It spans the upscale Pinheiros, Jardim Paulistano, Itaim Bibi and Vila Olímpia neighborhoods.

Examples include BTG Pactual, Itaú BBA, Bradesco BBI (three of Brazilian biggest investment banks), Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Morgan Stanley, Bank of America Merrill Lynch, JPMorgan Chase, UBS and many others.

Avenida Faria Lima was built in the late 1960s, with an initial stretch lying between Rua Iguatemi ("Iguatemi Street"), in the Itaim Bibi district, and Largo da Batata ("Potato Square"), in the neighborhood of Pinheiros, crossing the Jardins region of the city.

Initiated in 1967 by São Paulo's then mayor, Brevet Brigadier José Vicente Faria Lima, it would receive his name two years later, after his death.

The project was controversial because it would displace many citizens, and it was argued that the rapid expansion of the city would make it only a temporary solution to the growing traffic problems, but it was carried out and opened in the late 1990s.