Why live in Santa Tereza, Belo Horizonte?
- Horizonte Coliving
- Dec 18, 2025
- 7 min read
Living in Santa Tereza means choosing a daily life where the city meets the warmth of a small town: a central square where everything happens, a church with baroque inspiration, traditional bars (botecos) that hold secret recipes and decades of stories, a neighborhood cinema with free screenings, and a street corner that became a fundamental piece of Brazilian music history.
If you are looking for a place to live in Belo Horizonte, this post explains in detail why the Santa Tereza neighborhood should be on your list.
What is it like to live in Santa Tereza?
Santa Tereza combines proximity to BH's City Center with a neighborhood rhythm that favors real connections. Here, days are filled with live music, bars full of memories, a busy cultural calendar, and neighbors who actually recognize each other. It is a top choice for those who want culture right at their doorstep without giving up quick access to services, work, and study centers.
History, Culture, and Identity: A neighborhood that helped write Brazilian music
Santa Tereza is culturally rich. The corner of Paraisópolis and Divinópolis streets became a symbol: it was the birthplace of the Clube da Esquina, the movement that projected music from Minas Gerais to the world. The sign on that corner is simple, but for music lovers, it is a place of pilgrimage: sitting on that little bench, you can feel the energy of history.
This past isn't just a frozen tourist label, it is a living engine. The neighborhood has always been fertile ground for musical gatherings and informal meetups. Today, these encounters continue, sometimes announced, sometimes spontaneous. Musicians, residents, and fans keep the conversation between past and present alive on that famous corner.
Spaces like Cine Santa Tereza (with regular free screenings) and the Bar Museu do Clube da Esquina are examples of this vitality, bringing different crowds together and keeping the neighborhood in motion. Music in Santa Tereza spreads in various formats, from samba and chorinho circles to bar performances. Often, big-name artists show up, reinforcing how the neighborhood continues to inspire the city's music scene.
Traditional Bars and Gastronomy: Tradition that spans decades
If Belo Horizonte is the capital of bars, Santa Tereza is its heart. Places like Mercadinho Bicalho (better known as Bar do Nivaldo) and Restaurante Bolão are references: dishes that have become family memories, snacks that cross generations, and customers who have been coming back for decades. These establishments are not just places to eat, they are spaces of memory.
Alongside the classics, new bars, cultural spaces, and coffee shops with contemporary concepts are constantly popping up, maintaining a dialogue with the traditional. The result is a plural gastronomy scene that caters to both those looking for traditional appetizers and those wanting specialty coffee.
Neighborhood Life: The Plaza, the Church, and the "Small Town" Aura
Praça Santa Tereza acts as the true lungs of the neighborhood: fairs, informal gatherings, and small street events happen there frequently. It is where social life reveals itself daily. The church that gives the neighborhood its name and the house facades contribute to an aesthetic that feels like the countryside, not in a backward sense, but in terms of closeness. It is common to recognize faces, exchange greetings, and see the same people occupying the square in the late afternoon.
This continuity creates routines that seem simple: going to the bakery, having lunch at the same restaurant, running into someone on the way. These gestures build a collective care for the space. Many families have lived here for decades, stories are passed down from generation to generation, and this rootedness translates into attention to small things: cleanliness, informal security, service recommendations, and an active sense of community.
Alongside these families, the neighborhood also attracts artists, students, and creative professionals who find a backdrop to create and connect in these streets and bars. The mix of old and new residents produces a very lively human ecosystem. Some seek the neighborhood for peace and community, while others come looking for the cultural effervescence that sprouts from the corners. Life in Santa Tereza brings a practical sense of belonging that turns a neighborhood into a home.
Location, Services, and Mobility: The practicality of being close to everything
One of the biggest advantages of Santa Tereza is its location near the Center of Belo Horizonte. For those who work or study in the city, the routine becomes practical: short commutes and greater accessibility to urban transport.
Regarding services, the neighborhood has markets, bakeries, and local commerce that meet daily needs. This transforms the experience of living here: you don't need to travel far for everything; most daily necessities can be solved on foot.
Approximate distances and times to key points (from Horizonte Coliving Santa Tereza):
Praça da Liberdade (Savassi): 3.0 to 3.3 km → 10 to 15 min by car or 20 to 25 min by public transport.
Mercado Central (Center): 2.8 to 3.2 km → 10 to 15 min by car and 20 to 25 min by public transport.
