in the minds of many, the favelas occupied a special, almost mystical place in the the city of rio - the apparent lack of safety and order inside favelas meant, that they were off-limits for most cariocas and the lack of contact and exposure fuelled prejudices and false ideas about the communities living on the fringes of society.

due to criminal activity that plagued the favelas of rio until not long ago, for many years and for many people, the city ended where the unpaved roads began - however, despite their often precarious look, rio's favelas are a stable and integral part of the city, and not a transient housing phenomenon.

even though not all middle and upper-middle class cariocas have been inside a favela, many live very close to at least one community, and know or employ people who live in a favela.