Three Canadian neighbourhoods named among 'coolest' in the world

According to a survey by Time Out Group, three neighbourhoods within Canada were named among the “coolest” in the world by 20,000 city-dwellers and experts.

The worldwide media company, which focuses on the hospitality industry, released its latest annual Time Out Index on Tuesday, ranking the coolest streets and neighbourhoods based on perceptions of fun, food, culture and community.

Out of the list of 51 places around the world, a neighbourhood in Montreal managed to make the top five.

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Mile End is part of the Plateau-Mont-Royal borough. According to Time Out Group, it includes a skate park that’s the site of “digital block parties,” fit with projection art.

“It’s a walkable nook that’s home to rival bagel shops, a tea room that transforms into a champagne salon after dark,” Time Out Group says.

At No. 12 on the list is Toronto’s Dundas West neighbourhood, a bustling community with art galleries, artsy bars and coffee shops. Between Trinity Bellwoods and iconic Queen West, the article describes the neighbourhood as the perfect place to find Portuguese bakeries.

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“This stretch of Canada’s ‘city of neighbourhoods’ is a culture consumer’s paradise,” Time Out Group says.

In 25th place is Vancouver’s West End neighbourhood, a downtown community south of Coal Harbour, full of shopping, nightlife and character.

The “boisterous” neighbourhood was once a quiet spot for the elite, according to Time Out Group. Davie Village is a home base for the city’s LGBTQ2S+ community, with bars and hole-in-the-wall poetry clubs.

“For restaurants and retail, you can’t beat Denman and Robson Streets,” Time Out Group says. “But the real colour here is provided by mother nature in the form of 400-hectare Stanley Park and the aptly named Sunset Beach.”

At the top of the list of top 51 coolest neighbourhoods is Colonia Americana of Guadalajara, Mexico, known as the country’s cultural capital, Time Out Group says. The edgy blend of art and neoclassical mansions sided with warehouses containing the city’s music venues make the neighbourhood appealing to all travellers.