Earlier this year, we asked Time Out readers to share with us their personal highs and lows of living in Sydney, including their favourite neighbourhoods. And a whopping 40 per cent of those surveyed said the heart of the Inner East is where the cool is at. The hospitality hub of Surry Hills is officially the coolest ‘hood in the Harbour City in 2021, and given its collection of incredible eateries, pubs, bars and arguably the best collection of coffee shops in Sydney, it’s not hard to see why.
In second place was Newtown, followed by Marrickville, Manly and Bondi.
However, Sydney’s cool factor has slipped a little in the past year, it seems. In 2020, Marrickville was not only voted as Sydney’s coolest suburb, but it also ranked as the tenth coolest in the whole world. This year, Surry Hills has not fared so well, dropping in the rankings to 19th place, out of 49. The suburb of Richmond in Melbourne did a little better, just squeaking into the top ten. Be sure to check out the full list of this year's coolest neighbourhoods.
As Sydney prepares to get back to some kind of normal from October 11, a trip to one of Surry Hills’ restaurants, bars, boutiques or tattoo studios will very likely be on the to-do lists of many a Sydneysider. If you want to know more about what makes this suburb so damn hip, take a look at our comprehensive guide to Surry Hills.