Time Out’s 2025 list of the Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World has officially landed. This year’s ranking was decided upon, as usual, by making the most of our global network of writers of editors. They nominated a bunch of places, and we then ranked them according to categories ranging from liveability and quality of eating and drinking options to their sense of community.
Top of the pile is Tokyo’s picture-perfect book town Jimbōchō, followed by Antwerp’s Borgerhout and Barra Funda in São Paulo. But not all of the neighbourhoods are so far from home: two of them, in fact, are right here in Britain.
London’s Camberwell picked up one of those spots (read more about that here), coming fourth, and the other is Digbeth in Birmingham. The central Brum neighbourhood placed 13th in the global list.
Long-established as a creative quarter with a flourishing community of writers, artists and filmmakers, Digbeth also got a shout-out for its street art. Time Out contributor Taylor Burns described that art as ‘iconic’ and ‘iridescent’, saying it ‘colours large swathes of the neighbourhood’.
Taylor remarked that Digbeth remains a draw for the creative industries, with the opening of Digbeth Loc Studios in 2023 and the BBC set to move to the area (occupying an old Typhoo Tea factory) in 2026. More than just an artsy hub, however, Digbeth also has serious chops when it comes to eating, drinking, shopping, nightlife and more. Taylor picked out feel-good food spot Kanteen, indie bookshop Voce Press, burger stop Original Patty Men and club The Night Owl as neighbourhood highlights.
Find out more about the area with Time Out’s Digbeth guide here.
Digbeth ranked higher than loads of other neighbourhoods around the world. Entries from the likes of New York, Sydney, Marseille and Singapore all placed lower.
Find the full list of Time Out’s Coolest Neighbourhoods in the World for 2025 here.
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