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How is it to live in Fortaleza, Brazil?
Since this is City-Data Forum, nothing better than talk a bit about the city where I live. Although I was not born in Fortaleza I have lived in this city for more than 95% of my life. All my personal cultural background was formed in Fortaleza. And talking about Fortaleza is always talking about mixed feelings. There are many things to love in this city, but also things to hate.
Fortaleza, for those who don't know, is a big city of more than 2.7 million people (more than 3.5 million in the metro area), it's the capital city of the state of Ceará, in the Northeast of Brazil. It's located in the Atlantic ocean coast and is surrounded by some beautiful beaches. The climate is hot, but thanks to the ocean breeze it's not too hot, temperatures usually never get higher than 34 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature around the year is something between 26 and 29 degrees Celsius. As an equatorial city, there are no clearly defined seasons (summer, winter, spring) only a "rainy season" that usually goes from February to May and a "dry season" in the rest of the year.
Fortaleza is a city of contrasting realities, with modern wealthy neighborhoods that have hundreds of highrise buildings (mostly residential) and with many poor neighborhoods too, including favelas. Crime is really an issue in Fortaleza, and I'm not here to lie to you. Although it's relatively safe to walk in the most touristic places in the wealthy neighborhoods, the city overall is not very "safe". Crime is becoming worse in the last 6 years because of increasing disputes between drug cartels for controlling drug sales in areas of the city. It's not an exaggeration to say that Fortaleza these days lives a "low-intensity" civil war related to drug trafficking, even if large firearms (like assault rifles) are very rare in Fortaleza, compared to the situation in Rio de Janeiro, for example.
But hey, don't think even for a second that crime issues prevent the residents of Fortaleza from enjoying life and having fun. Having fun is something that people in Fortaleza take very "seriously" (or not!). The people of Fortaleza are nationally known for their sense of humour, it's a city where almost everyone is a wannabe comedian. People make jokes about everything, SPECIALLY about the problems. That's how people in Fortaleza deal with all the problems: they laugh about it. Overcrowded public transportation? Make jokes about it! Increasing crime? Make jokes about it! Traffic jams? Make jokes about it!
It's also a city of many, MANY parties and many bars. There are bars everywhere in Fortaleza, and yes, many people here really love to drink alcohol (including me). And since it's a coastal city, there are many bars by the beach. But not only. Bars are everywhere in Fortaleza. And parties too. Every Friday and Saturday nights in Fortaleza are really buzzy with many parties. There are parties for all tastes, but the majority are parties dedicated to "forró" music genre, a genre that is typical of Northeastern Brazil. Fortaleza is considered the "capital" of the forró music industry, and many of the most renowned artists of the genre live in the city.
But people in Fortaleza are also very hardworking people. And smart. There are many smart people in this city. Sometimes I even feel impressed by how many really smart people there are in Fortaleza, some of them brilliant.
But, after all, the thing I like the most in Fortaleza is that, for me, this city exhalates FREEDOM. Did you know the state of Ceará was the first state in Brazil to end slavery? Freedom is in the DNA of this city, and I feel VERY free living in Fortaleza. That's why I don't think about moving to any other place.
Fortaleza, for those who don't know, is a big city of more than 2.7 million people (more than 3.5 million in the metro area), it's the capital city of the state of Ceará, in the Northeast of Brazil. It's located in the Atlantic ocean coast and is surrounded by some beautiful beaches. The climate is hot, but thanks to the ocean breeze it's not too hot, temperatures usually never get higher than 34 degrees Celsius, and the average temperature around the year is something between 26 and 29 degrees Celsius. As an equatorial city, there are no clearly defined seasons (summer, winter, spring) only a "rainy season" that usually goes from February to May and a "dry season" in the rest of the year.
Fortaleza is a city of contrasting realities, with modern wealthy neighborhoods that have hundreds of highrise buildings (mostly residential) and with many poor neighborhoods too, including favelas. Crime is really an issue in Fortaleza, and I'm not here to lie to you. Although it's relatively safe to walk in the most touristic places in the wealthy neighborhoods, the city overall is not very "safe". Crime is becoming worse in the last 6 years because of increasing disputes between drug cartels for controlling drug sales in areas of the city. It's not an exaggeration to say that Fortaleza these days lives a "low-intensity" civil war related to drug trafficking, even if large firearms (like assault rifles) are very rare in Fortaleza, compared to the situation in Rio de Janeiro, for example.
But hey, don't think even for a second that crime issues prevent the residents of Fortaleza from enjoying life and having fun. Having fun is something that people in Fortaleza take very "seriously" (or not!). The people of Fortaleza are nationally known for their sense of humour, it's a city where almost everyone is a wannabe comedian. People make jokes about everything, SPECIALLY about the problems. That's how people in Fortaleza deal with all the problems: they laugh about it. Overcrowded public transportation? Make jokes about it! Increasing crime? Make jokes about it! Traffic jams? Make jokes about it!
It's also a city of many, MANY parties and many bars. There are bars everywhere in Fortaleza, and yes, many people here really love to drink alcohol (including me). And since it's a coastal city, there are many bars by the beach. But not only. Bars are everywhere in Fortaleza. And parties too. Every Friday and Saturday nights in Fortaleza are really buzzy with many parties. There are parties for all tastes, but the majority are parties dedicated to "forró" music genre, a genre that is typical of Northeastern Brazil. Fortaleza is considered the "capital" of the forró music industry, and many of the most renowned artists of the genre live in the city.
But people in Fortaleza are also very hardworking people. And smart. There are many smart people in this city. Sometimes I even feel impressed by how many really smart people there are in Fortaleza, some of them brilliant.
But, after all, the thing I like the most in Fortaleza is that, for me, this city exhalates FREEDOM. Did you know the state of Ceará was the first state in Brazil to end slavery? Freedom is in the DNA of this city, and I feel VERY free living in Fortaleza. That's why I don't think about moving to any other place.
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