“We replaced the trash left in the street with flowers, you know?”
“It all started when our tiny street, Rua da Silva at the heart of Lisbon, underwent heavy roadwork to replace a canalisation. When that ended, everyone was happy to take the street back. Armando, our upstairs neighbour, started to place plants and flowers on his balcony. Since he had a lot of them, he gave us plants and suggested we place them in front of the store, along the street. Step by step, the flowers replaced the garbage. At first, some people in the street were against it. They said it blocked the passage, even though there was no car or traffic on Rua da Silva. So we continued to add plants. Then, all of a sudden, Lisbon won the European Green Capital Award for 2020. Our street became the emblem of Lisbon: a green city! Soon, Rua da Silva became known as Green Street and is now one of the most visited landmarks by Instagram photographers and listed as such on the city map.” –Tania Gil, designer, founder of taniagil_jewelry
Tania Gil has been working in Rua da Silva for 10 years. She’s a jewellery designer, or as she calls it, a designer of "wearable objects.” Born in Lisbon in 1981, she grew up in Porto Covo, a small village on the Alentejo coast where her inspirations for nature and the ocean soon morphed into necklaces and rings at #taniagil_jewelry.
I asked her if she and the people on the street embraced the building renovations that took place in the same years. Keep in mind, in 2017, Rua da Silva was silent, humid, derelict, and bare of plants [see picture]. Her eyes spark: “Of course, it has placed our street on the map and offers housing in great conditions.”
Portugal has been in constant flux since 2015 and today is in high-speed acceleration – everything seems to be changing by the minute.
Take Barro, the clothing concept store on Green Street. It just closed for renovations last week and reopens on April 10, just in time for Easter. Its owner, Caroline Costa Fanjul, is from Ribeirão Preto, a country town in São Paulo, Brazil. In 2016, she fell in love with Lisbon and moved in.
"I worked as a cultural producer until the beginning of the pandemic, and in September 2020, I launched Barro Store. As soon as I entered Rua da Silva, known as Green Street, I was overwhelmed by its energy, the friendly and community spirit of its neighbors, and of course, the beauty of this street so green. From the beginning, there was a fixed idea in the classic clay pots, simple and minimal, and everything fit with the idea of the shop being mainly clothing, but with a pleasant atmosphere that only plants give…” – Caroline Costa Fanjul, founder of barro.store
For anyone with an international history, Lisbon these days has the swagger of New York in 2006 and 2007 when the city had reached maximum housing occupancy and infused some of the best building architectures that erected in the city, not even bothered by the 2008 Lehman Brothers drama that never saw real estate pricing go down despite the talks in the city.
As we can see currently with the polemic over the golden visa and other conversations around housing in Portugal, when changes occur, two main camps always friction: the progressive camp of entrepreneurs that builds the changes – for most for the greater good, and those who would rather want things to stay as they are, even if left in ruins or paralyzed by the absence of political decisions.
The story of Rua da Silva now coined Rua Verde by the Portuguese themselves epitomizes this pushing and pulling effect around Portugal’s momentum. At Mojo this friction is old news, since renovation is at the core of our housing expertise and certainly the signature of what our boutique real estate offers at the very best. When we start reshaping unwanted ruins in Lisbon, Setubal, Evora and all over the Alentejo region, we might at first faced resistance until the difference we bring to a vila or a cidade bring something new and vibrant to a community.
"For Mojo as a company, our journey started at Green Street. This was the first apartment we bought in Portugal, and we bought it for ourselves. When we came there, it didn't look anything like it does today, but me and my partner immediately felt the great potential this place has. This is all that it's about, building a better urban reality for the old and new residents of Lisbon alike." –Julia Fridman, founder / CEO of #mojo_boutique_properties
Stay in our properties in the area:
The Star of São Bento Price: € 101 / night
Price: € 3421 / month
Enjoy easy access to everything from this perfect home, The Star of São Bento. The Star of São Bento is located in the Estrela district of Lisbon, 2.6 km from Commerce Square, 3.1 km from St. George's Castle, and 2 km from Rossio. It features city views and free WiFi throughout the property. The Estrela garden, - "Jardim da Estrela", "Basilica da Estrela", are just a short walking path. In this neighborhood, you are near Green street, São Bento street, the river, the parliament, and near to Principe Real neighborhood, which is full of touristic places also. Dona Maria II National Theatre is 3.7 km from the apartment, while Miradouro da Senhora do Monte is 4.8 km away. The nearest airport is Humberto Delgado Airport, 9 km from The Star of São Bento. This is our guests' favorite part of Lisbon, according to independent reviews.
2 Bedroom Apartment
Price: €293,000
Size: 43 m2
Price per m2: €6813
This is a charming 2 bedroom apartment that was fully renovated in 2017. The kitchen comes fully equipped with the fridge, washing machine, dishwasher, stove top, oven, extractor fan and a bar that seats four. It is located in the heart of Misericórdia right next to Avenida Dom Carlos and Rua dos Poço dos Negros. You have everything at your fingertips. The trendiest cafes (Hello Kristof), restaurants and shops, transport including the no. 28 tram, services, IADE creative university. The owners have an organisation in Rua da Silva that has initiated to add green to the street and organise events for the community. Rua da Silva is now best known as greenstreetlisbon
If you wish to invest in properties, reach out to us with your questions. We hand-pick properties that are the best investment for you. And as a reference, check out our current properties for sale.
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Enjoy the throve of independent stores and cafés around Rua da Silva
[known as Green Street]
If you visit Lisbon for the first time, don't miss the magic triangle at the intersection of:
– Rua da Silva [known as Green Street]
– Rua Poço dos Negros
– Rua São Bento
And to close the loop
– R. Poiais S. Bento
Here is a non-exhaustive curated list of places you will surely like! Most are Portuguese-owned independent stores offering a range of creations and products made in Portugal. Other places are independently owned by Lisbon lovers from Brazil, France and more.
Cafe / Breakfast / Brunch
"Buna Coffee & People"
With always a funky tribe and vibe inside and out
Rua Poço dos Negros
Specialty coffee / Brunch / Pastries / magazine store
With 16.7K followers and confidential magazines to browse
Rua Poço dos Negros
coffee / french pastry / breakfast / lunch
A French owned airy café + épicerie fine
Rua São Bento
Gift ideas
[For you and your friends]
From Lisbon to Alentejo and up, wearable objects to carry the treasures of nature and the ocean with you
Rua da Silva aka Green Street
barro.store
Clothings and ceramics made in Portugal
by curator / producer / founder Brazilian Caroline Costa Fanjul
Barro means ‘clay'
Rua da Silva aka Green Street
companhia.portugueza.do.cha
Immense collection of Portuguese teas
With scents infusing the entire street Corner Rua Poço dos Negros + Rua Gaivotas
cecilemestelan_atelier
Cecile*M Atelier
Wheel throwing
Hand-building workshops
dolival.azeites
Olive oil from Portugal
And a few objects for home
R. Poiais S. Bento
Special thanks to Tania Gil for her words and archives