Time Out: Jinbōchō Tops 2025 Coolest Neighbourhoods

Time Out’s 2025 “Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World” list names Tokyo’s Jinbōchō (Jimbocho) the No.1 neighbourhood, celebrated as a bibliophile nirvana with about 130 second‑hand bookshops and a long history as a university and publishing hub. The rankings were compiled from nominations by Time Out’s global network of local experts and scored on culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and a sense of “nowness.” Other top entries include Borgerhout (Antwerp) at No.2, Barra Funda (São Paulo) at No.3, Camberwell (London) at No.4 and Avondale (Chicago) at No.5, with Avondale the highest‑placed U.S. neighbourhood and Red Hook (Brooklyn) at No.14. Australia placed two neighbourhoods on the list: Burwood (Sydney) at No.16—noted for its multiculturalism (58% of residents born overseas) and a Special Entertainment Precinct—and North Melbourne at No.24. The list also recognises Montreal’s Plateau‑Mont‑Royal (No.22) and Hong Kong’s Sheung Wan (No.30) for their mix of history, culture, food and creative scenes.