Liberdade was known as Campo da Forca (Field of the Gallows) until the late 19th century, and was an area reserved for the execution of slaves and convicts. Death was considered the only path to liberty (liberdade) for slaves. [….] The Japanese presence in the neighborhood begun [sic] in 1912. One of the reasons for this was that almost every property had a basement, and the rents were incredibly cheap.
Wikipedia, Liberdade (district of São Paulo)
Beco do Batman […] is the nickname for the area around Rua Gonçalo Afonso and Rua Medeiros de Albuquerque in the Vila Madalena neighborhood of São Paulo. [Batman Alley] is a popular tourist destination because of the dense concentration of graffiti that line the streets.
Wikipedia, Beco do Batman
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