Moving to Sao Paulo (São Paulo)

Hi,

My wife is being transferred to Sao Paulo (or, less likely, Rio) in the new year. She's British and speaks Portuguese, and I have dual US-UK citizenship but don't speak the language. We will be moving with our small children and dog.

I have a few questions:

- How safe is Sao Paulo, especially for women and children?
- Are there specific (and safer) areas in which expats live?
- How large is the American and British expat community?
- How difficult would it be for me to find an IT position without knowing Portuguese?

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers,

Sam