Niteroi: the city where I was born

Niteroi is located at 8 miles from the Rio de Janeiro city.It is popularly known as the Smile City.A very famous joke from the Cariocas  say that  the best thing about Niteroi  is the view of the  Rio de Janeiro city,and when Niteroi residents smile is because they look at the city of RIo.

Niteroi changed  from been a sleepy city to an independent city from Rio.These days,a lot of Cariocas are  moving to Niteroi because is a quieter and has a  higher quality of life compared to Rio. 

Map of Guanabara Bay

Cariocas make joke about Niteroi because is across the Guanabara Bay from  Rio de Janeiro.
This city is linked to Rio de Janeiro  by a bridge popularly known as Rio - Niteroi Bridge.

Bridge Rio-Niteroi

The easiest way to get in Niteroi from Rio is driving  through the bridge. if is not in the rush hour, it takes 25 minutes; otherwise, you can take three hours to cross the bridge.
Two other options to get to Niteroi from Rio are by: 

• Ferry boat 
• Catamaran 

By ferry boat or catamaran,it can takes from 10 to 15 minutes commute to cross Guanabara Bay.

Rio de Janeiro view from Icarai

Icarai is one of the most sophisticated neighborhood in Niteroi.Icarai is "o point."It is where everything happens.It is so funny because you know what is trending by walking in the Moreira Cesar street.There, is where  people launch the season trend for the city.Moreira Cesar can be compared to a small street in Soho, NY.

Here is the city where locals go to the beach every day.
On weekends,locals wake up in the morning and change your bathing suit to go to the beach knowing that they  would not be back home till night.
In Niteroi,most of the people go to the same beach,eat in the same restaurant, get dress almost the same way.

Parque da Cidade

This city offers numerous sport activities,but the most unique ones are  hang gliding and paragliding.Practitioners come from many different places,and they drive up to the 

Parque da Cidade, which is a Park with an amazing view to the city.

Once they are in the air they  fly over the city for hours.

At Parque da Cidade,people also like to just  sit at the ramp, appreciate the beautiful view and stay till sunset.

Practitioner of  hang gliding loves Niteroi

Hang gliding and paragliding start here
in the Parque da Cidade ramp

MAC-Museu de Arte Contemporanea
Contemporary Art Museum

Boa Viagem

Icarai Beach

 In the afternoon,the best place to go is to walk in  Icarai.

 Icarai can be compare to South Beach.On Saturday mornings,this is where most of the  people get together in the hair salon or the bar  to drink some beer with friends,socialize  celebrate  the day.

Sao Francisco Beach

Charitas Beach

At night, Noi Restaurant in Sao Francisco is the best option to have a nice dinner.I suggest the palmito pasta with  shrimp.The pasta is made with pelled palmitos in thin slices in a delicious shrimp white sauce.

In Niteroi some people maybe do not have much money to live, but they spend a lot of money to get  dressed up  and look good. Everything is about how do you look.Residents know how to take care of their bodies very well.Everything in Niteroi runs around the beach.

To live in Niteroi you must look good to go anywhere.

This is the city's culture.