Recognised as Sao Paulo’s most important street, Paulista Avenue is the city’s financial and cultural hub comparable to New York’s Time Square. Constructed in 1891 by Uruguayan-Brazilian civil engineer Joaquim Eugênio de Lima, Paulista Avenue began as a residential neighbourhood filled with grand mansions owned by the wealthy entrepreneurs of the day. In time, this 1.7 mile-long avenue evolved into the economic and cultural nerve centre of the State of São Paulo. Paulista Avenue is the home of must-visit landmarks including the Conjunto Nacional, the Parque Siqueira Campos, the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), numerous cultural centres and is the venue for the annual São Paulo Gay Pride Parade - the largest event of its kind in the world.