Time Out’s Coolest Global ’Hoods in 2025

A bookish enclave and a bygone remnant are basking in the glory of more “cool” awards for Japan after a major global lifestyle magazine asked 333 writers in 59 cities to rank their hippest ‘hoods, most of which you’ve probably never heard of, let alone visited. 

Jimbōchō in downtown Tokyo came in first place for its 130 second-hand and vintage bookshops in mixed-use properties that close early. Cafes and curry houses were also noted. In eighth place, Nakatsu in Osaka was judged for its “retro shopping street winding its way through a compact district made up of an incongruous variety of small wooden houses, mom-and-pop shops and ancient shrines set along narrow, cluttered alleys enlivened by often chaotic clusters of potted plants.” 

Meanwhile, the runner-up was Borgerhout in Antwerp, Belgium. “The vibe is unpretentious and collaborative … it’s Borgerhout’s residents that make it one of Antwerp’s most vibrant and welcoming corners.” 

In third spot, newcomer Barra Funda was lauded as the “alternative soul” of Sao Paulo, Brazil with “an undeniably cool and creative vibe” and colourful industrial history.

London—where Time Out began as a simple listings sheet in 1968—showcased its southeast suburb of Camberwell for the “young-at-heart vibe, the independent spirit, the multiculturalism.” Art, pubs, food, coffee and books helped it claim fourth spot and, apparently, has come a long way since Del Boy and Only Fools & Horses.

At fifth spot, Avondale in Chicago boasts wine bars, wellness studios and music venues. A quirky SME scene includes antiques and a bowling alley.

How does cool and woke become warm and pass in just 12 months? As always, to motivate interest and clicks, most places are new to the 2025 edition, but “a handful of spots are making a second or third appearance.” 

At number 12, for example, Anjos, Lisbon“home to some of the coolest concept stores and indie boutiques in the city,” was 34th in 2021. 

Time Out‘s Travel Editor Grace Beard said “Some neighbourhoods might have featured on our ranking years ago and are now experiencing a second wave, while others are still very much in the middle of a boom.”

And what is “cool” exactly? “We ask our network of writers and editors across a breadth of cities to nominate the most happening district in their hometown right now. We then rank every spot against criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink and street life to get a definitive list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods.

The 39 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World in 2025

1. Jimbōchō, Tokyo
2. Borgerhout, Antwerp
3. Barra Funda, São Paulo
4. Camberwell, London
5. Avondale, Chicago
6. Mullae-dong, Seoul
7. Ménilmontant, Paris
8. Nakatsu, Osaka
9. Vallila, Helsinki
10. Labone, Accra
11.  Nguyen Thai Binh, Ho Chi Minh
12.  Anjos, Lisbon
13.  Digbeth, Birmingham
14.  Red Hook, New York
15.  Perpetuo Socorro, Medellín
16.  Burwood, Sydney
17.  Linden, Johannesburg
18.  Former French Concession, Shanghai
19.  Quartieri Spagnoli, Naples
20.  Bencoolen, Singapore
21.  Endoume, Marseille
22.  Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal
23.  The Liberties, Dublin
24.  North Melbourne, Melbourne
25.  Portales, Mexico City
26.  Davenport, Toronto
27.  Little River, Miami
28.  Kemang, Jakarta
29.  Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro
30.  Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
31.  Barranco, Lima
32.  Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
33.  Clarksville, Austin
34.  Margit-negyed, Budapest
35.  Glen Park, San Francisco
36.  MiZa, Abu Dhabi
37.  Villa Devoto, Buenos Aires
38.  Mehrauli, Delhi
39. Poblacion, Metro Manila