A historic district in central Seoul famous for its late-night street food tents and maze of hanok-lined alleys has taken the top spot in Time Out's 2026 ranking of the world's coolest neighbourhoods.
Jongno 3-ga beat 39 other districts nominated by the magazine's local experts and judged on food, nightlife, independent businesses, liveability and community spirit. It last featured in third place back in 2021, so this is a return rather than a debut. The rest of the top five: L'Ocean District in Rabat, Morocco; Neos Kosmos in Athens; Chinatown in Los Angeles; and Govanhill in Glasgow.
What makes Jongno 3-ga work is the contrast. Narrow lanes are lined with traditional hanok houses, many of them 1920s builds, now occupied by cafés, craft shops, bars and small restaurants. The sub-neighbourhood of Ikseon-dong has become the star attraction — a former sleepy residential quarter where old houses have been given new lives as businesses, drawing a young crowd that lingers well past dark.
The after-dark scene is the real draw: pojangmacha, the tented street stalls that have been part of Seoul's street culture for decades. Expect cheap drinks and dishes like savoury pancakes, grilled seafood and sannakji — live octopus, for the brave.
There's plenty elsewhere on the list for travellers plotting something less obvious. Rabat's L'Ocean District is a low-rise seaside quarter with a palm-lined promenade looking over the Atlantic, while Neos Kosmos sits between the Acropolis and the Athenian Riviera and has built a contemporary cultural reputation around the Onassis Stegi centre. LA's Chinatown pairs late-19th-century history with new galleries and restaurants, plus the State Historic Park nearby for concerts and farmers' markets. Glasgow's Govanhill is one of the city's most diverse southside areas — 44.1 per cent of residents come from ethnic minority backgrounds, per the 2022 census — with the Glasgow Zine Library and a strong independent food scene.
Japan, last year's winner with Tokyo's Jinbōchō district, still claims two spots in the 2026 top ten: Kitakagaya in Osaka (No 6), where former shipbuilding warehouses are now art studios, and Koenji in Tokyo (No 8), the old punk heartland still full of record shops and live venues.
If your travel style leans towards street food, small independent shops and neighbourhoods where locals actually live, this list is essentially a ready-made itinerary. Jongno 3-ga is easy to reach on any Seoul trip and pairs well with nearby palaces and Insadong. The pick of the rest depends on your mood — beaches and Moroccan mint tea in Rabat, or vinyl crates and dive bars in Koenji.
Via The Independent Travel.