One of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods is in Ontario

An unexpected neighbourhood in Canada was just named one of the coolest in the world.

People seem to really love downtown St. Catharines in Ontario, so much so that hospitality media group Time Out ranked it among the top 10 coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2026.

About 100 km from the hustle and bustle of Toronto, St. Catharines is the largest city in the Niagara Region and has been nicknamed the “Garden City” thanks to its many gardens, parks, and trails.

According to Time Out, the city’s local art scene, vintage shops and record stores, incredible restaurants, and rich community history are all part of what makes downtown St. Catharines stand out.

The city also played an important role in the Underground Railroad, with the downtown core reflecting the legacy of the Black communities that shaped its history.

More specifically, this year’s Emancipation Day celebrations mark the 175th anniversary of American abolitionist Harriet Tubman’s arrival in St. Catharines, where she lived for nearly a decade in 1851.

Something else that makes downtown St. Catharines so great is that over 100 heritage buildings line the neighbourhood, some dating back to the early 19th century.

And then there’s Montebello Park, one of the few Canadian landscapes designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the visionary designer behind New York City’s iconic Central Park.

With a population of around 144,829 people, St. Catharines is no small city, and according to Time Out, it is “emerging as one of Canada’s coolest city escapes” and “challenging Niagara-on-the-Lake for the region’s cultural spotlight.”

Perhaps ‘90s supermodel Linda Evangelista, singer-songwriter Dallas Green, and Hunting Wives actress Malin Akerman would agree, since they’re just some of the celebs who were either born or grew up in the city.

While the Garden City fared well in the ranking this year, Vancouver’s historic Mount Pleasant neighbourhood was the second and only other Canadian spot to crack the list, landing at number 34.

Here’s Time Out’s top 10 coolest neighbourhoods in the world:

1. Jongno 3-ga in Seoul, South Korea
2. L’Ocean District in Rabat, Morocco
3. Neos Kosmos in Athens, Greece
4. Chinatown in Los Angeles, U.S.
5. Govanhill in Glasgow, Scotland
6. Kitakagaya in Osaka, Japan
7. Chapinero Alto in Bogotá, Colombia
8. Koenji in Tokyo, Japan
9. Downtown in St. Catharines, Canada
10. Esquilino in Rome, Italy

Check out Time Out’s website for the full ranking.

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