The 10 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World in 2025

From Tokyo’s book-lined streets to Accra’s cultural hotspots—explore the world’s 10 coolest neighbourhoods of 2025.

Every city has a soul, but it’s often tucked away in its neighbourhoods—the places where culture thrives, food tells a story, and nightlife beats to its own rhythm. From retro book districts and industrial warehouses turned art hubs to multicultural food streets and cobblestoned Parisian quarters, the coolest neighbourhoods are where locals live, create, and celebrate their communities.

For the past eight years, Time Out has released its much-anticipated annual ranking of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods. The 2025 edition is no different—compiled from the insights of writers and editors across the globe, then measured against culture, community, nightlife, liveability, and that elusive sense of nowness. These neighbourhoods aren’t just trendy—they’re vibrant, evolving, and packed with character that keeps drawing people back. This year’s list spans 39 spots worldwide, but here are the Top 10 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World in 2025.

1. Jimbōchō, Tokyo
Tokyo’s book-lover’s paradise, Jimbōchō, is home to more than 130 second-hand bookstores, coffeehouses, and curry shops. It’s steeped in literary history yet buzzing with youthful energy, thanks to students, indie cafés, and live music joints reshaping its intellectual heart.

2. Borgerhout, Antwerp
Locals call it BoHo, a multicultural melting pot where Turkish grocers meet vegan coffee bars. Known for community-driven projects like street parklets and record-breaking communal tables, Borgerhout embodies Antwerp’s most creative and collaborative energy.

3. Barra Funda, São Paulo
Once industrial, now undeniably hip—Barra Funda fuses warehouses turned art studios, indie cafés, and cult nightclubs. From the Mendes Wood gallery to hidden bars and trendsetting restaurants, it’s São Paulo’s alternative soul.

4. Camberwell, London
South London’s Camberwell blends multicultural flair with culinary brilliance. From Kurdish delicacies at Nandine to iconic bread at Toad Bakery, this green, community-driven pocket is foodie heaven and one of London’s liveliest districts.

5. Avondale, Chicago
Nicknamed “Bricktown,” Avondale showcases Chicago’s working-class roots with red-brick warehouses and multicultural flavors. Polish sausage joints, retro bowling alleys, and new wave wine bars all coexist, making it a neighbourhood on the rise.

6. Mullae-dong, Seoul
The clang of steel meets the pulse of creativity in Mullae-dong. Its industrial skeleton—factories, sheds, and metal workshops—has been reimagined into bars, galleries, jazz clubs, and neon-lit alleys alive with art and music.

7. Ménilmontant, Paris
A true slice of everyday Paris, Ménilmontant is full of cobblestoned streets, activist bookshops, cheap beers, and eclectic street art. Its emerging food scene and unpolished charm keep it authentic yet ever-evolving.

8. Nakatsu, Osaka
Steps away from Osaka’s glitzy Umeda district, Nakatsu is a time capsule of wooden houses, mom-and-pop shops, and shrines. Beneath its retro exterior, it thrives with experimental food labs, quirky cafés, and creative collectives.

9. Vallila, Helsinki
Vallila mixes gritty industrial charm with quiet romance. Its pastel wooden houses, buzzing bars, and tucked-away lanes create a bohemian haven that’s cooler and quirkier than its busier neighbor, Kallio.

10. Labone, Accra
Once sleepy, Labone is now Ghana’s hip cultural hub. Galleries, wine bars, design museums, and buzzing nightlife define this neighbourhood, making it a hotspot for young professionals and creative expats.

From Tokyo to Accra, these neighbourhoods reveal how cities continually reinvent themselves while staying true to their roots. Each is a vibrant canvas of culture, creativity, and community—proof that the world’s coolest experiences often live beyond the usual tourist trail.

Explore the complete list of all 39 coolest neighbourhoods of 2025 on Time Out.