Who doesn’t like to stumble over a bustling beat-like neighborhood on vacation? It’s especially thrilling to find an area where baristas can feel like they’re away from home and away from home, even if you’ve only been visiting for a week.
If you’re fantasizing about the most exciting local spots in our Global Listing Guide, the destination for your next city break, then Timeout covers the latest roundup of the “coolest in the world” districts.
The topping for the 2025 ranking is the corner of Tokyo, where timeouts call “Bibliophile Nirvana.” Jimbouchō has around 130 vintage bookstores. The timeout highlights coffee shop culture and delicious curry houses by Isseido Booksellers and Kitazawa Bookstore as great starting points for Bookish Exploring’s day.
Annual list of timeouts is compiled from nominations made by a global network of editors and writers. Choice opposes standards such as culture, community, livability, food, drink, etc., and what is described as “a sense of difficulty defining “Nowness” is
“The biggest point from this year’s timeout rankings is how well our neighborhoods are shaped by the community,” Grace Beard, the brand’s travel editor, told CNN Travel.
Beard told the champion this year’s wrist champion a more famous and beloved neighborhood along with a destination that doesn’t speak less.
The second on the list is Bolgerhaut of Antwerp, known as the “creative heart” of a Belgian city. The Timeout shines a spotlight on Bolgerhout’s incredible foodie spots and a wealth of galleries. This includes the lunch spot Cafe Hosie and Pizza Gallery, which combines both art and food. The timeout team is recommended to recommend a quarterly local celebration visit at Bolger Nocturne. Bolger Nocturne recommends watching the district’s gallery remain late and open, bringing back to life as the area, known lovingly as “free ho bullets.”
Meanwhile, Barra Funda, located west of Sao Paulo, Brazil, is third on the list thanks to the time described as an “unmistakably cool and creative atmosphere” combined with industrial history. The team suggests that you should not miss the newly opened Bar Agua E Biscoit cocktail.
Number four is Camberwell, southeast London, defended by Timeout with “heart at heart atmosphere, independent spirit, and multiculturalism.”
“It’s nice to see it being recognized and celebrated, which I’ve always known that it was a special place, and it’s lovely to see it being recognized and celebrated,” Camberwell’s 10-year resident Anna Preston told CNN Travel.
Preston – and Timeout – highlighted the area’s gallery and other art spaces in the south London area, as part of what makes Camberwell unique. Preston is also a fan of the local company Alley, including the recently opened coffee shop bookstore Lala Book.
“We’re spoiled by restaurants, cafes and pubs,” Preston said. “It’s a long-standing tradition for many Camberwellers to get Sambusak from Falafel & Shawarma that many Camberwellers get Theo’s pizza and enjoy it with a pint or two in the Stormbird or Hermit caves. I think that’s what I do this weekend.”
Finishing the top five are the best ranking spots highlighted at Chicago’s Avondale, wine bars, wellness studios and music venues. The neighborhood has also been praised for its quirky little business scenes, including the retro bowling alley Avondale Bowl and the antique mall-themed bar commissioned lounge.
This list spans 39 spots around the world. Most regions are new to the 2025 edition, but Timeout Grace Beard said there are a few spots with “a 2-second or third appearance ranked as the coolest region of the year.”
These include Anjos, Lisbon – “home to the city’s coolest concept stores and indie boutiques,” according to Timeout. It is No. 12 on this year’s list and No. 34 on the 2021 list.
“There are some areas that were featured in the rankings years ago and are now experiencing a second wave, but others are still in the middle of the boom,” says Beard.
1. Jimbocho, Tokyo, Japan
2. Borgerhout, Antwerp, Belgium
3. Barra Funda in Sao Paulo, Brazil
4. Camberwell, London, UK
5. Avondale, Chicago, USA
6. Korea, Seoul, Muredong
7. Ménilmontant, Paris, France
8. China, Osaka, Japan
9. Vallila, Helsinki, Finland
10. Labone, Accra, Ghana
