NY Times Declares Rio Beach More Miami-esque Than Miami

Barra da Tijuca has the bad:To some, Barra da Tijuca is Rio de Janeiro's hottest new neighborhood, blessed with beautiful rock formations and a beach blanketed with some of the planet's sexiest bodies. To others, it is a Brazilian version of the worst of Miami, full of traffic jams and...

By Kyle Munzenrieder

October 23, 2009

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Barra da Tijuca has the bad:

To some, Barra da Tijuca is Rio de Janeiro's hottest new neighborhood, blessed with beautiful rock formations and a beach blanketed with some of the planet's sexiest bodies. To others, it is a Brazilian version of the worst of Miami, full of traffic jams and tacky shopping malls.

And the "good":

Night life in Barra can feel even more Miami-like than Miami, with thumping techno emanating from clubs dotting its main drag.

Do you hear that? More Miami-like than Miami? How is that even possible? It's like this entire city has turned its own reputation into a giant, fake, uber-branded, easy-to-stereotype dreamland that can't even live up to its own hype. Oh wait -- that's exactly what's happened.

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