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Time Out has announced the all the rage areas to visit right now with a Marseille neighbourhood named the coolest in the world for 2024.
The 38 hip and happening slices of cities were chosen by on-the-ground experts and local city editors against criteria such as food, drink, arts and culture.
Other factors assessed included walkability, street life, community and “one-of-a-kind local flavour” to curate the shortlist of trending towns.
With a “rebellious spirit”, “colourful cul-de-sacs” and “graffiti-covered alleyways” Marseille’s Notre Dame du Mont took the top spot in Time Out’s seventh annual rankings.
Casablanca’s concrete jungle of Mers Sultan followed in second – lauded for its delicious food and futuristic architecture – with Pererenan in Bali stylish in third for pristine beaches and cool cafe culture.
Buzzing nightlife and dynamic street life in Seoul, South Korea, and Portland, USA, rounded off the top five.
Three UK neighbourhoods made the list of cultural hotspots; the parks and jazz bars of Strathbungo in Glasgow, the friendly faces and football club of Leyton in London and the vibrant eateries of Stokes Croft and St Paul in Bristol.
Stokes Croft and St Paul ranked sixth in the list for its history as “the centre of African-Caribbean culture” and string of colourful family-owned boutiques.
Grace Beard, travel editor at Time Out, said: “Time Out’s annual ranking of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods celebrates the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities. The neighbourhoods on this year’s list have a lot in common: great places to eat and drink, cutting-edge culture, street life and a thriving community.
“But they’re also a distinct reflection of their cities, with each of them offering something special you wouldn’t find anywhere else. Some have only just reached their moment; others have been ‘cool’ for some time and are finding a new groove – all of them should be on your radar to visit in these cities.”
Time Out’s 38 coolest neighbourhoods 2024
- Notre Dame du Mont, Marseille, France
- Mers Sultan, Casablanca, Morocco
- Pererenan, Bali, Indonesia
- Seongsu-dong, Seoul, South Korea
- Kerns, Portland, USA
- Stokes Croft & St Paul’s, Bristol, UK
- Chippendale, Sydney, Australia
- Principe Real, Lisbon, Portugal
- Glória, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Windsor, Melbourne, Australia
- Zabłocie, Krakow, Poland
- Little River, Miami, USA
- Saint-Henri, Montreal, Canada
- Punavuori, Helsinki, Finland
- Gakugeidaigaku, Tokyo, Japan
- Thao Dienm, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
- Flatbush, New York, USA
- Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany
- East City, Cape Town, South Africa
- Belleville, Paris, France
- Northbridge, Perth, Australia
- Strathbungo, Glasgow, UK
- Chacarita, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Leyton, London, UK
- Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland
- East Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA
- Ekkamai, Bangkok, Thailand
- San Rafael, Mexico City, Mexico
- Mount Pleasant, Washington DC, USA
- Bonfim, Porto, Portugal
- Palace Quarter, Budapest, Hungary
- Brewerytown, Philadelphia, USA
- Kowloon City, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Logan Square, Chicago, USA
- Norwood, Adelaide, Australia
- Osu, Accra, Ghana
- Orchard, Singapore, Singapore
- Union Square, Boston, USA
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Source: Independent