The world’s coolest neighbourhoods, as rated by Time Out readers
Back in March and for the third year on the trot, we asked you – in our annual Time Out Index survey – what you think is Shanghai’s coolest neighbourhood. In fact, Time Out readers (27,000 of them) around the globe told us what they thought about their cities… and now the results are in.
Just like we’ve done before, we took these votes to our local editors and contributors. They then vetted them against those all-important criteria – cool stuff, but also kind stuff, forward-looking stuff – and made their final picks. Our panel of experts then ranked the lot. This year, we couldn’t help but switch up our priorities. Food, drink, nightlife, culture – important. Community spirit, resilience, sustainability – just as important.
Compared to the rest of the world during this last year, here in Shanghai we can say we’ve been a bit fortunate to have had our day-to-day lives relatively unchanged. Clubs, bars and restaurants have been open. Eating, drinking and dancing has continued. But what’s been our coolest neighbourhood over the past year? According to you, Old Xuhui. Leafy streets, charming cafes and exciting restaurants… you just can’t beat it.
In regards to where it ranked with the rest, read on in our love letter to the world's coolest 'hoods.
1. Nørrebro, Copenhagen
However you define ‘cool’, Nørrebro has it. This diverse district, on the northern side of Copenhagen’s lakes, is a dazzling blend of historic landmarks, ultramodern architecture and food and drink joints to make this famously gourmet city proud. Even during this harshest of years, new bakeries, restaurants and natural wine bars have proliferated – and it almost goes without saying that they all put a focus on local, seasonal produce (quite a lot of it foraged, probably). This year has also seen community initiatives flourish: Car-Free Sunday made its comeback, swapping traffic on Nørrebrogade for live music and flea markets, while Usynlige Stier (‘Invisible Paths’) is a new, interactive art exhibition that brings fun and a splash of colour to the neighbourhood’s most vulnerable areas.
2. Andersonville, Chicago
The city’s historic Swedish enclave (take note of the flag on the neighbourhood’s iconic water tower), Andersonville is now better known for its LGBTQ+ nightlife and the bars and restaurants that line the Clark Street corridor. Over the past year, the area has bounced back in a big way, welcoming new bars (Nobody’s Darling, the Bird Cage) and restaurants (Parson’s Chicken & Fish), while events like the Taste of Andersonville have done a top job of showcasing beloved local institutions. The district has always been a desirable place to live, but its proximity to beaches and coastal parks has only made it more appealing during the pandemic. Andersonville is also a community that’s looking forward, launching initiatives like Clark Street Composts – a pilot programme that could serve as a model for eco-friendly composting throughout Chicago.
3. Jongno 3-ga, Seoul
Historic, eccentric and very unpretentious: welcome to Jongno 3-ga, the heart and soul of Seoul. You may know the nearby palaces, galleries and other miscellaneous tourist spots, but this neighbourhood’s real charm lies in the grandfathers huddled around boards of baduk in Tapgol Park, the cart vendors selling traditional toffee on Songhae-gil, the jewellery shops for every occasion, the restaurants serving North Korean food and the many hidden cafés and beer houses. Jongno 3-ga is also home to Seoul’s vibrant traditional LGBTQ+ district: a place that has suffered more than most parts of the city over the past year (you may remember the horrific stigmatisation of Seoul’s gay community in the early days of the outbreak). Now, fantastically, the neighbourhood is bustling once again.
4. Leith, Edinburgh
Once Scotland’s main trade port, Leith’s connection to industry stretches back centuries. Today, however, the north Edinburgh neighbourhood is better known as a cultural hotspot, home to big arts institutions and up-and-coming businesses alike. In recent years, several buildings have been given a new lease of life, including long-abandoned Leith Theatre and the nearby Biscuit Factory, which houses more than 30 creative businesses and its own performance space. The Leith Arches, meanwhile, is a two-tiered pub and events space on the old Caledonian Leith Line – complete with rotating food vendors, a programme of wellness events and the always-excellent Bross Bagels.
