A new census shows how a Brazilian favela really works

As YOU WALK down Rua Teixeira Ribeiro, a commercial avenue in the Complexo da Maré, Rio de Janeiro’s biggest favela, you barely notice the open-air drug markets guarded by teens with AK-47s. There are also pet stores with exotic fish, restaurants with better service than most Copacabana bistros and a hipster barbershop with mood lighting and retro décor. And now, for the first time, they have been counted. An unofficial census conducted by more than 100 local people over a period of six years found that the Maré includes 660 bars, 307 beauty salons, 138 supermarkets, 69 computer stores, 21 ice-cream shops and 8 dental offices. In total, 3,182 licit businesses employ 9,371 people.