Yeah I was in some crazy ass favela and I have no idea where it was, it was at least a good 20 miles from itaim bibi, I think north. It was basically a pit. It literally looked like hell on earth, and i dont get scared easy, but i must admit i was a little sketched out. Where most favelas are built on hills or in São Paulo's case many are flat, this one was basically built into a little valley. When we pulled up there was a car on fire on the side of the free way. Some dudes were getting patted down a little outside the favela by policia militar. And everyone was looking at us like, "what the fuck are these gringos doing here?" I was actually with all Brazilians but one of our friends always joked that he was going out with two gringos and we were going to get him robbed, because even though my other friend is Brazilian, he's three shades whiter than chalk and looks like he could be a gringo.
São Paulo can be dangerous but the only way it's really dangerous is if you choose to put yourself in danger. If you stay in neighborhoods like itaim bibi you should be fine. If you get messed with its bad luck. Also obviously fallow the unwritten rule in Latin America, don't walk around by yourself late at night. I broke the rule all the time and the only place I got messed with was Medellin, but I don't recommend it.
São Paulo can be dangerous but the only way it's really dangerous is if you choose to put yourself in danger. If you stay in neighborhoods like itaim bibi you should be fine. If you get messed with its bad luck. Also obviously fallow the unwritten rule in Latin America, don't walk around by yourself late at night. I broke the rule all the time and the only place I got messed with was Medellin, but I don't recommend it.