5. Station District, Vilnius
With self-proclaimed ‘Artists’ Republic’ Užupis now very much gentrified, Vilnius’s creative soul resides in the Station District. Here you’ll find the city’s best street art: murals, giant Tony Sopranos and sculptures jammed onto neoclassical buildings (you’ll find the latter at Kablys, a riotous nightclub with Berghain-style door policy). There’s also Loftas Art Factory, a Soviet factory that’s been turned into a sprawling community-oriented venue hosting gigs, fashion shows and screenings. The area is packed with cafés (try Love Bar for cocktails with seasonal ingredients) and low-key restaurants offering mostly international cuisine: Georgian (Chačapuri), Uzbek (Halės Plovas) and the best sushi in town (Narushi). The neighbourhood’s unique blend of bijou brutalism won’t last forever: Zaha Hadid Architects have just won the competition to renovate the station itself – with an admittedly spectacular redesign.
6. Chelsea, New York
For the past two years, we’ve picked neighbourhoods in outer boroughs (Astoria, Bed-Stuy) for our coolest neighborhood in New York, but this year it’s back to Manhattan. When it comes to green space, sustainability and community development, this part of town has been setting trends all cities could follow, from new floating park Little Island to the south and Moynihan Train Hall in the north. The High Line and Hudson River Park both provided open space for people who needed it more than ever in 2021, while new dining and entertainment openings included a waterfront location for City Winery, the new Dia and the revamped Chelsea Flower Market.
7. XI District, Budapest
Until recently, visitors only came to Budapest’s XI District (also known as Újbuda) for the art-nouveau Gellért Baths, but today it rivals the downtown districts in Pest. Since Covid, many locals have migrated to the greener Buda-side of the river and nowhere is hotter right now than this neighbourhood, which stretches from Gellért Hill southwards along the Danube. Tree-lined Bartók Béla Boulevard brims with bohemian cafés, bars and independent art galleries. You’ll also find super-sleek repurposed spaces, like a bar in a former bus depot, a once-abandoned open-air theatre, a concert hall on a decommissioned Ukrainian ship, plus Kopaszi Dam with its sandy beaches and riverside bars. Even one of Budapest’s best-loved alternative bars, Dürer Kert, moved here in 2021.
8. Ngor, Dakar
Life in Ngor is all about the Atlantic. From the locals unwinding and exercising in Ngor bay to the divers and surfers dotted around its coast, this lively part of the Senegalese capital sure knows how to make the most of its epic scenery. On Dakar’s northwestern tip, Ngor offers a vibrant array of waterfront restaurants and rooftop bars, although the real jewel in its crown lies 400 metres off the mainland. The picturesque Ngor Island is a labyrinth of narrow bougainvillea-lined streets, golden sandy coves, distinctive street art and one-of-a-kind architecture (exhibit A: the school shaped like a pirate ship). Community groups and businesses on both sides of the bay also organise regular beach clean-ups and plastic bans to help preserve Ngor’s beauty for the next generation.
9. Sai Kung, Hong Kong
With its idyllic beaches, picturesque hiking trails and well-preserved country parks, no wonder Sai Kung is so often dubbed the ‘back garden of Hong Kong’. Being close to nature is obviously great, but locals also love the area as it’s far less populated than Hong Kong’s central districts. More than many other parts of the city, it’s also demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainability, with an abundance of organic farms, health food shops and zero-waste stores. What’s more, you’ll find environmental community groups like Friends of Sai Kung (FSK), which conducts regular beach clean-ups, monthly recycling events and seminars on preserving Sai Kung’s scenery.
10. Richmond, Melbourne
Separated from the CBD by Melbourne’s sporting precinct, this area along the Birrarung (Yarra River) was a gathering place for members of the Kulin Nation long before the stadiums were erected. There are three distinct vibes here: Victoria Street is Melbourne’s go-to destination for Vietnamese food; Bridge Road is known for its factory outlets, both fashion and furniture; and Swan Street brims with some of the suburb’s best restaurants and cafés. And Richmond is home to one of Melbourne’s most beloved live music institutions, the Corner Hotel. It’s also a very community-minded suburb, with the Richmond Churches Food Centre distributing much-needed food to anyone who needs it for the past 30 years – including all through Melbourne’s lockdowns. Yarra Council, which includes Richmond, was one of the first local governments in the world to declare a climate emergency, and has committed to an ambitious plan to make the suburb greener for good.
11. Neukölln, Berlin
No neighbourhood better captures the dynamism of modern Berlin better than Neukölln. The past decade has seen buzzy bars, boutiques and restaurants pop up all over this southeastern district, but its multicultural atmosphere survives, with plenty of grocers and cafés run by immigrant families who have long called Neukölln home. In summer pavements overflow with clientele at bars and the local Lebanese, Syrian and Turkish restaurants. But the streets truly come alive when the community rallies around social causes: Neukölln is an epicentre for protests and demonstrations, which often start at Hermannplatz or the district’s Rathaus (town hall) and run up and down the major streets as participants holler in favour of racial justice and affordable housing.
