Sea Point, Cape Town, hailed as one of world's coolest neighbourhoods

TimeOut has released its fifth annual list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods — and flying the flag for SA is Sea Point, Cape Town, which comes in at number 38 on a list of 51.  

The magazine says it polled 20,000 city dwellers around the world, whose responses were combined with input from a global network of editors and writers to narrow down “the greatest places for fun, food, culture and community”. 

“Cool” being an admittedly vague term, TimeOut says it really means “areas with accessible, cutting-edge culture and nightlife; brilliant and affordable food and drink; lively street life; and big community vibes”.

“They’re distinctive districts you can walk across in half an hour or less, but could spend a whole day or more exploring,” it adds. 

The coolest neighbourhood in SA, then, and only one of three African places on the list, Sea Point is described as “an oceanside ’burb heaving with quirky local businesses”.

It is hailed for its “spine-tingling sunset views”, its 11km-long paved beachfront promenade and the “hot hotels” and diverse dining options to be found on Regent Street.

A suggested perfect day in the ‘hood includes a morning swim at the Sea Point Pavilion, a visit to Mojo Market and shopping on Regent Street before a beach picnic for lunch. Follow that up with ocean kayaking, a late afternoon stroll on the promenade and a meal at La Perla while you watch the sunset.

Sea Point is the second-highest ranking African neighbourhood on the list, after Kilimani in Nairobi, Kenya, at number 28. This is where “Nairobi goes to party”, the mag says, and it’s “bursting with a vibrant arts and entertainment vibe”, with several nightclubs, bars, coffee shops and some of the city's best restaurants. 

The final African nod is to Festac Town in Lagos, Nigeria, at number 50.  Also known as Festival Town, it was built in 1977 for an arts festival and has evolved into “a tight-knit hub of contemporary urban life”, says TimeOut. 

As for the absolute top scorers, the world’s number one neighbourhood is in Guadalajara, Mexico, and it’s called Colonia Americana. Though a little off-the-radar for most international travellers, TimeOut says Guadalajara is known to Mexicans as the country’s cultural capital and Colonia Americana “is the epicentre of its underground scene”. 

“It’s an edgy blend of art deco and neoclassical mansions with artists’ squats and warehouses containing some of the city’s best music venues,” it says, with highlights including the neo-gothic Templo Expiatorio del Santísimo and the plaza around it, which has food carts and street performers and is perfect for people watching. 

Number two on the list is Cais do Sodré in Lisbon, Portugal, the heart of Lisbon’s nightlife. Third is Wat Bo Village in Siem Reap, Cambodia, which had a citywide makeover in 2021. In fourth place is Ridgewood in New York, US. In the borough of Queens, Ridgewood is close to the Brooklyn border, pulling in, says TimeOut, “the best of each borough: the diversity and local vibes of Queens and the hip offerings of Brooklyn”. Mile End in Montreal, Canada, rounds out the top five.

Interestingly, the magazine puts a positive spin on the pandemic for this year’s list, saying the curb on international travel also inspired people to explore their own cities and “in many of the world’s greatest cities, the result has been a full-blown neighbourhood renaissance”.