Image: (Left) Spice Alley and (Right) Kensington Street in Chippendale. Images: Facebook
Timeout Magazine recently listed 38 neighborhoods around the world that were considered ‘cool’ and not surprisingly four Australian neighbourhoods made it to the list. The surprise was the neighbourhood that was voted the “coolest” in Australia.
Timeout drew up its list based on multiple factors such as street culture, food options, nightlife as well as connection with the arts. Notre Dame du Mont located in Marseille took out the top spot, and the rest of the list included cities ranging from Europe, North America, Asia, and Africa.
On the list, four Australian neighborhoods made the cut with Sydney’s own Chippendale, known colloquially as ‘Chippo’ coming in at 7th place. It was joined alongside Melbourne’s Windsor at number 10, Perth’s Northbridge (21) and Adelaide’s Norwood (35).
‘Chippo’ Comes Out Tops
Chippendale is often overlooked as one of the vibrant suburbs in Sydney’s inner city. Sydney Editor Alice Ellis describes Chippo’s evolution, “while some of us were busy sipping negronis in nearby Surry Hills, ‘Chippo’ was organically evolving into a buzzing, community-centered neighborhood”.
Many locals have taken to social media, commenting under Timeout’s Facebook and Instagram posts with comments such as, “So pleased it wasn’t like that in the mid-1980s, but you could see it had a load of potential”, as well as “changed a lot since I grew up there”.
Chippendale has a strategic location of sorts. Due to its proximity to three of the major universities in Sydney, it has become a hub for student life, with many taking residence and frequenting pubs and bars such as the Lansdowne, Abercrombie, and Lord Gladstone.
Every venue in the suburb shares the distinct ‘edginess’ that makes them stand out from the rest of the city, with dark aesthetics, rooftop bars and a strong focus on the local music scene whether it be bands or DJs.
Melbourne Neighbourhood Makes It To Top 10
Another strong factor behind Chippendale’s recognition is its strong focus on the arts. Art galleries are available on almost every corner in such a small space. The most notable of the galleries is Judith Nelson’s ‘White Rabbit’ gallery, which explores the world of contemporary Chinese art. Alongside White Rabbit are the likes of Nanda/Hobbs, Peach Black, and the Harrington Street gallery, all are defined through their contemporary pieces and their easy access to the public.
However, while Chippendale has so much to offer in such a small space, its position as the ‘coolest’ suburb in Sydney, let alone Australia is highly subjective. Chippendale comes up against the likes of Paddington, Newtown, Surry Hills, and Marrickville, all suburbs much larger in size and all with a distinct trait that makes them so appealing who those living and commuting in Sydney.
It’s not only Chippo that comes under scrutiny. Windsor, which ranked 10th on the list, beat out the likes of Brunswick, South Yarra, Fitzroy, and Richmond.
However, for a suburb that occupies only the tail end of Chapel Street, Windsor took the spot due to its great collection of vintage clothing stores and its variety of restaurants celebrating all cultures.
It’s also worth mentioning the other two Aussie suburbs on the list. Northbridge is not only home to Perth’s Chinatown but’s it also Perth’s arts hub, including both the WA Art Gallery and the WA State Theatre. Norwood can be best described as Adelaide’s Leichhardt. It houses some of Australia’s best Italian eateries as well as multitudes of cellar doors, gin distilleries, and micro-breweries.
Here’s the Top 38 Coolest Neighbourhoods In The World:
1. Notre Dame du Mont, Marseille, France
2. Mers Sultan, Casablanca, Morocco
3. Pererenan, Bali, Indonesia
4. Seongsu-dong, Seoul, South Korea
5. Kerns, Portland, USA
6. Stokes Croft & St Paul’s, Bristol, UK
7. Chippendale, Sydney, Australia
8. Principe Real, Lisbon, Portugal
9. Glória, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
10. Windsor, Melbourne, Australia
11. Zabłocie, Krakow, Poland
12. Little River, Miami, USA
13. Saint-Henri, Montreal, Canada
14. Punavuori, Helsinki, Finland
15. Gakugeidaigaku, Tokyo, Japan
16. Thao Dienm, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
17. Flatbush, New York, USA
18. Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany
19. East City, Cape Town, South Africa
20. Belleville, Paris, France
21. Northbridge, Perth, Australia
22. Strathbungo, Glasgow, UK
23. Chacarita, Buenos Aires, Argentina
24. Leyton, London, UK
25. Inchicore, Dublin, Ireland
26. East Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA
27. Ekkamai, Bangkok, Thailand
28. San Rafael, Mexico City, Mexico
29. Mount Pleasant, Washington DC, USA
30. Bonfim, Porto, Portugal
31. Palace Quarter, Budapest, Hungary
32. Brewerytown, Philadelphia, USA
33. Kowloon City, Hong Kong, Hong Kong
34. Logan Square, Chicago, USA
35. Norwood, Adelaide, Australia
36. Osu, Accra, Ghana
37. Orchard, Singapore, Singapore
38. Union Square, Boston, USA
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