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Every year, we survey tens of thousands of city-dwellers around the world about life in their hometowns. One of the key questions: what’s the coolest neighbourhood in your city? We gathered all your answers and combined them with a load of insight from local experts to find out the best places to live, visit and generally hang out in the world right now: the places with the best food, nightlife, culture and things to do.
And so where came top in the UK? The coolest neighbourhood in the country this year was.... Cliftonville in Margate! This up-and-coming district is home to a slew of record shops, cafés and conscious grocery shops, as well as innovative community-funded venues like queer bar CAMP and gallery Quench.
Our local contributor Sophie Brown wrote: ‘It’s home to one of the UK’s most thriving artistic communities, largely due to an influx of creative ex-Londoners who’ve flocked to the area’s affordable housing and studio spaces, plus the massive tidal ocean pool at Walpole Bay.’
In our global ranking, Cliftonville came eighth out of 51 neighbourhoods. Just behind it, in 11th place, was the bustling southern neighbourhood of Shawlands in Glasgow, which is loved by locals for its buzzy side streets and independent cafes like Frankie’s.
And when it comes to the coolest neighbourhood in the entire world? That would be Colonia Americana in Guadalajara, Mexico. It came top thanks to its eclectic architecture, banging nightlife and general good vibes.
Want to know whether your stomping ground made the cut? Read our full ranking of the 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world right now.
Plus: here are 21 of the very best things to do in Margate.