Praça da República is an always-lively square a few blocks northwest of Anhangabaú that turns into an open-air market on Sundays, specializing in crafts, paintings, coins and gemstones. The area north of the square has become popular with the gay community , while to the south lies a nest of business hotels, huge office buildings and, especially along Avenida São Luís, what were once some of the city's most prestigious apartment buildings.
