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Neighbourhoods have had to survive a few hard knocks.

I’m even talking pre-COVID-19 pandemic when malls came along to threaten the ‘third place’.

A third place refers to somewhere that people can gather outside of work and home, where they can commune in good spirits and release some tension.

That sounds like I am talking about a bar, but an effective third place needs more than just dop. It needs myriad recreational options to stymie boredom and give people a sense of community.

One can argue that the third place was corrupted by the over-capitalistic mammoths we call malls, where the only option for fun is spending money in a locked-in space.

Then you get those cool neighbourhoods that have survived the test of time. The neighbourhoods with the coffee joints, the food hang-outs, the swim spots, walking ways, the markets, and creative space, all with architectural or natural wonders to marvel at on the way to and from.

Time Out speaks of a “full-blown neighbourhood renaissance” in the wake of the pandemic slow-down.

In its annual list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, where it surveys thousands of people from across the globe on their favourite spots in their city, Time Out acknowledged how too many spots and spaces shuttered for good, only to make way for a whole wave of new businesses opening.

Local people and local officials are keen to get the neighbourhood going again, and they’re putting time and money into it.

One area in Cape Town, which has seen a little “neighbourhood renaissance” (or gentrification, if we’re being frank) in recent years, is listed on the travel publication’s list of the 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world.

At number 38, we see Sea Point shining through:

Sea Point is Cape Town’s cool beachfront face: an oceanside ’burb heaving with quirky local businesses, and with enviable transport links to nearby beaches like Clifton and Camps Bay.

Image: Cape Town ETC

Home to a mix of long-term families, young professionals, creative types and immigrant communities, Sea Point is known throughout Cape Town for the spine-tingling sunset views on its seven-mile Beach Road promenade, and for Regent Street: the neighbourhood’s main road and a hub of hot hotels and lip-smackingly diverse food options.

Time Out gives the promenade a few mentions, as well as the Mojo Market, La Perla, and a kayak trip out into the Atlantic to see the dolphins.

Of course, we all know that there are also dogs, bike and scooter rentals, dipping holes for those cold immersions, karaoke (Bokeh), and a few hikes around Lion’s Head, too.

Okay, it’s my neighbourhood, I am clearly boasting.

The neighbourhood that landed top spot is the buzzy Colonia Americana, located in the city of Guadalajara in western Mexico:

Image: Guadalajara Tourism Board

CNN reports:

“Guadalajara is just emerging as a must-visit — and Colonia Americana is the place to be right now,” said Time Out Travel Editor James Manning in a statement. “It’s home to a boundary-pushing creative community, a growing number of amazing places to eat, and some of the best nightlife in the western hemisphere. And the street life is unbeatable.”

Number two spot on the list is Lisbon’s riverside Cais do Sodré. Famed for its vibrant nightlife, the Portuguese neighbourhood is now making a name for itself as a foodie hotspot.

Cais do Sodré is home to this Instagrammable “pink street”:

Image: Pawel Pajor/Adobe Stock

“This is the neighborhood where Lisbon’s most promising young chefs are opening new restaurants,” says Time Out, namechecking Quiosque de São Paul and Tricky’s as top spots for drinking and dining.

Third on the 2022 round-up is Wat Bo Village, in Siem Reap, Cambodia:

Image: Henning Marquardt/Adobe Stock

…the area surrounding the spectacular Wat Bo Pagoda has had a “serious glow-up” in the past year. Boutique hotels Viroth’s and Treeline Urban Resort are listed as highlights, alongside restaurant Tevy’s Place, which serves up delicious organic meals and also works as a social enterprise empowering local women.

Two other African neighbourhoods cracked a spot on the list, including Kilimani in Nairobi, Kenya at number 28, the place to find the heart and soul of Nairobian life:

Image: IndustryAndTravel / Shutterstock.com

Legos’ (Nigeria) neighbourhood called Festival Town, built for FESTAC ’77: the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture, also made it number 50 on the list.

For the other cool neighbourhoods on the list, head here.

[sources:cnn&timeout]