I feel like I just stepped into bizarro world or something, I think I may disagree with 95% of what has been stated in this thread.
I have not been to Rio recently, so I can't help out with what the current market actually bears or not.
However, in my opinion Leblon is one of the worst places to stay in Rio. If I was to live there permanently, perhaps, but as someone looking to get their feet wet in Rio, it's horrible. Why? For one, everything is twice the price there (not just accommodation but also cost of living wise). Secondly, it's on the far end of Zona Sul so you have to go across Ipanema, Copa, Botafogo, Flamengo, then through Catete to get downtown if you want to go there. It's so far away from the center/rest of Zona Sul that the metro doesn't even go there yet. Logistically, Leblon is complete rubbish.
Where Ipanema and Copa meet is a good spot. If you are looking for cheaper rent, look to neighbourhoods like Botafogo, Flamengo, and Leme. I honestly think Botafogo and Flamengo may be two of the best neighbourhoods logistically in Rio. They are smack dab in the middle with decent access to both Centro and Zona Sul regions. They are a bit more dangerous, but as long as you use general precautions you should be fine.
Lesser known places like Laranjeiras, Urca, and Humaitá are also excellent options.
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Quote: (04-05-2015 08:52 AM)DCBoss Wrote:
IMO Copacabana is the most dangerous place to stay in Rio in terms of likelihood of getting mugged. Thieves know that most tourists stay there and target it as such.
This is completely incorrect. There are countless neighbourhoods in Rio that are much more dangerous than Copacabana.
Yes, targeting is rampant in Copa, but there is also a much higher degree of stupidity by gringos that occurs in Copa than other areas.
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There has been plenty written on the forum on nightlife in Rio, including which venues to go to on which days. However if you're coming to Rio for the nightlife, then you will be really disappointed. Rio has disproportionately bad nightlife for a city of its size.
I disagree. Nightlife in Rio is actually quite excellent for Latin America. For one, street night life is among the best in the entire region.
The problem with Rio isn't the amount or diversity of nightlife, it's the logistics of it. Besides Lapa, there isn't really much of a concentration of nightlife areas in the city. This means that nightlife is extremely spread out and there are venues throughout the city such as in Lagoa, Tijuca, Botafogo, Centro, and Ipanema, ect.
Therefore if you don't know where to go and where the current hot spots are, it may seem like nightlife isn't good but that doesn't mean it's bad.
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If you at least make an attempt to speak halfway decent Portuguese and don't dress like a slob, you'll be surpassed at how open and friendly they are.
Rio is probably the most casual dressed cosmopolitan city I have ever been to. You do not need to dress nicely to pick up in Rio, and in fact, doing so might make you a bigger target for robbery.