East Zone of São Paulo

The East Zone covers several subprefectures including Penha, Ermelino Matarazzo, Itaquera and São Mateus with residential neighborhoods and business districts across its territory. Main avenues connect these areas while smaller streets wind through hills and flat sections.

The region changed during the industrial expansion of the 1950s and 1960s when factories and housing developments altered the previously rural landscape. Many of these industrial buildings were later converted to warehouses or mixed commercial spaces.

Soccer fields and basketball courts shape many public green spaces where locals play pickup games and hold casual training sessions. Music styles like samba and hip-hop echo in bars and street parties that take place on weekends.

Several metro lines run through the zone and make connections to the city center and other neighborhoods easier. Bus routes complement the network and provide access to areas farther from metro stations.

The Parque Ecológico do Tietê provides a large protected green area within this urban section with environmental education programs. Native bird species nest along the riverbanks that visitors can observe during guided walks.