my bf and I just got back to NY from 4 days in Sao Paulo. I have to say that the threads here seemed (in hindsight) to be a little bit alarmist. As others have posted, Jardins is a great neighborhood and affords you the chance to do much of your exploring by walking. Safety was a non-issue for us. Taxis are quite cheap and really only in 1 or 2 situations ... outside the Mercado Municipal and at the Estacio Luz ... did it feel necessary to really focus on safety. We hit some great restaurants, some fun places to hang out, a few very sexy clubs, etc. and overall it was a great trip that in my opinion felt as safe or safer than other trips i've made to Rio and other parts of Brazil. I think if you're planning to go for only a few days (I'd suggest 4 is probably the max unless you've got friends or business reasons to be there) that you make sure your trip includes the weekend. Aside from being able to go out to The Week on a Saturday and obviously nightlife stuff, there are also some once-weekly events that are really fun ... like the saturday afternoon market in Calixto which is cool for antiques shopping but also a great vibe for hanging out, having a drink, and socializing.