Two blocks from the apartment is one of Recife's main thoroughfare roads.

The beach stretches for miles, mainly filled w/umbrellas & people relaxing.

Because of shark activity, you must go north or south for swimming beaches.

Recife began as a Portuguese settlement in 1537.  Fortunately in its modernization, a wide beach road was constructed for the north-south traffic flow.  Inside a half-mile depth of high-rises mixed with older buildings, there's a lot of traffic congestion & it's slow going.  

The land of Recife has countless inlets that require many bridges.  

Another of the few "expressways" in this city of 4.5 million.  This one is about a half-mile inland going south, along the western side of "high-rise cement city!" intermixed with the old colonial & original structures (below).

There are 2 canals running along some miles of the beach road.  There is some sewage seepage. 

Some homeless life along the canal.

The water/sewage system is a challenge here & as it is in most of the world. People can only use boiled or bottled water.

Part of the historical center of Recife has beautiful old colonial structures which are being restored and repurposed ~ a city center renovation project which began in 2012.  Just across the street is a huge pedestrian plaza, -->

Marco Zero Square, and adjacent to it is a strip of paid parking, $2, along a defunct trolley track by at least 150'-long harbor warehouses which don't identify the museum, modern shopping areas, etc. that are inside!  See below.

Marco Zero Square has the (famous tourist) RECIFE photo op.