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The coolest neighbourhood in the world isn’t just the one that’s conventionally cool. Sure, independent coffee roasters, boutique vintage shops and farm-to-table restaurants are interesting enough. But stuff like community, history and innovation? In our eyes, that kind of stuff is what really makes an area cool.
This year’s Time Out Index saw 20,000 city-dwellers around the world give us the lowdown on what’s good on their home turfs. We then combined their feedback with the expertise of our local editors and contributors, to come up with a definitive ranking of where’s best to be right now.
The title of the coolest neighbourhood in the world in 2022 goes to… Colonia Americana! This downtown district of Guadalajara in Mexico topped the list thanks with its appealing blend of creative squats, art deco mansions, sleek café culture and banging nightlife.
In second place came Cais do Sodré in Lisbon, which has seen its bars and nightclubs come back from the brink over the past few years, and is home to a burgeoning food scene. It was followed by Wat Bo Village in Siem Reap, which has been at the forefront of the Cambodian temple city’s ongoing glow-up.
Fourth was New York’s hip and homely Ridgewood, while fifth was Mile End in Montreal, an arts and food hub that has seen new institutions continue to pop up and contribute to a historically vibrant district.
Want to know whether your home turf made the cut? Read our full ranking of the 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world right now.
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