Forget Morocco or Greece, Seoul's Jongno 3-ga crowned world’s 'coolest neighborhood'

The Jongno 3-ga neighborhood in Jongno District, central Seoul, has been named the world’s No. 1 coolest neighborhood by British travel and culture magazine Time Out. 

The magazine highlighted that the neighborhood has retained much of its traditional character while evolving into a popular destination for younger visitors. The historical neighborhood climbed two places from the same ranking in 2021.

Time Out compiles the annual list based on recommendations from writers and editors around the world.

It singled out the hanok (traditional Korean houses)-lined alleys of Ikseon-dong, which have long drawn tourists, and Jongno 3-ga's streets of pocha, or late-night food and drinking stalls, where younger crowds now flock late into the night for beer and dishes such as kimchi and seafood pancakes.

Time Out described Jongno 3-ga as a relaxed, understated neighborhood that continues to reinvent itself for a new generation without losing its distinctive character.

Rabat’s L’Océan neighborhood in Morocco came in second. The seaside district in the Moroccan capital is home to luxury hotels such as the Four Seasons but still boasts a wealth of independent businesses and local culture.

Neos Kosmos, an artsy neighborhood in Athens, Greece, took third place. Chinatown in Los Angeles ranked fourth, followed by the Govanhill neighborhood in Glasgow, Scotland, in fifth.

BY JANG GU-SEUL [[email protected]]