Time Out has just issued its annual list of the world’s 40 coolest neighborhoods. Of course, it’s entirely a judgment call; what I call cool might be considerably different from what you like. Still I enjoy these lists. So here are some highlights that include some of my fave countries and U.S. states to visit.
UNITED STATES
California impressed with two spots in the top 30. The vibrant and funky Arts District in Los Angeles was 13th overall and second in the U.S. only to the Mid-City district of New Orleans. Here’s a Vancouver Sun story I wrote that talks about a fun tour to take in the Arts District. The Richmond District in San Francisco placed 27th overall.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
The Aussies did extremely well, placing Brunswick East in Melbourne in the number six spot and Enmore, Sydney in the 17th position. The Ponsonby neighborhood of Auckland finished in the 33rd position.
SCOTLAND AND ENGLAND
Leith, a great area of Edinburgh that I visited briefly last month, placed 16th in the world. West Glasgow came 20th, giving Scotland two spots in the top 20.
The Baltic Triangle in Liverpool finished 11th, while King’s Cross in London was 24th.
CANADA
The giant ring in downtown Montreal. JIM BYERS PHOTO
Downtown Montreal came in at number 36, while Toronto’s Annex neighborhood was 38th.
OTHER U.S. AND WORLD HIGHLIGHTS
Dublin, Ireland’s Smithfield district was second in the world, finishing only behind gold medal winner Laureles in Medellin, Colombia.
Sheung Wan in Hong Kong was fifth in the world.
Fort Greene, New York City grabbed the 15th spot while Hyde Park, Chicago was 19th. Coral Gables in Miami finished at number 26.
HERE IS THE TIME OUT TOP 10
- Laureles, Medellin, Colombia
2. Smithfield, Dublin, Ireland
3. Carabenchel, Madrid, Spain
4. Havnen, Copenhagen, Denmark
5. Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
6. Brunswick East, Melbourne, Australia
7. Mid-City, New Orleans, Louisiana
8. Isola, Milan, Italy
9. West, Amsterdam, Netherlands
10. Tomigaya, Tokyo, Japan
PORTER ADDS TORONTO-VEGAS FLIGHTS
The Las Vegas Strip. Stephen Leonardi – Unsplash Photo
Porter Airlines is continuing its expansion in the western U.S. with announced jet flights between Toronto Pearson and Las Vegas.
Service will begin March 5, 2024, Porter said today. Outbound flights will depart Toronto at 1 p.m. and land in Vegas at 3:04 p.m. local time. Return flights will leave from Las Vegas at 4 p.m. and arrive at YYZ at 11:16 p.m.
Porter Airlines recently announced fall 2023 flights between Pearson and both Los Angeles and San Francisco.
GERMANY TOURISM BOOM
Passau, Germany. JIM BYERS PHOTO
During the peak summer months, Germany’s tourism industry has experienced significant growth. In July, international overnight stays in Germany increased by 8.3 percent year-on-year, followed by a 6.3 percent rise in August. The Federal Statistical Office recorded a total of 54.6 million international overnight stays in hotels and lodging establishments with at least ten beds from January to August, marking a 25.8 percent increase compared to the same period in 2022. As Germany recovers from the pandemic, inbound tourism has reached almost 89 percent of the record figures seen in 2019.