12. Centro, Medellín
As Medellín awakens from its long pandemic slumber, you’ll want to be in Centro to see the renaissance first hand, as its plazas fill and its multitude of tiny bars reopen, spilling salsa, vallenato and reggaetón out onto the streets again. This year, having emerged from an intensive renovation, Centro (aka La Candelaria, the city’s downtown area) has become a haven of leafy boulevards, cycle lanes, community led ‘pocket parks’, with hundreds of new trees planted. But the redevelopment didn’t dent the joyful chaos that defines the heart of Colombia’s second city. You can get a fancy artisanal beer at an indoor market, but still drink it out on the pavement with some salted mango biche from a street vendor. Music will ring out. An alluring mix of second-hand goods will be laid out at your feet. And the buzz very much won’t have gone away.
13. Dalston, London
Morning, noon or night, we still get a kick out of Dalston. Is it ‘what it once was’? No, of course not. Nowhere is. That’s the nature of time. Does it have everything we want from a London neighbourhood? Let’s take a stock check: great pubs (obviously, loads, including the Duke of Wellington); exciting restaurants (yes, opening all the time, most recently Yes Please on Ridley Road); green space for my dog (Haggerston Park, with London Fields only a short walk away); actual nightlife (Dalston Superstore will never die); avant-garde jazz (Cafe Oto, my spiritual home). Dalston also still retains its moral compass. It has vegan cafés and second-hand shops in abundance, and the highest number of streets covered by Low Traffic Neighbourhoods in London. This year, in particular, it’s shown other parts of London how progressive our neighbourhoods can be: it became the epicentre of the takeaway pint, streets were pedestrianised widely, ‘parklets’ abounded. Even if much else has changed over the past decade, those are things we really can get behind.
14. Silver Lake, Los Angeles
Silver Lake could’ve landed on this list at any point in the previous two decades, so what was it about this past year that propelled the increasingly upscale neighbourhood into our top 15? The arrival of notoriously luxe market Erewhon? The return of L.A.’s prettiest patio? We’d point to the district’s ability to radiate carefree vibes in the face of lingering uncertainty. It’s a place where you can stretch out on a colourfully painted stair hike, swing by the Saturday farmers’ market and picnic with friends by the reservoir. The expansion of Sunset Boulevard’s see-and-be-seen sidewalk seating has kept the street buzzing with life: The Black Cat’s parking lot turned into an impromptu beer garden, El Cid’s terrace patio became an alfresco hangout and All Day Baby flipped from a darling diner into a corner market and back again. That’s not to say it’s just status quo in Silver Lake: the arrival of the Micro bus means you can go anywhere in the area for a dollar, and there’s been a renewed push to tear down the fences and restore green space at the area’s namesake reservoir.
15. Dublin 8, Dublin
Dublin 8 captures the essence and charm of the Irish capital to a tee. With much of the city being built up with cookie-cutter hotels and skyscrapers, this nook has retained much of its original architecture. But there have been plenty of positive changes in the past year too. Lucky’s pub has been transformed into a cultural hotspot with excellent rotating exhibitions, while Pearse Lyons Distillery is taking tours around its church distillery again. The neighbourhood brims with vintage and bric-à-brac shops, street art, markets, homey cafés, and it’s also where you’ll find some of the city’s hottest foodie talent. Not to mention the Dublin Food Co-op, where locals can buy organic produce and educate themselves at sustainability workshops and other community events.
16. Zoloti Vorota, Kyiv
Where once there was a glorious entrance to medieval Kyiv, now you’ll find a fascinating neighbourhood that oozes energy and creativity. Reitarska, Yaroslaviv Val, Striletska and Honchara streets, right in the heart of Old Kyiv, are changing with meteor speed. The area around the Zoloti Volota (‘Golden Gates’ in Ukrainian) now overflows with fancy bars, bombastic street art, hidden coffee shops, designer boutiques and nostalgia-fuelled pie spots. New openings, a strong sense of community that emphasises heritage preservation and unconventional green spaces like the Square of Kyiv Intellectuals all make the Zoloti Vorota neighbourhood the go-to place to experience the forward-looking face of Kyiv (and taste it too).
