Debbie Pappyn

It’s pretty amazing to live in Belgium's second city. Antwerp is a charming, compact and dynamic metropolis filled with Michelin-starred restaurants, cosy pubs and wine bars, plus idyllic shopping streets featuring world-famous designers like Dries Van Noten and museums housing medieval and gothic masterpieces. For the last two decades, I've called the city home. In this patch of northwestern Europe, Antwerp has always been somewhat in the shadow of cities like Amsterdam and Paris. But this year, the city seems to have really stepped into the spotlight. While most visitors will stick to the city centre, it’s neighbourhoods like Borgerhout where you’ll find real local flavour and some of the coolest places to eat, drink and shop.  A tight-knit local community Borgerhout hasn’t always had the best reputation, with some locals pointing to crime and anti-social behaviour. The smallest of Antwerp’s districts, it was derisively called ‘Borgerokko’ (a combination of ‘Borgerhout’ and ‘Morocco’) because of a large population of immigrants from Arabic-speaking countries. In fact, around 140 nationalities live in the area, with inhabitants hailing from Mali and Pakistan to Canada and the US. Today, the neighbourhood’s multiculturalism is celebrated. Borgerhout’s modern-day transformation is largely due to the efforts of local residents. Innovative projects like 'parklets' and culturally inclusive events – where residents from different backgrounds celebrate together – contribute to a st