Rio's Suburbs Will Shine During Olympics

RIO DE JANEIRO (TheStreet) -- When Rio de Janeiro was named host of the 2016 Olympic Games, many Americans were left in shock.

U.S. President Barack Obama and his Brazilian counterpart, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, made personal appeals to bring the XXXI Olympiad to their home countries. The latter returned to Brazil, the world's 10th largest economy, having secured South America's first Olympic Games and what could become Brazil's "Beijing moment."

Rio's Estadio do Maracana will host the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2016 Olympic Games.

So what can visitors expect from an Olympic Games in Rio? The city is best known for its spectacular beaches and beautiful people, but it's also filled with notable architecture by Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier. However, beyond Rio's urban beauty is rampant crime.

The first time you arrive in Rio, most Westerners check in at the Copacabana Palace Hotel or Hotel Marina All Suites, where they might get a 10-minute safety lecture.

Life in Rio focuses on the beach, where one of the world's most beautiful populaces line the sand in a social experiment that brings together every demographic from 80-year-old men to supermodels.

Rio will spend an estimated $11.1 billion to build the facilities and infrastructure for the Olympic venues. Almost all the events will take place within the city's limits, primarily in the Barra da Tijuca, Copacabana, Deodoro and Maracana neighborhoods.

The center of the Rio Olympics will be the city's main soccer stadium, Estadio do Maracana, which will soon close for a two-year renovation. The opening and closing ceremonies will be held at the site.