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Whatever your definition of ‘cool’, London has it in spades. Obscure record shops and fascinating vintage flea markets? Graffiti-slathered skate parks and buzzing grassroots arts venues? Trendy restaurants and innovative bars? From the old-school vibes of Camden and Soho to the buzzy culture-packed warehouses of Tottenham and Bermondsey, this city is undeniably, irrefutably cool.
As part of Time Out’s ranking of our annual ranking of the Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World, we asked 12,000 people about their city’s coolest areas. Those results were then refined by our vast network of global experts who know their hometowns better than anyone else. This year’s list featured a total of 40 areas – and, naturally, somewhere in London made the cut.
And so without further ado, the title of ‘London’s Coolest Heighbourhood’ this year went to... King’s Cross! KX came twenty-fourth in the overall list, just below Paris’s Haut-Marais and fractionally higher than Seoul’s Hannam-dong.
Time Out London editor Joe Mackertich said about King’s Cross: ‘Balancing cutting-edge, high-end consumerism with grittier, tried-and-tested nightlife, King’s Cross is a good example of a bit of the city that now has a little something for everyone.
‘It’s still a sprawling, irregular mess, jutting out from the train station, straddling the Regent’s Canal like a big, grubby blob. But its backstreets and piazzas – some steeped in Victorian history, others shiny and new – are now home to a brilliantly eclectic selection of shops and restaurants.’
This is the sixth year we’ve run our coolest neighbourhoods ranking at Time Out. Top spot was taken by Laureles in Medellín, second went to Dublin’s Smithfield and third went to Carabanchel in Madrid.
In the UK, the highest-ranking neighbourhood was Liverpool’s Baltic Triangle, which came eleventh. Edinburgh’s Leith came in at 16, while Glasgow’s West End placed at 20. In recent years, other London areas to make the ranking have included the likes of Walthamstow and Dalston.
Fancy reading up on where are the coolest parts of cities around the world right now? Here’s this year’s full Coolest Neighbourhoods ranking. Then check out our essential guide to the best stuff to see, do, eat and drink in King’s Cross.
Listen to Time Out’s brilliant new podcast ‘Love Thy Neighbourhood’: episode ten with Derren Brown in Hoxton is out now.
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