What defines a cool neighbourhood in 2024? The world’s most thrilling and enjoyable neighbourhoods encapsulate the best of their cities’ culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink all within one vibrant, walkable area – it’s not just about trendy wine bars and street art.
Experts at have brought together a worldwide team of writers and editors to compile a list ranking of the coolest neighbourhoods in their city at present, and why.
The experts then refined the selection and ranked the list using the knowledge and expertise of global editors, who evaluated each neighbourhood against criteria such as food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and unique local flavour.
Every neighbourhood on this list offers something you won’t find anywhere else. Keep reading to discover underappreciated suburbs, historically fashionable districts undergoing a surprising revival, and more.
These are the world’s top spots that anyone should visit. And let us know if you’ve been to any of these places in the comments.
15. Gakugeidaigaku,Tokyo
Japanese culture has become extremely popular amongst youngsters, so it is surprising to see Tokyo placing just 15th on the list. Its winning neighbourhood Gakugeidaigaku has always lived in the shadow of its more famous neighbours, Jiyugaoka and Nakameguro – but that’s exactly why locals love it.
“While the crowds flock to more well-known neighbourhoods, the cool kids and insiders know that Gakugeidaigaku has a more relaxed vibe and is much less commercialised. Here you’ll find mom-and-pop grocers and local institutions like bathhouses co-existing with independent, creative restaurants, cafés and bars,” Time Out shared.
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14. Punavuori, Helsinki
Punavuori has been compared to the likes of Brooklyn or Kreuzberg but without being overrun by tourists. It also now bursting with artistic flair, evident in the mix of secondhand shops, galleries curated by Finnish artists and designers, and a slew of great dining options that focus on locality, seasonality and damn good eats.
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13. Saint-Henri, Montréal
Saint-Henri has been attracting foodies for years now with restaurants like Bonheur d’Occasion however, its prime location right by the Lachine Canal makes it a weekend destination for waterfront cycling expeditions, paddleboard rentals and picnics, with provisions sourced at Atwater Market.
It also houses a plethora of chic shops and is now an adventure sports scene, with places to throw axes, climb and problem-solve your way out of escape rooms.
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12. Little River, Miami
Little River has gradually become a hotspot due to its affordable rent and closeness to other vibrant areas of mainland Miami. This is thanks to a variety of popular pop-ups, cafes, arts organisations, and cultural venues that have found their place amongst “old car repair shops and Haitian botanicas, paving the way for several new mixed-use developments currently in progress in the area.”
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11. Zabłocie, Kraków
Just missing the top 10 is Zabłocie in Poland. According to Times Out, “Zabłocie (pronounced, roughly, zab-what-che) isn’t a place unknown – the exhibits of have long been one of the city’s musts.
“But the addition of the strikingly brutalist Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCAK) to that same site in 2011 seems to have spearheaded something new over the past decade.”
(Image: Getty)