Rio — -2011-

Driven by the upcoming 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, cranes dotted the skyline. The Porto Maravilha urban revival project kicked off, gutting the historic (and decrepit) port area to make way for the Museum of Tomorrow (which wouldn't open until 2015). Property prices in Zona Sul (Leblon, Ipanema) skyrocketed. The "Carioca dream" of 2011 was a construction dream. The Weather & The Vibe Let’s talk about the weather. In January 2011, Rio suffered a massive tragedy with mudslides in the mountainous region north of the city (Nova Friburgo and Teresópolis), which cast a dark shadow over the early part of the year.

If you have a time machine, set it for September 30, 2011. Go see Coldplay at Rock in Rio, then take a cab to Rio Scenarium in Lapa to dance until 4 AM. That was the Rio sweet spot. Rio -2011-

If you had walked the streets of Rio de Janeiro in 2011, you would have felt a unique vibration in the air. It wasn't just the relentless samba drums from the favelas or the crash of the Atlantic waves against Ipanema. It was a city buzzing with a potent mix of nostalgia, hedonism, and anxious preparation for the spotlight. Driven by the upcoming 2014 World Cup and

Flashback to Rio 2011: The Year the City Shook to Rock and Realigned for the Future The "Carioca dream" of 2011 was a construction dream

Did you attend Rock in Rio 2011? Were you living in Rio during the UPP invasions? Share your memories in the comments below.