Laureles in Medellín, Colombia, has been named the coolest neighbourhood in the world right now by Time Out, the global media and hospitality brand which inspires and enables people to experience the best of the city.
Time Out’s sixth annual list of trending areas of global cities features the most exciting neighbourhoods in the world – the full list can be found here. Following hot on the heels of Laureles in Medellín, the top five includes: the home of traditional Irish music in Dublin, a hotspot for art galleries and cutting-edge creative spaces in Madrid, the city’s waterfront living room in Copenhagen and a stretch in Hong Kong where affordable dim sum sits alongside Michelin-starred dining.
Laureles took the top spot this year for its authentic balance of laid back vibes alongside some of the best nightlife in the city, while maintaining a traditional Colombian feel. As well as being home to the renowned nightlife strip La 70 and Estadio Atanasio Girardot, Medellín’s main fútbol stadium and concert venue, there is also calm to be found in its parks, tree-lined streets, yoga studios and countless coffee shops.
Each year Time Out asks its international audience to nominate the areas of cities which have the best mix of cutting-edge culture, affordable great food and drink, street life, nightlife and community. This year, Time Out asked more than 12,000 people about the coolest neighbourhoods in their city. The selection is then narrowed down with the insight and expertise of Time Out’s global network of city editors and local experts who know their hometowns better than anybody else. To create and rank the final list, Time Out editors considered factors including community and social ventures, access to open and green space, and thriving street life.
Grace Beard, Travel Editor at Time Out, says: “What stands out with this year’s Time Out Coolest Neighbourhoods is that, while most of them have seen transformation over recent years, they remain resolutely local-at-heart. Exciting new openings across culture, food and drink are bringing in new crowds, but neighbourhood stalwarts – from old pubs to family greengrocers – keep it real. And they’re fun! These are places where the city comes to play, be it an all-night party, a spot of urban fishing or a nighttime bike ride. After a few tumultuous years, it’s heartening to see communities coming together to hang out, support local businesses and have some fun.”
For the full list of Time Out’s Coolest Neighbourhoods in the world, along with details from Time Out’s local experts on why they have made the grade, please visit timeout.com/coolestneighbourhoods – it is a list that helps travellers and locals to get under the skin of some of the world’s most exciting neighbourhoods right now.
The coolest neighbourhoods in the world right now:
- Laureles: Medellín, Colombia
- Smithfield: Dublin, Ireland
- Carabanchel: Madrid, Spain
- Havnen - The Harbour: Copenhagen, Denmark
- Sheung Wan: Hong Kong
- Brunswick East: Melbourne, Australia
- Mid-City: New Orleans, USA
- Isola: Milan, Italy
- West: Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Tomigaya: Tokyo, Japan
- Baltic Triangle: Liverpool, UK
- Cours Julien: Marseille, France
- Arts District: Los Angeles, USA
- Chinatown: Singapore
- Fort Greene: New York, USA
- Leith: Edinburgh, UK
- Enmore: Sydney, Australia
- Costa Caparica, Almada: Lisbon, Portugal
- Hyde Park: Chicago, USA
- West End: Glasgow, UK
- Sea Point: Cape Town, South Africa
- Neukölln: Berlin, Germany
- Haut-Marais: Paris, France
- King’s Cross: London, UK
- Hannam-dong: Seoul, South Korea
- Coral Gables: Miami, USA
- Richmond District: San Francisco, USA
- Vinohrady: Prague, Czech Republic
- El Clot: Barcelona, Spain
- San Miguel Chapultepec: Mexico City, Mexico
- Exarcheia: Athens, Greece
- Bebek: Istanbul, Turkey
- Ponsonby: Auckland, New Zealand
- Zhongshan: Taipei, Taiwan
- Bonifacio Global City (BGC): Manila, Philippines
- Centre-Ville: Montreal, Canada
- Dotonbori: Osaka, Japan
- The Annex: Toronto, Canada
- Song Wat: Bangkok, Thailand
- Cantonments: Accra, Ghana