Four Australian suburbs named in global Time Out ‘cool’ list

Sydney may be known as being part of the ‘nanny state’, but one corner of the city has been recognised as one of the coolest in the world.

It may often be referred to as Australia’s ‘nanny state’ — but Sydney has still got it, with one suburb ranking the highest across the country in a global ‘cool’ list.

According to Time Out’s annual ‘Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World list for 2024’, the rankings were put together by the publication’s experts – being their global team of on-the-ground writers and editors around the world.

To get the top 38, each were asked what, why and where their coolest suburb was located in their home city is right now — which brought together a list of spots that “celebrate the most unique and exciting pockets of our cities.”

Chippendale has been named the coolest suburb in Australia

Time Out “narrowed down and ranked” each contribution “using the insight and expertise of global editors, who vetted each neighbourhood against criteria including food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour.”

So which corner of the world oozes cool and came out on top?

Well, not a suburb in Australia that’s for sure. But, a little slice of Sydney wasn’t too far from the top.

Notre-Dame-du-Mont was voted as the coolest place in the world, with “Marseille’s cool crowd” lurking around “the rebellious spirit of Notre-Dame-du-Mont” as a hangout.

“This decidedly unholy area is made up of colourful cul-de-sacs, graffiti-covered alleyways, streets lined with plane trees and twisting staircases that lead down from Cours Julien,” the publication said.

“Once known as the artists’ district, these days the neighbourhood has the jovial, laid-back feel of a local market.”

Coming in second was Mers Sultan in Casablanca, Morocco, followed by Pererenan in Australian hotspot Bali for third spot.

Pererenan is where all the cool kids are hanging out in Bali.

Coming in seventh position, behind Stokes Croft and St Paul’s in Bristol, UK and Kerns, Portland in the US — was a popular corner of Sydney.

Chippendale was the top ranked Aussie suburb, with Time Out’s Sydney editor Alice Ellis saying the “village-like vibe” of ‘Chippo’ has pushed this “community-centred neighbourhood” into the cool crowd.

“It not only serves up great restaurants like Ester, but there’s a huge diversity of things to do: from Phoenix, a space that holds concerts accessible to the public via a free ballot, to cool and quirky art galleries; from a gamers’ paradise called Fortress to an always-open Asian food market and some of the city’s coolest pubs championing live music and comedy,” Ellis wrote.

Windsor in Victoria was ranked as the second 'coolest' suburb in Australia.

The next Aussie suburb to make the top 10 was Windsor in Melbourne, dubbed the “grungier sibling of Prahran and South Yarra” with “epic vintage stores … art in boutique galleries … and an oh-so-cool vibe” that brings in a “crowd keen for a good time.”

Northbridge in Perth also got a look in, coming in 21st position on the ranking, while Norwood in Adelaide snuck in 35th position thanks to the suburbs Italian influence boasting “some of the city’s best Italian eateries – think pizza, pasta and plenty of buzz from dawn till dusk.”

Here’s the full Time Out list of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2024:

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 Pauls, Bristol

7. Chippendale, Sydney

8. Príncipe Real, Lisbon

9. Glória, Rio de Janeiro

10. Windsor, Melbourne

11. Zablocie, Krakow

12. Little River, Miami

13. Saint-Henri, Montreal

14. Punavuori, Helsinki

15. Gakugeidaigaku, Tokyo

16. Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh

17. Flatbush, New York

18. Friedrichshain, Berlin

19. East City, Cape Town

20. Belleville, Paris

21. Northbridge, Perth

22. Strathbungo, Glasgow

23. Chacarita, Buenos Aires

24. Leyton, London

25. Inchicore, Dublin

26. East Hollywood, Los Angeles

27. Ekkamai, Bangkok

28. San Rafael, Mexico City

29. Mount Pleasant, Washington DC

30. Bonfim, Porto

31. Palace District, Budapest

32. Brewerytown, Philadelphia

33. Kowloon City, Hong Kong

34. Logan Square, Chicago

35. Norwood, Adelaide

36. Osu, Accra

37. Orchard, Singapore

38. Union Square, Boston

Here are the coolest neighbourhoods in Australia for 2024:

1. Chippendale, Sydney

2. Windsor, Melbourne

3. Northbridge, Perth

4. Norwood, Adelaide