Time Out has just released a ranking of the 40 coolest neighbourhoods right now, and Australia made the top 10 twice!

In good news for domestic travellers, those residing in Victoria and New South Wales don’t need to cross state borders to visit some of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world, as voted by almost 40,000 people.

According to Time Out, the places that made the list balance great local culture, food and fun with support and kindness for their communities during the turmoil of 2020.

Since 2018, the annual list has been put together from the opinions of locals via the annual Time Out Index survey of over 38,000 global city residents, answering where they most loved spending their time around their city.

To rank the list this year, the publication factored in not just great vibes, food, drink, nightlife and independent culture, but also community spirit, praising the neighbourhoods where people showed support for the communities and local businesses.

This year, the top spot was taken out by Barcelona’s Esquerra de l’Eixample, which Time Out said was due to its “incredible community spirit”, with initiatives like the Hidrogel Sessions, where neighbours organised mass dance parties on their balconies during lockdown.

It’s also home to a number of vital gathering spaces, like the community-run Espai Germanetes garden, and great independent businesses such as Odd Kiosk: the world’s first LGBTQ+ magazine kiosk.

Locally, Yarraville in Melbourne was ranked fifth, and Sydney’s Marrickville came in 10th.

You can check out the top 10 below:

1. Esquerra De L’Eixample, Barcelona

The Spanish neighbourhood achieved the coveted first spot based on its tight-knit community, great local businesses and LGBTQ+ culture.

During lockdown, locals gathered together en masse for the pop-up Hidrogel Sessions, where residents held dance parties from their balconies in fancy dress to keep community spirit up during this time.

Meanwhile, a local Mutual Support Network was created to help the most vulnerable, and Ada Parellada from the well-known Semproniana restaurant started cooking for health workers.

2. Downtown, LA

Downtown LA became a pivotal, central location for peaceful Black Lives Matter protests and demonstrations, making it the place where the city could express its soul and solidarity.

The L.A. Live plaza was dedicated to the commemoration of Kobe Bryant, with locals lighting candles and flowers to show their love and support for the LA legend’s life.

Featured image source: iStock/peeterv

Downtown didn’t stop there at supporting its community: hospitality businesses helped feed undocumented restaurant workers and MOCA and the Broad museum kept art alive for locals’ mental stimulation.

3. Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong

Usually, Hongkongers venture to the neighbourhood on the weekends to discover new artists, interesting cuisine and shop vintage and exciting designer clothing as well as traditional textiles.

But during the pandemic, the neighbourhood showed heart with non-government organisations set up to help the vulnerable and a local hostel offering housing to the homeless.

4. Bedford-Stuyvesant, New York

Bedford-Stuyvesant may look like a snapshot of the past with its brownstones and leafy streets, but it has become New York’s greatest future thinker, serving as the main hub for Black Lives Matter protests and sprouting new initiatives such as Bed-Stuy – helping to protect the most vulnerable.

Locals were kept entertained by Billie Holiday Theatre who organised socially-distanced theatrical productions and Peaches Hothouse served up the best fried chicken in Tompkins, within an outdoor seating area.

5. Yarraville, Melbourne

The 5th spot has been awarded to Yarraville in Melbourne, where creative locals (and an incredible food scene) have kept spirits high through two tough lockdowns.

Photograph: Shuang Li / Shutterstock.com via Time Out

Local artist Lee Smith-Moir painted ‘happy signs’ on walking tracks and skater Belle Hadiwidjaja has been roller-skating through the streets in different costumes, keeping families entertained on their daily walk.

6. Wedding, Berlin

Wedding is a multicultural, multigenerational community that has stayed extremely loyal to local businesses, including its longstanding restaurants such as Asia Deli on Seestraße.

The community has also welcomed new additions like vegan-friendly Italian Sotto and Michlin-star Taiwanese restaurant Cozymazu and Ernst. Recently, local activists won a campaign to remove the colonial-era street names of the so-called Afrikanisches Viertel (African Quarter).

7. Shaanxi Bei Lu/Kangding Lu, Shanghai

This buzzing destination is a hub for Shanghai’s LGBTQ+ community thanks to local lesbian, bi and trans bar Roxie.

Not only that but the neighbourhood has innovative new cafés, bars and restaurants including petite natural wine bar SOiF, Japanese-Americana mash-up Lucky Diner and the exciting new arrival of all-day roller skate bar Riink.

8. Dennistoun, Glasgow

Over the last decade, young students from Strathclyde University have breathed new life into Glasgow’s Dennistoun area. East Coffee Company and Mesa offer exciting brunches on the buzzing Duke Street and innovative craft breweries are moving in. During the pandemic, the area was strengthened by initiatives like the Zero Waste Market – a refill grocery shop for boxes of essential foods – and Alexandra Park’s Food Forest, where locals of all backgrounds meet to plant and grow for a more sustainable future.

9. Haut-Marais, Paris

Less touristy than the main Marais district, Haut-Marais draws foodies with upscale restaurants like the Enfants Du Marché, set within the historic walls of the Marché des Enfants Rouges.

Visitors are also set for culture, with world-leading contemporary art galleries like Suzanne Tarasieve, Emmanuel Perrotin and Thaddaeus Ropac setting up shop here.

At night the area is alive with cocktail bars such as Little Red Door, Bisou and Candelaria. There’s also Jacques Genin café, owned by the celebrated chocolatier who, at the start of the pandemic, donated 500kg of artisanal chocolate to frontline health workers.

10. Marrickville, Sydney

Marrickville is a true melting pot of Portuguese, Vietnamese, Italian and Greek migrants who have helped cultivate the area’s exciting food scene making it one of Sydney’s most exciting places to wander and explore.

Image credit: iStock/kokkai

The once-industrial corner has been transformed by its resident artists and LGBTQ+ community into of Sydney’s most desirable postcodes.

To see which other neighbourhoods made up the remainder of the top 40 list, click here.

Featured image source: Mabu Mabu via Time Out