17. Noord, Amsterdam
When the shipbuilders moved out of Amsterdam Noord at the end of the twentieth century, the squatters and artists moved in, creating a bohemian edge that persists to this day. Now replete with amazing coffee shops and restaurants, Noord has blossomed into a laid-back, entrepreneurial hub for those looking to escape the scrum of the centre. But it’s not just ‘edgy’ – community and sustainability are important watchwords here, with many venues built and furnished with salvaged material and kitchens serving plant-based menus. And it’s a great place to live, too: you’ll find plenty of green space tucked between the repurposed warehouses and thoughtful developments – not to mention the new metro line.
18. Villeray, Montreal
After a difficult stop-start reopening, Montrealers seemed to unanimously agree that they'd get out there and make the most of 2021. Villeray was the place to do just that: its streets and gemstone parks became oases where locals would simply gather and make the most of one another’s company – exactly what the city needed after a long and lonely lockdown winter. If you didn’t meet up with friends for beers, food and a spot of culture at one of Jarry Park’s impromptu festivals? What can we say, pretty much everyone else did. Being so central, as diverse as districts come and with a burgeoning food and drink scene, Villeray was an obvious (and deserved) coolest neighbourhood this year.
19. Surry Hills, Sydney
The oh-so-trendy heart of Sydney’s eastern suburbs wasn’t always the well-heeled foodies’ playground it is in 2021. Go back a century, and you’d find yourself in the city’s vice-ridden ganglands, surrounded by the slums of Sydney’s rag trade. The underworld ‘razor warriors’ of yesteryear would barely recognise the leafy streets of Surry Hills today, lined with chic cafés, boutiques and some of Sydney’s most revered restaurants and bars. At the end of 2020, Sydney’s al-fresco dining boom, launched to help venues impacted by indoor capacity limits, saw the area’s vibrant hospitality scene explode onto the streets, making an already popular destination one of the buzziest ’burbs in town. As Sydneysiders chomp at the bit to exit lockdowns for good in October, these outdoor dining rooms are being expanded – just in time for our hot vax summer.
20. Ancoats, Manchester
What makes Ancoats, the onetime home of Manchester’s cotton mills, so damn magical? For one thing, the almost cliched blend of past and present which is visible on every street, with super-stylish new developments springing up on roads named after notorious street gangs from the city’s past. Apartments now inhabit those mills, while some of Manchester’s very best places to eat and drink fill the ground floors – many with a focus on fresh, locally sourced produce. Venues like Hope Mill Theatre and St Michael’s put on top-notch live shows, catering to a community that really has come together over the past year. Most notably, Ancoats charity 42nd Street and The Horsfall gallery created an online festival that celebrated the voices of more than 130 young people during lockdown.
21. Sagene, Oslo
Oslo is growing fast, and one particular neighbourhood has held onto its distinct character better than most. With its cosy cafés and restaurants, historic buildings, large parks and one seriously impressive neo-Gothic church, Sagene feels very far removed from the city’s slick new developments. But this part of town isn’t just living in the past – the district is also home to Sagene Bryggeri, Norway’s first climate-neutral brewery, and Geitmyra, a sustainable gardening and cookery school for kids. Recently, Sagene has started attracting much younger residents, and given how central, affordable and – yes – cool this place is, we can totally see why.
22. Old Xuhui, Shanghai
Its tree-lined lanes might have you thinking this is a sleepy side of town, but don’t be mistaken: Old Xuhui is alive and flourishing. This has always been one of Shanghai’s buzziest neighbourhoods, and these days it’s filled with sleek coffee shops that double as natural wine bars by night (like newcomers Dosage and Reception). Merry punters pack out terraces before dancing the night away in moody underground clubs (ALL consistently pulls the country’s top experimental electronic talent). Meanwhile, boulevards brim with boutiques from the city’s thriving creative scene and exciting, modern restaurants like Oha Group’s Guizhou-inspired hotpot restaurant Maolago, which has its own vegetable garden on the roof.
23. Centro, Mexico City
Why is Centro the coolest neighbourhood in CDMX in 2021? During the pandemic, the heart of the country shut down. But then we got inventive. Museums joined forces and launched Contigo en la Distancia: a page where they shared VR tours, printable board games, videos of talks and past concerts. Meanwhile, LGBTQ+ bars like Marrakech Salon turned their once-packed spaces into kitchens – a move that allowed them to survive the crisis. It was also a thrill to be able to enjoy Centro without feeling quite so hassled. The Alameda Central, the Zócalo and Madero Street are usually busy places, but no longer. It was the ideal opportunity to organise marches, and one cause that really brought us all together was the protests against the closure of the Trevi apartment building (and gentrification more broadly).
