[imagesource: Getty Images]

Copenhagen has been getting a lot of attention this year.

The Danish capital was rated the safest city for the year, taking the top spot away from the usual frontrunners like Tokyo and Singapore who won the status in previous years.

Plus, it was also in the top 10 for Time Out’s world’s best cities list for 2021.

I guess it makes sense then that one of its lush neighbourhoods Nørrebro (famously pictured above), was also given the spotlight in Time Out‘s most recent ranking for the world’s coolest neighbourhoods.

For this year’s ranking, the publication couldn’t help but switch up its priorities a bit.

While acknowledging that food, drink, nightlife, and culture are all important aspects to consider, other factors have proven to be just as important, like community spirit, resilience, and sustainability.

Especially if anyone is to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic with something to be proud of and tell the rest of the world about.

This is how the ranking works:

Just like we’ve done for the past three years, we took the results of our annual Time Out Index survey (which this year polled 27 000 city-dwellers) to our local editors and contributors.

They then vetted the public vote against those all-important criteria – cool stuff, but also kind stuff, forward-looking stuff – and made their final picks.

The panel of experts then ranked the lot, with the results being a sort of love letter to the city and its neighbourhoods, as they are at their most interesting and surprising.

Let’s tour the top five:

1. Nørrebro, Copenhagen, Denmark

This diverse district, on the northern side of Copenhagen’s lakes, is a dazzling blend of historic landmarks, ultramodern architecture and food and drink joints to make this famously gourmet city proud.

Even during this harshest of years, new bakeries, restaurants and natural wine bars have proliferated – and it almost goes without saying that they all put a focus on local, seasonal produce (quite a lot of it foraged, probably).

This year has also seen community initiatives flourish: Car-Free Sunday made its comeback, swapping traffic on Nørrebrogade for live music and flea markets, while Usynlige Stier (‘Invisible Paths’) is a new, interactive art exhibition that brings fun and a splash of colour to the neighbourhood’s most vulnerable areas.

That sounds cool, no matter how you define the word.

2. Andersonville, Chicago, USA

The city is a historic Swedish enclave, but Andersonville is now better known for its LGBTQ+ nightlife and the bars and restaurants that line Clark Street:

The district has always been a desirable place to live, but its proximity to beaches and coastal parks has only made it more appealing during the pandemic.

Andersonville is also a community that’s looking forward, launching initiatives like Clark Street Composts – a pilot programme that could serve as a model for eco-friendly composting throughout Chicago.

More things that the neighbourhood has to offer is a Scandi-inspired bakery, drag shows at the Bird Cage or a surreal performance of the Neo-Futurists’ Infinite Wrench.

3. Jongno 3-ga, Seoul, South Korea

Jongno 3-ga might be considered the heart and soul of Seoul – historic, eccentric and very unpretentious:

You may know the nearby palaces, galleries and other miscellaneous tourist spots, but this neighbourhood’s real charm lies in the grandfathers huddled around boards of baduk in Tapgol Park, the cart vendors selling traditional toffee on Songhae-gil, the jewellery shops for every occasion, the restaurants serving North Korean food and the many hidden cafés and beer houses.

Jongno 3-ga is also home to Seoul’s vibrant traditional LGBTQ+ district, which has had a few hard knocks but is back to bustling once again.

4. Leith, Edinburgh, Scotland

Leith’s connection to industry stretches way back into the past, having been Scotland’s main trade port once:

Today, however, the north Edinburgh neighbourhood is better known as a cultural hotspot, home to big arts institutions and up-and-coming businesses alike.

In recent years, several buildings have been given a new lease of life, including long-abandoned Leith Theatre and the nearby Biscuit Factory, which houses more than 30 creative businesses and its own performance space.

5. Station District, Vilnius, Lithuania

Vilnius’ creative soul resides in the Station District, with some of the city’s best street art:

Murals, giant Tony Sopranos and sculptures jammed onto neoclassical buildings (you’ll find the latter at Kablys, a riotous nightclub with Berghain-style door policy).

There’s also Loftas Art Factory, a Soviet factory that’s been turned into a sprawling community-oriented venue hosting gigs, fashion shows and screenings.

The neighbourhood’s unique blend of bijou brutalism won’t last forever: Zaha Hadid Architects have just won the competition to renovate the station itself – with an admittedly spectacular redesign.

The other neighbourhoods in the top 10 include Chelsea (New York, US), XI District (Budapest, Hungary), Ngor (Dakar, Senegal), Sai Kung (Hong Kong), and Richmond (Melbourne, Australia).

For the full list, you can head over here.

[source:timeout]