It’s that time of the year again! Time Out’s annual list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods has just dropped – and two Aussie suburbs made the top 25. An unexpected multicultural hub in Sydney debuted in 16th place, while a charming inner-city suburb in Melbourne landed 24th. Both outranked neighbourhoods in Mexico City, Toronto, Hong Kong and San Francisco – proving Australia is way cooler than some might give us credit for.
How did Time Out decide the final rankings? Our global team of writers and editors nominated the most vibrant districts in their hometowns, which were then scored against criteria including culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness’.
In 2025, Sydney’s diverse Inner West suburb, Burwood, emerged as Australia’s coolest neighbourhood, landing 16th worldwide. A little unexpected? Maybe – but it ticks all the boxes.
Sydney local and Time Out Editor in Chief Alice Ellis says, “One of the best things about Sydney is its diversity – and Burwood is the fifth-most diverse community in the entirety of Australia. With that comes some of Sydney’s best food: Chinese cuisines dominate (the neighbourhood is home to the colourful Burwood Chinatown, after all), but you’ll also find some of the city’s best Japanese and south-east Asian food, alongside Uyghur, Greek and Italian.”
During the day, check out Pillar, a wabi-sabi café serving specialty coffee from local micro-roasters, and The Picnic Burwood, a dog-friendly brunch spot in Burwood Park dishing up innovative fusion fare. By night, visit our fave Chinese spots: Xi'an Eatery for soft, thick, oil-slicked biang biang noodles and Cheng’s Xi’an Traditional Foods for fragrant, juicy potstickers.
Burwood is already buzzing at night – all neon-lit and filled with people – but this year it was designated as one of Sydney’s new ‘Special Entertainment Precincts’ (meaning fewer late-night-trading regulations, stronger protection for venues against noise complaints and after-dark entertainment incentives), so we have no doubt it’s about to get even vibier.
The only other Australian neighbourhood to rank in the top 25 this year was North Melbourne, which placed 24th overall. Despite sitting on the fringe of the CBD, this charming, village-style suburb feels a world away from the hustle and bustle of the Hoddle Grid. The beating heart of North Melbourne is Errol Street – a wide café- and bar-lined strip boasting historic Victorian-era shopfronts.
Given that half of the suburb’s residents were born overseas, you’ll find a diverse spread of cuisines. Time Out’s Melbourne Editor, Leah Glynn, recommends Manzé, Melbourne’s very first Mauritian wine bar; Moroccan Soup Bar for North African vegetarian fare; and Le Bajo Milkbar for fluffy ’gram-worthy Japanese baked goods. The cultural scene is just as vibrant – don’t miss Gallerysmith, Arts House or the Meat Market for your art and performance fix.
Curious which suburb took the top spot on Time Out’s coolest neighbourhoods list? You can check out the full ranking below.
These are Time Out’s 39 coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2025
- Jimbōchō, Tokyo
- Borgerhout, Antwerp
- Barra Funda, São Paulo
- Camberwell, London
- Avondale, Chicago
- Mullae-dong, Seoul
- Ménilmontant, Paris
- Nakatsu, Osaka
- Vallila, Helsinki
- Labone, Accra
- Nguyen Thai Binh, Ho Chi Minh
- Anjos, Lisbon
- Digbeth, Birmingham
- Red Hook, New York
- Perpetuo Socorro, Medellín
- Burwood, Sydney
- Linden, Johannesburg
- Former French Concession, Shanghai
- Quartieri Spagnoli, Naples
- Bencoolen, Singapore
- Endoume, Marseille
- Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal
- The Liberties, Dublin
- North Melbourne, Melbourne
- Portales, Mexico City
- Davenport, Toronto
- Little River, Miami
- Kemang, Jakarta
- Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro
- Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
- Barranco, Lima
- Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
- Clarksville, Austin
- Margit-negyed, Budapest
- Glen Park, San Francisco
- MiZa, Abu Dhabi
- Villa Devoto, Buenos Aires
- Mehrauli, Delhi
- Poblacion, Metro Manila
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