24. Gràcia, Barcelona
Everyone in Barcelona knows that once you move to Gràcia, you’re very unlikely ever to leave. Why would you, when you’ve got everything on your doorstep? Forget supermarkets and malls – this is the realm of independent bookstores, designer boutiques, restaurants, theatres and live music venues. If there’s a trend that takes hold of Barcelona, more often than not it will start here: for example, bulk-buy and vegan stores were a thing in Gràcia well before they became widespread throughout the city. Newcomers also find it hard to leave because of the neighbourhood’s strong sense of community. Belonging to a local association, decorating the street for festivals: this sort of thing is the norm, not the exception. All shaded squares and narrow residential streets, the area’s layout also very much lends itself to that. Tempted to make the move yourself? We certainly are.
25. Saúde, Rio de Janeiro
To the north of the city centre, Saúde’s cobbled streets and alleyways offer a slice of respite away from Rio’s frenetic downtown. Visitors will discover charming old bars, beautiful Portuguese architecture and fascinating sites such as Pedra do Sal, whose history weaves together slavery, African heritage and samba. The revitalised port area is home to the UFO-like architecture of the Museum of Tomorrow, the MAR art museum and huge street-art murals along the Olympic Boulevard. In 2021, the bars of Largo de São Francisco da Prainha started hosting open-air music performances every Sunday afternoon – and these fast became one of the cultural highlights of the week.
26. Kemptown, Brighton
Kemptown’s free spirit, popping nightlife and awe-inspiring architecture have long made it a go-to for visitors looking to get to really know Brighton. But with a full-scale regeneration of the beach in this eastern part of the city now under way, it’s set to become just as much of a must for outdoorsy types as it is for clubbers. The open shingle beach is being planted with native species aimed at helping wildlife thrive, while a new boardwalk will also make the area more accessible. Throw in the forthcoming open-air swimming pool, just a short hop from the sea, and you’ve got the ideal destination for a city break in 2022.
27. Sololaki, Tbilisi
Linked together by a tangle of streets off Liberty Square, Sololaki is the atmospheric heart of the Georgian capital. Its sepia-toned past is brought to life with romantic vine-covered ezos (courtyards) shaded by dancing sheets drying on the line, and warm, yeast-laden spires of steam that flow out from basement tones (traditional bakeries). The area’s art-nouveau buildings once housed Georgia’s finest thinkers, writers and artists of the nineteenth century, but are now home to Tbilisi’s coolest cafés, bars and pop-up restaurants. Watching over it all is Kartlis Deda, a monumental statue of a woman on Sololaki’s lush ridge, with a chalice of wine for guests and a sword for enemies – call her the unofficial matriarch of Tbilisi.
28. Brickell, Miami
Miami’s mini Manhattan continues to grow and evolve – and not just upwards. Earlier this year, phase one of The Underline – a 10-mile linear park – opened in Brickell, adding tons of outdoor space for exercising, community events and public art to the dense city centre. Dubbed the Brickell Backyard, the development is dotted with diverse habitats and butterfly gardens created with help from Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden. Happy hour boomed in 2021 as Brickell welcomed two of its most popular after-work spots back to the neighbourhood. Beloved raw bar River Oyster reopened in a spacious new location up the road, freeing up its original spot for a revival of Tobacco Road – Miami’s oldest bar, which Kush Hospitality Group cleverly resurrected this past winter.
29. Ouseburn, Newcastle
Not only does Ouseburn have its fair share of excellent places to eat, drink, see art and dance the night away, it’s also an area bursting with community spirit. This is summed up by the Ouseburn Trust, which works in partnership with local authorities, volunteers and the business community to improve day-to-day life for locals, while also helping to preserve the area’s rich heritage and threatened ecosystems. Like many neighbourhoods, Ouseburn is a place of contrasts, and so you’ll find lush green spaces rubbing shoulders with vibrant contemporary developments everywhere you look. But where it stands out is in its ability to please basically any kind visitor: whether you want history-packed walks, cutting-edge art galleries or endless good food and drink, you’ll be very well catered for.
