetano do Sul
São Caetano do Sul is a city in São Paulo state in Brazil, located in the Greater São Paulo Metropolitan Area. It is the city with the highest per capita income in Brazil and it also has the highest Human Development Index .-Geography:São Caetano do Sul is located on a plateau that is part of the...
). Some of the most important avenues, such as Avenida Paes de Barros, offer express lanes designed for buses only.
Subway
São Paulo metroSão Paulo Metro
The São Paulo Metro is the principal rapid-transit system in the city of São Paulo and the largest in Brazil. It is also the second largest system in South America and the third largest in Latin America, behind Mexico City and Santiago....
system plays an important role in Mooca's transport network as it counts on three stations, named Brás, Bresser-Mooca and Belém, to service the district and its surrounding areas. This short surface segment of the Line 3-Red of the city's subway system was first built in the 70's along Avenida Alcântara Machado (Radial Leste), an eight-lane highway which is one of the main gateways to eastern parts of São Paulo.
Suburban trains
A western part of Mooca which lies along the border with Brás district, is serviced by CPTM's (Companhia Paulista de Trens MetropolitanosCompanhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos
Companhia Paulista de Trens Metropolitanos is a commuter rail company owned by the São Paulo State Secretariat for Metropolitan Transports. It was created in 1992 from several railroads that already existed in Greater São Paulo, Brazil....
) (English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
: Metropolitan Trains of São Paulo) Line 9-Turquoise from Mooca station and by Line 11-Coral from Brás station, connecting with subway Line 3-Red.
Education
Theatres
Teatro Arthur AzevedoTeatro Anhembi Morumbi (Attached to Universidade Anhembi Morumbi
Anhembi Morumbi
Anhembi Morumbi is a Brazilian for-profit university located in São Paulo and owned by the Laureate Education Inc. It is known to be the first Brazilian university to offer a bachelor degree on Game Design...
)
Espaço Cultural (Attached to English school Cultura Inglesa)
Public Schools
EMEI Almirante Tamandaré (Municipal infant school)EMEI Marcílio Dias (Municipal infant school)
EMPG Dr. Fábio da Silva Prado (Municipal primary school)
EMEDA Escola Municipal de 1º Grau (Municipal primary school)
EEPG Armando Araújo (State primary school)
EEPG Prof. José Freitas Carusi (State primary school)
EEPG Prof. Pandiá Calógeras (State primary school)
EEPG Prof. Theodoro de Moraes (State primary school)
EEPSG Antônio Firmino de Proença (State high school)
EEPSG MMDC (State high school)
EEPSG Oswaldo Cruz (State high school)
EEPSG Profa. Adelina Marzagão Alcover (State high school)
ETEC Prof. Camargo Aranha (State technical high school)
SENAI Morvan Figueiredo (Technical high school funded by the National Industry Association)
SENAI Felício Lanzara (Technical high school funded by the National Industry Association)
Private Schools
A great number of Mooca's private schools offers both primary and secondary school courses. There are several church-run private institutions, following Mooca's strong catholic traditions. Some of the most important independent schools, including those ran by the Catholic Church, are:Colégio São Judas Tadeu
Colégio Santa Catarina
Colégio Ouro Preto
Colégio Santa Amélia
Colégio Passo Seguro
Colégio São Paulo (Anglo)
Instituto Pedagógico Maria Montessori
Instituto de Educação Cruz de Malta
Externato Nossa Senhora Menina
Externato São Rafael
Liceu Santa Cruz
Universities
Few districts in São Paulo contain as many higher education institutions as Mooca. Although there are no public universities, Mooca takes pride in its three private universities campuses:Universidade São Judas Tadeu
Universidade São Judas Tadeu
Universidade São Judas Tadeu is a Brazilian private, for-profit university based in São Paulo. Established in 1971 as a college offering two undergraduate courses , it only officially became a university in 1989....
Universidade Anhembi Morumbi
Anhembi Morumbi
Anhembi Morumbi is a Brazilian for-profit university located in São Paulo and owned by the Laureate Education Inc. It is known to be the first Brazilian university to offer a bachelor degree on Game Design...
Centro Universitário Capital
Sport
Clube Atlético Juventus
The Clube Atlético Juventus , usually known simply as Juventus, is a Brazilian football club based in Mooca, a São Paulo neighborhood...
, which has a namesake soccer team and a small stadium (Estádio Conde Rodolfo Crespi), as mentioned above. Juventus soccer team was formed in 1924 under the name of Cotonifício Rodolfo Crespi F.C. and was made up of players who worked at Cotonifício Crespi textile industry (see photo above). One year later, a piece of land at Rua Javari next to the industry grounds was given away by Crespi, owner of the textile industry, so there would be a proper sports venue for the community and for the recently formed team to play. Cotonifício Rodolfo Crespi F.C switched its name in 1930, a year after it won São Paulo state league. The name Clube Atlético Juventus
Clube Atlético Juventus
The Clube Atlético Juventus , usually known simply as Juventus, is a Brazilian football club based in Mooca, a São Paulo neighborhood...
was suggested by Crespi. Estádio Conde Rodolfo Crespi is said to have hosted in 1959 a match between Juventus and Santos F.C. in which Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
scored the most beautiful goal in his career. SESC Belenzinho - currently closed as it is undergoing renovations - is a cultural centre and sports venue and, although it is located just outside the district, is going to be an important site of interest in the area as it will provide Mooca's population with a variety of theatre plays, busy cultural agenda and sports training.
Cuisine and bars
São Paulo
São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among...
, and perhaps in the entire Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
, is Mooca. It has at least over 100 pizza shops and a huge number of Italian restaurants. Mooca is a top destination for people from other parts of the city who are after fine Italian food. Some of the most famous pizza places in Mooca include: Pizzaria São Pedro, Pizzaria do Angelo, Babbo Giovanni, Zio Pasquale, Bendita Maria, Emporio 167. Some of the local bars are traditionally famous in São Paulo particularly Elídio Bar, a soccer-themed bar, Vilarejo São Paulo, a square that concentrates a number of restaurants and bars and Bar Mooca . There are no nightclubs in the district, although there used to be some, those that did not close down eventually became venues for events.