Rio de Janeiro is a truly immense and busy city, over the past two days we have walked through Niteroi ( technically it’s own city) , downtown Rio, and the Copacabana/Ipanema area. In all of these places the traffic, crowds, and streetscapes remind me somewhat of New York City. All large cities hold some resemblance to each other, however, Rio and New York are shockingly similar. Both cities have a grungy side to them that is apparent in the imperfections that somehow make the place more beautiful. Graffiti is a common occurrence in cities, however in New York and especially Rio, the street art becomes a consistent part of the urban fabric that is as much a part of the city as the roads or buildings are. There is an entire culture to the graffiti that hides beneath the surfac, for example, artists in Rio from rival groups try to see who can tag the tallest places, therefore, one can find tags in places that seem impossible to reach and this quandary sets the mind spinning . It’s little things like this that truly make a city feel alive; while size, population, and diversity may also be similar between the cities, they mainly provide a more visual and spatial sense whereas the imperfections and hidden meanings behind it provide the city with a story and a life.
Great comparison. We’ve been talking a lot about this a lot on the trip in person, but here it is for posterity.
I think the resemblance to New York is striking. There is such a intersection of interests like business, social density, tourism, and all other facets that the city becomes its own world. It is both a destination for outside tourists and the living place of millions, so that it stands on its own, and creates its own cultural gravity.
The graffiti is such a good example of the beauty of this city. It has been rewritten over, literally and figuratively, for 450 years. Like the graffiti, many of the detailed added or neighborhoods changed were not done quite right, or were not beautiful in their imperfect selves, but create a marvelous art when layered endlessly upon each other.
I don’t think I’ve figured out how to enunciate the likeliness to New York, though. Its layering of interests, and intersection of self-contained and global cultures, are typical of global cities everywhere. Perhaps it is in the character of the people. Here, like New York, this city is very self-aware of its place in the world. There is a pride and a bravado reminiscent of NYC when you speak to its people, and even in the way it is built. Even in the self-promoted nickname of the people, “cariocas,” there is a proud collective identity of brash, fast, and relaxed people that, combined with its physical manifestations in the cityscape, link Rio de Janeiro and New York City at the heart.
Jess, I love the comparison that you make between Rio and New York City. Some of my favorite moments of the trip so far have been walking through the bustling downtown area to get from one site to another. This has given me the chance to compare Rio to other cities that I’ve visited.
While I definitely see similarities between Rio and Nyc, I think that their characters differ pretty significantly. In New York, vendors barrage passers by with sales pitches in a way that can seem rude or even forceful. While vendors are equally common along the streets of Rio, they advertise their products with a tone and rhythm that sounds to me like music. Instead of talking at you, they give you room to respond and contribute to the conversation if you want to. I experienced this downtown, but even more prominently on Copacabana beach, where the vendors are more than willing to chat and negotiate with you.
I also noticed a difference between the paces of the cities. New Yorkers are stereotypically always in a hurry; in Brazil, even the business people downtown seem more relaxed. This slower pace of life leaves more room to enjoy and take in each moment. I think that this leads to more compassion, stronger connections between individuals, and ultimately a more cohesive community.