Parque Municipal (Center): 1.8 to 2.1 km → 5 to 10 min by car or 15 to 20 min by public transport.
Mineirão, UFMG, and Lagoa da Pampulha: 10.5 to 12.2 km → 25 to 35 min by car or 50 to 60 min by public transport.
Praça do Papa (Mangabeiras): 5.2 to 5.9 km → 15 to 20 min by car or 40 to 45 min by public transport.
Horizonte Coliving Mangabeiras: 5.2 to 5.8 km → 15 to 20 min by car or 40 to 50 min by public transport.
Security: What to expect?
When it comes to safety, it pays to be direct: Santa Tereza is a central neighborhood with intense nightlife, and this requires attention. As in any area close to BH's Center, there are busier streets and emptier ones, especially at night. The good news is that our house is just one block from Rua Mármore, the main street, where there is commerce, bars, and plenty of people circulating, which usually favors the feeling of security. Still, it is important to take the same precautions as in any big city: avoid walking alone in deserted stretches and always observe the area well at different times.
Practical Pros and Cons for those thinking about renting a room in Santa Tereza
Pros:
Intense cultural life and constant contact with music, cinema, and street events.
Strong sense of neighborhood, perfect for those who value daily interaction and exchange.
Proximity to the Center and easy access to services and cultural spots.
A mix of tradition and novelty: from historic pubs to new coffee shops.
Cons:
Event nights and weekends tend to be noisier in areas with a concentration of bars.
The presence of many new commercial establishments has been considerably raising house rental prices.
Practical Guide: What to see, where to eat, what not to miss
Esquina do Clube da Esquina: Located at the corner of Rua Paraisópolis and Rua Divinópolis, it is a symbolic spot for those who love Minas Gerais music.
Bar Museu Clube da Esquina: Close to the corner, it hosts shows, tributes, and programming celebrating the movement.
Cine Santa Tereza: Free and varied programming that goes beyond what is showing in major cinema chains.
Mercadinho Bicalho (Bar do Nivaldo): A classic of local bohemia, located in front of the neighborhood's main square, is a traditional meeting point.
Restaurante Bolão: With dishes that have marked generations, a visit is mandatory for those who want to taste icons of BH gastronomy.
Bar do Chico: A schedule that represents the musical scene well, with samba, chorinho, and forró circles.
Praça Santa Tereza (Praça Duque de Caxias): Always alive, it is the best place to understand the rhythm of the neighborhood.
Some practical recommendations before signing a contract
Visit the property at different times (morning, afternoon, late night) to feel the noise level and circulation.
Talk to neighbors and local merchants; they know the region better than any ad.
Check commuting routes to your points of interest (work, university, market).
If your criteria is absolute silence, choose more residential areas. If the intention is to live with the city, look for areas closer to the square and bars.
The New Horizonte House
Moving to Santa Tereza was a natural step. Horizonte Coliving was born in the Mangabeiras neighborhood with the idea of transforming housing into social and cultural coexistence. The new house in Santa Tereza repeats and expands this purpose on soil that has lived this culture for ages. The residence belongs to a family with history in the neighborhood, a house that for decades was a meeting point and even housed an Italian restaurant in the back. This makes the property a place with memory and a vocation for welcoming people.
At Horizonte, shared living is an invitation to share much more than just a kitchen, but also music, projects, conversations, and routines. In Santa Tereza, this happens with the perfect complement: a neighborhood that already practices gathering, bars that host music circles, and a cinema that goes beyond the obvious. Our house wants to add, not compete; we want to be an organic continuation of local life. An internal cafeteria, for example, will be designed to dialogue with the neighborhood, attracting residents and neighbors without taking over.
A Special Invitation from Horizonte Coliving
Santa Tereza is, above all, a neighborhood that respects memory and celebrates life happening on the street. Living here is opting for a routine of encounters, good food, music happening right next door, and neighbors who recognize each other. If you are looking to live in a centralized location or want to explore living in a coliving in Belo Horizonte, consider this neighborhood a choice that privileges the human and the cultural.
If you want to know how Horizonte integrates into the neighborhood and see the house up close, visit our website to see more photos and check available rooms. Also, follow our daily life at @horizontecoliving on Instagram. And if you want to get in touch with us, just message us on WhatsApp: +55 31 99537-1376.
See you on the streets of Santê!
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