Singapore is famous for many things. From the 2024 World’s Best City, to being crowned with the world’s best roads and airlines, the most instagrammable place worldwide, the happiest country in East Asia, and so on. Wonderfully, Chinatown is getting some extra credit as 14th on the list of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2023.
Coolest neighbourhoods worldwide
Chinatown in Singapore is one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods according to Time Out. The sixth edition of the annual list saw more than 12,000 people polled on their favourite places in their cities. With this in mind, the final 40 places globally were narrowed down by the team considering factors like street life and social ventures.
Chinatown is a culture-rich precinct according to the group. It is home to various temples, a buzzing nightlife, hawker centres, affordable restaurants, quirky shopping, street art, a myriad of hotels, and other hidden gems.
Learn more about Chinatown with our special guide on the best things to do in the district.
Topping the list of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world this year are cities like Medellin in Colombia, Ireland’s Dublin, Madrid in Spain, Denmark, and Hong Kong.
Here are the Top 10 coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2023:
1. Laureles, Medellin, Colombia
2. Smithfield, Dublin, Ireland
3. Carabanchel, Madrid, Spain
4. Havnen, Copenhagen, Denmark
5. Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
6. Brunswick East, Melbourne, Australia
7. Mid-City, New Orleans
8. Isola, Milan, Italy
9. West, Amsterdam, Netherlands
10. Tomigaya, Tokyo, Japan
This list means that Singapore’s Chinatown is the third coolest neighbourhood in Asia for 2023. Meanwhile, other cool neighbourhoods in Asia include Hannam-dong at 25th place in Seoul, South Korea and Zhongshan in Taiwan’s Taipei at 34th place, to name a few.
In 2022, Little India was ranked 19th on the list of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods. Get the ultimate guide on things to do in Little India this season.
SEE MORE: The Best Things To Do In Singapore This Weekend