A Montreal neighbourhood was just ranked among the coolest in the world for 2024

A Montreal neighbourhood just received a lot of love in a brand-new ranking of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world — and it might not necessarily be where you’d expect.

On Wednesday, Time Out released the latest edition of its annual ranking of the coolest neighbourhoods on earth. These spots are described as the perfect mix of a city’s culture, community spirit, nightlife, and food—all packed into one trendy, walkable district.

The list is created collaboratively between thousands of writers and editors, who vet each neighbourhood against criteria that include food, drink, arts, culture, street life, community and one-of-a-kind local flavour.

This year, Montreal’s St-Henri came in 13th overall, beating out iconic global destinations like Flatbush (New York City), East Hollywood (Los Angeles) and Mount Pleasant (Washington DC). More exciting still, it was the only Canadian neighbourhood to get a mention on the list.

It’s not the first time that Time Out’s coolest neighbourhood ranking has given Montreal its flowers. Last year, Downtown Montreal snagged the 36th spot overall, while in 2022, the ever-popular hipster mecca of Mile End was awarded 5th place.

Time Out’s love affair with Montreal neighbourhoods goes back even further, with Villeray getting a shoutout of its own—in 18th place—in 2021.

If that wasn’t enough fawning over the city, the publication has also given Montreal’s rue Wellington the accolade of being the coolest street in the world in years gone by. Obsessed much?

This year, St-Henri was in good company in the coolest neighbourhoods list, with neighbourhoods in places like Tokyo, Melbourne, Rio de Janeiro and Seoul ranking in similar spots.

It was, however, Notre-Dame-du-Mont (Marseille, France) that snagged the very top spot, followed by Mers Sultan (Casablanca, Morocco) in second and Pererenan (Bali, Indonesia) in third.

Explaining St-Henri’s lofty position, Time Out wrote, “Montreal’s southwestern Saint-Henri neighbourhood will whet more than just your appetite these days. This’ hood’s prime location right by the Lachine Canal make it a weekend destination for waterfront cycling expeditions, paddleboard rentals and picnics, with provisions sourced at Atwater Market.”

The neighbourhood eateries—including Bonheur d’Occasion, Foiegwa, Satay Bros, Eva’s, and Lloydie’s—and “chic shops” like Letter Bet and GanK—got a shoutout.

For a “perfect day,” Time Out recommended coffee shops like Cordova, Campanelli, and Arthurs, as well as activities like TNT Axe Throwing or pampering at Beauté Cove spa.

According to Time Out, fall is one of the best times to visit. So, with its newly-certified status as one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world—let alone Montreal, Quebec, or even Canada—maybe now’s the perfect time to visit (before all the tourists do!).

Here’s a closer look at the top 20 coolest neighbourhoods on earth, according to the folks at Time Out:

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, Kraków, Poland

12. Little River, Miami, USA

13. Saint-Henri, Montreal, Canada

14. Punavuori, Helsinki, Finland

15. Gakugeidaigaku, Tokyo, Japan

16. Thao Dien, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

17. Flatbush, New York City, USA

18. Friedrichshain, Berlin, Germany

19. East City, Cape Town, South Africa

20. Belleville, Paris, France

The entire 38-spot list can be found here.