30. Barranco, Lima
With its nineteenth-century palacios, murals, palm trees, cevicherías, cocktail bars, street markets and art galleries, Barranco is easily Lima’s most bohemian neighbourhood (also, its coolest right now). The small clifftop district overlooks the Pacific, and in a city notoriously hostile to pedestrians and cyclists, this is one of the easiest parts of town to navigate on foot. And now the mayor has installed a small network of bike paths, you can get around on two wheels pretty safely, too. Because this is Lima, food will be central to your experience here, and you can choose anything from cheap AF street food to fine dining at Kjolle, run by the world’s top-rated female chef (if you care about those kind of awards), or Central, run by her husband and routinely ranked in the world’s top ten restaurants.
31. Chamberí, Madrid
Few neighbourhoods capture the eclectic spirit of Madrid quite like Chamberí. It’s always been known for its food scene, and today you’ll find a buzzing area where young families, breakfasting at the latest speciality coffee shop, live side by side with grandparents, perched on their elected benches (and more often than not riffing on the latest outrageous La Liga score). Homey and yet central, criss-crossed with wide avenues and charming alleyways, and with no end of museums, concert halls and excellent sports facilities, Chamberí has emerged from the pandemic in all its splendour. No wonder it bagged the most votes from locals in this year’s Time Out Index poll. We must say we love it too.
32. Vinohrady, Prague
Prague’s inner suburbs have really come into their own recently – and especially Vinohrady. This gridiron of grand nineteenth-century tenements, interspersed with lush green spaces, is just minutes from Wenceslas Square but feels a world away. The area has taken on a cosmopolitan vibe of late, with international yopros, Erasmus students and digital nomads all settling in. Several excellent independent shops and cafés cram the buzzing community hub of Jiřího z Poděbrad (JZP) square, which also hosts a popular farmers’ market that draws foodies from across the Czech capital (and is overlooked by the unusual Church of the Most Sacred Heart of Our Lord). Close by, restaurants of all descriptions serve imaginative, well-priced menus, both local and international.
33. Katong, Singapore
Crowned Singapore’s first official ‘heritage town’ in 2011, Katong is not only picture-perfect – thanks to the pastel storefronts on every corner – but also full of soul and charm and atmosphere. From Peranakan home museums filled with antiques to ice-cream shops with a dazzling selection of flavours, eclectic past meets eclectic new in this seaside neighbourhood. The languorous past 18 months may have seen several major shops and malls close across Katong, but its sense of community persevered. It remains a shining jewel amid the Singaporean sprawl.
34. Anjos, Lisbon
Cultural diversity, big institutions that draw crowds from afar, an endless array of exciting new openings: Anjos is a heady mix of everything we’d want from a neighbourhood. Few places feel quite as alive as this district, just north of historic Alfama, with its landmark cafés, cultural associations and restaurants serving food from across the globe. Avenida Almirante Reis is already one of the city’s most popular cycling routes and Anjos70 has paved the way for several other contemporary flea markets to flourish across the Portuguese capital. During the day, the smell of roasted coffee is always in the air. At night, you could sip craft beers, try traditional small plates, or take part in community quizzes. You’ll definitely want to stick around – and maybe even for good.
35. Daikanyama, Tokyo
With its rep as a highbrow neighbourhood fuelled by the proliferation of brunch spots, third-wave coffee stands and designer boutiques, you’d be forgiven for thinking Daikanyama might be a little pretentious. It isn’t. This lush-green area is filled with businesses where owners know their patrons by name (like our fave takoyaki stand Tempu) and relaxed hangouts like Spring Valley Brewery – built on disused Tokyu Line tracks – that make it more welcoming than snooty. Most importantly, the district is a mash-up of all of Tokyo’s best bits. You’ve got the niche art galleries of Roppongi, the underground music venues of Shimokitazawa, the lively bars of Shibuya and the stylish stores of Ginza – all in one place. There’s something for everyone, at every price point, but nothing here feels out of place.
36. Haut-Marais, Paris
Think you know the Marais? Think again. This isn’t the tourist-crammed Rue des Rosiers we’re on about: this is the artsy triangle that covers the often-overlooked area between Rambuteau, Temple and Saint-Sébastien Froissart. And why exactly do we – and so many other locals – rate it? These past few years, all sorts of super-stylish hangouts have popped up almost out of nowhere. There’s Enfants du Marché, an excellent wine bar-cum-restaurant tucked inside the Marché des Enfants Rouges; contemporary art galleries like Suzanne Tarasieve, Emmanuel Perrotin and Thaddaeus Ropac; countless vintage shops and concept stores with an ethical bent (bonjour Merci). And perhaps most significantly, for us at least, the neighbourhood has been at the forefront of Paris’s mixology scene for going on a decade now. In fact, two of the best bars in the world (according to us) are to be found in the area. Santé to that!
37. Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi
Al Bateen is as laidback as neighbourhoods come. From the yachts and boats bobbing in Marsa Al Bateen to the buzzing cafés dotted throughout the area, this is the perfect place to unwind in. You’re never far from the serenity of the sea, and Al Bateen beach is one of the UAE capital’s most popular stretches of sand. Plus, if you’re the type who likes mooching around galleries, you can get your culture fix at Etihad Modern Art Gallery and the Zayed Heritage Centre, which tells the life story of late president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. Not so into your history? You may well discover something appealing among the neighbourhood’s array of edgy coffee shops and restaurants.
38. Foz, Porto
Right where the Douro River meets the ocean, Foz is the place to get away from the bustle of central Porto. The streets are wide enough for running and cycling, and the beaches ideal for family walks, surfing lessons or just kicking back solo on the sand. Edgy restaurants and concept stores are cropping up here all the time, though Foz retains its historic architecture, ancient monuments, storied bakeries and traditional markets. With its narrow streets, exuberant locals and typical Portuguese azulejos (blue-and-white tiles), Foz Velha (Old Foz) has its own special charm.
39. Central Square, Boston/Cambridge
Smack bang between Harvard and MIT, Cambridge’s Central Square is an effervescent nightlife hub filled with students, creatives, academics and townies alike. Along Massachusetts Avenue, you’ll find timeworn taverns and shiny craft breweries, restaurants serving everything from tapas to traditional Tibetan food, live music venues renowned for jazz and indie rock, and nightclubs playing salsa, chart hits and underground techno. Living up to Cambridge’s socially conscious rep, the neighbourhood also has a string of sustainably minded businesses, including several vintage stores, an open-air farmers’ market and Daily Table: a nonprofit community grocery store.
40. Mount Pleasant, Vancouver
While the creek that fuelled Vancouver’s nineteenth-century brewery boom is long gone from Mount Pleasant, this historic neighbourhood remains the city’s go-to spot for craft beer – it’s easy to hit half a dozen tasting rooms in an afternoon on foot. The otherwise nondescript industrial and office buildings of this ever-evolving area are festooned with multi-storey murals, while its classic brick warehouses and storefronts are home to great vintage stores, galleries and artists’ studios. The neighbourhood vibe is perhaps best captured by Dude Chilling Park, so named after a guerrilla art installation mimicking an official city sign kept appearing with this name. Locals rallied to make the sign official, and it now has public art status.
41. Jamestown, Accra
The vibrant neighbourhood of Jamestown sure has rich history, but it’s the people, the food, the art that make this a truly magical place to live right now. Throughout the pandemic, the community in this area of the Ghanaian capital has rallied together like never before, and we can’t imagine having spent it anywhere else. There are many monuments and architectural masterpieces here – see, notably, the Ussher Fort and the Jamestown Lighthouse, built in the 1930s. To really get a feel for Accra’s oldest neighbourhood, you’ll want to climb up the latter’s 92ft tower, painted red and white and attached to a gallery. The views at the top are spectacular.
42. Centro, Oaxaca
Mountains, mezcal and memelas: the magic trio that keeps Oaxaca firmly in the running as one of our favourite cities in the world. In Centro, the historic heart of the city, you’ll find a vibrant community of artists and a disproportionate number of talented chefs. Expect the Oaxacan knack for culinary greatness to surpass your wildest dreams, and to share your food over locally made mezcal and endless good stories. With an abundance of craft markets and art galleries on every street, it’s also the place to get your culture fix. There are countless opportunities to learn from and support indigenous artists here, and if you’re in town, we really recommend taking an art class. You can count of there being plenty of breathtaking landscapes to inspire you.
43. Mouassine, Marrakech
Everything old is new again in Mouassine, Marrakech’s most fashionable neighbourhood in the sixteenth century. Back then it was populated by wealthy merchants, royalty and Jewish settlers, who built its stately riads, mosques, shrines and fondouks. Recently renovated, it is now experiencing a renaissance, with new design shops, bars and restaurants rubbing shoulders with traditional craft stores and antique shops. Two historic riad gardens have also been revived: Le Jardin Secret, by acclaimed landscaper Tom Stuart-Smith, and the Dar el-Bacha palace, which has an ornate café at its heart. During lockdown, Mouassine’s private gardens came into their own, while the community banded together with initiatives like Henna Café’s soup kitchen. When visitors return, this will be the place to be – particularly the vast new roof terrace of Riad El Fenn.
