I was in the back seat of my family car, taking in the harbor and the industrial feel of the city’s skyline as my dad drove by the Domino sugar factory.

This panel reads: "Right then, Baltimore reminded me of São Paulo, the city I’m from in Brazil. I quickly brushed it off as homesickness and a desperate desire to belong." There's an illustration of Paulista Avenue, an economic and cultural center of the city, seemingly incomplete. There's a brush crossing through the painting, as if the painter has given up on the project.

Two cities, separated by more than 4,700 miles. How could they be alike?

Almost two years later and a week before I started at The Baltimore Banner, I drove through the city again with my family.

I was surprised when my family — some who still live in São Paulo — agreed with me. Something about this city reminds them of the Brazilian metropolis.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

In some ways, we recognized in Baltimore the faults and flaws our city still struggles with; noticeable racial and socioeconomic disparity, a high crime rate and a history of corruption in local governance.

As I wandered through Highlandtown and drove by Orleans Street and into Eastwood, I often got lost. But even as a newcomer, I could always tell when I had crossed into a different neighborhood.

Baltimore is full of invisible divides, giving each area on a map a different community with its unique set of quirks, history, losses and strength.

This richness of identity and belonging might be why the city is so charming — even with all its flaws, Baltimoreans love their city.

I moved to Maryland from Brazil in 2016, the summer before my third year of high school. The number of houses I’ve lived is in the double digits, and the back-and-forth between Brazil and the U.S. gave me a handful of cultural whiplashes.

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Moving was difficult. But it also gave me an advantage as a journalist.

Not having that one house in that one neighborhood to call my own meant that I usually had to find something familiar everywhere I lived. It wired my brain to searching for patterns in what brings all these different cities and communities together, like an unnecessarily complicated and specific Venn diagram.

So, let’s talk about Baltimore.

Where is the heart of your block? Is it a shop that sells handmade jewelry from a local artist? A bar with a quirky tradition?

Who is the person everyone knows? A community organizer who is fighting for better housing? A singer with stardom-worthy talent?

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

What is something that once happened in your neighborhood and no one seems to remember?

What work still needs to be done to improve your neighborhood?

I know why Baltimore reminds me of São Paulo. I can’t wait to learn what is it about Baltimore that makes it, well, Baltimore.

Spam my inbox at clara.longo@thebaltimorebanner.com.

Read more:

The Baltimore Banner thanks its sponsors. Become one.

Clara Longo de Freitas

clara.longo@thebaltimorebanner.com

Clara Longo de Freitas

Clara Longo de Freitas is a neighborhood reporter covering East Baltimore communities. Before joining the Banner, she interned at The Baltimore Sun as an emerging news and community reporter. She also has design and illustration experience with several news organizations, including The Hill and NPR.

More from Clara Longo de Freitas

What life is like for children navigating Baltimore’s immigration court

City moves forward with efforts to make immigrant affairs office permanent

More From The Banner

Photo collage shows David Bramble on left, with map of Baltimore and photographs of row houses in background. Many bright yellow circles mark specific locations on the background map.

The developer of Harborplace bought 128 rowhomes in East Baltimore

One Baltimore County developer is pouring big money into local politics

Larry Lucchino, visionary behind Camden Yards construction, dies at 78

Dundalk was a steel town. When the Key Bridge fell, so did its legacy.