Cape Town district is one of the world’s Coolest Neighbourhoods

Time Out names Cape Town as one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods

Time Out magazine recently released their 2024 ranking of the 38 Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World, which ranks neighbourhoods around the world for their culture, community spirit, nightlife, as well as food and drink.

Editors of the publication vetted each neighbourhood against criteria which included food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and certainly its’ one-of-a-kind local flavour to find the coolest of cool neighbourhoods.

One Cape Town district managed to clinch a spot on the list, placing in the top 20 too.

Coming in at number 19 on the coolest neighbourhoods list was East City in Cape Town, ranking up there for its’ vibey culture, food and design.

“Over the past decade, East City has transformed from a neglected corner into a colourful and eclectic hub for culture, food and design. These streets border what was once District Six, a multi-racial suburb razed during apartheid. That sense of history pervades the area today, making a visit to the District Six Museum a must. The neighbourhood these days attracts a crowd of local creatives and curious digital nomads, the latter likely logged in at the co-working spaces that have opened here in recent years. Think Shoreditch or Brooklyn a couple of decades back, infused with a decidedly Cape flavour, and you’ve got a sense of what the East City is all about.” Time Out wrote.

The perfect day

The publication then went on to describe how one could spend the perfect day in East City:

“First? Coffee. Single-origin beans and a dedication to flavour make Truth.Coffee one of the best in town. Follow up with breakfast from New York Bagels further down Harrington Street, then head out for a little history and culture tour, starting with the District Six Museum and Homecoming Centre and finishing off with local contemporary art at StateoftheART. Grab a quirky cupcake at Charly’s Bakery and spend the afternoon browsing the collection at The Book Lounge, filled with hand-picked local releases. Kick the evening off with cocktails at Tommy’s Chop Shop, then dinner at Galjoen for small plates of sustainable seafood (or get the shoyu ramen and fluffy bao at Downtown Ramen). Stay the night at Neighbourhood’s chic apart-hotel.“

The top 10

Overall, the French neighbourhood of Notre-Dame-du-Mont in Marseille took the number one spot, with Mers Sultan in Casablanca, Morocco placing at number two and Pererenan in Bali, Indonesia at number three.

The coolest neighbourhoods which also featured in the top 10 included:

1. Notre Dame du Mont, Marseille
2. Mers Sultan, Casablanca
3. Pererenan, Bali
4. Seongsu-dong, Seoul
5. Kerns, Portland
6. Stokes Croft and St Paul’s, Bristol
7. Chippendale, Sydney
8. Principe Real, Lisbon
9. Glória, Rio de Janeiro
10. Windsor, Melbourne