44. Dubai Marina, Dubai
From waterfront food trucks to flashy fine-dining establishments, discreet izakayas to sky-high rooftop bars, Dubai Marina is home to some of the city’s most on-trend places to eat and drink. And best of all, pretty much all of them come with a jaw-dropping view. Starting a health kick post-lockdown? You’re in the right place, too. Here you’ll find more than seven kilometres of waterside running and cycling tracks to whizz around – and you can hire a bike from one of several rental stations if you want to pedal without fully committing to the Lycra lifestyle. Add to that all the excellent vegan cafés, yoga studios and the fact it’s just a short stroll to the beach, and there’s surely no cooler neighbourhood in town.
45. Kadikoy, Istanbul
All over the world, the pandemic has made people acutely aware of what they really want from their neighbourhoods. And in Istanbul, that meant more and more locals flocked to Kadikoy. With its ribbon of seaside featuring both green space and a bike path, and its abundance of stylish coffee shops with streetside seating, Kadikoy might be the city’s most liveable district. By day, cafés burble with conversation. By night, streets are full of revelry as people spill out of bars onto the pavement. Artist workshops and tattoo parlours dot the alleyways of Yeldeğirmeni, while Moda’s tea gardens offer a shaded place to soak up sea views. From morning through to night, no other neighbourhood in Istanbul is quite as exciting – or fulfilling – as Kadikoy.
46. Poblacion, Manila
Just around the corner from Makati’s Central Business District, you’ll find Poblacion: a treasure trove of hole-in-the-wall restaurants and speakeasies. Once best known for its red light district, the area today brims with old apartments-turned-businesses and hostels that draw an eclectic mix of locals and visitors from the 15 other districts that make up Manila. The pandemic has made most indoor dining a no-go even now, but an array of outdoor galleries, rooftop bars and open-air art spaces mean it’s still pretty easy to have fun here. While several institutions have been forced to shut down over the past year, cherished haunts like Agimat Foraging and Kitchen Bar and Alamat have survived – expect tasty pulutan (Filipino tapas) and thoughtfully crafted cocktails.
47. Ari, Bangkok
There were times in the past when we thought Ari had too many people, too many condo developments, too many built-for-Instagram coffee shops. But over the past year or so, we’ve come to realise that this area has everything a properly liveable neighbourhood should: charming tree-lined alleyways, families who’ve lived here for generations, an amazing variety of food options, and easy access to markets and green space. And if that weren’t enough, the district has become even more appealing during Covid. Since March 2020, the Ari community has banded together to care for their own. When food was scarce, a tiny mobile grocer popped up. When lockdown restrictions prevented many face-to-face encounters, virtual gatherings became a thing. The cafés and galleries that made Ari such a hit pre-pandemic have remained resilient throughout the crisis. And now Thailand is beginning, tentatively, to open up to the world again, we’re hopeful many of the neighbourhood’s creative and eco-friendly initiatives will be able to inspire just as many visitors as locals.
48. Koregaon Park, Pune
Aka the Oxford of the East, Pune is a student city par excellence. And with its cheaper cost of living, decent weather, proximity to nature and relative lack of traffic, it’s no wonder so many people – of all ages – have moved here from Mumbai over the past year. The hottest neighbourhood in town right now is Koregaon Park, whose array of breweries, small food shops, antique stores and chic cafés have proved a particular draw – not to mention the ‘meditation resort’ of Osho Ashram. If you’re looking for a break from the urban chaos of Mumbai, this is your ’hood.
49. El Arrayán, Santiago
This mountain-fringed enclave is where Santiago stops and the Cordillera de los Andes begins. Down in the smoky city below, citizens are currently divided over the important rewriting of their constitution. But up here in Arrayán, a neighbourhood that time forgot, arriero cowboys can still be seen riding through the streets, and hitchhikers are often picked up by friendly locals. At around 1,000 metres above sea level, the inhabited lower swathe of the valley is warmed by the raco Andean winds in winter and cooled in summer by the river that tumbles through the cactus-studded Los Nogales Nature Sanctuary.
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