Skip to contentSwipe for next articleIndependent Bulletin homepageDownload our appAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleWant to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.Subscribe`; document.body.appendChild(modal); modal.addEventListener('click', () => { document.cookie = 'mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;'; }); modal.querySelector('.subscribe-link')?.addEventListener('click', (e) => { e.preventDefault(); document.cookie = 'mos-plan-select=; Max-Age=0; path=/; expires=Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 UTC;'; setTimeout(() => { window.location.href = 'https://www.independent.co.uk/subscribe/app'; }, 500); });});]]>Jongno 3-ga, a historic district in Seoul, has been named the world's coolest neighbourhood for 2026 in Time Out magazine's annual global ranking.The historic South Korean district was praised for its traditional hanok houses, independent craft shops, and late-night street food stalls.Rabat's L’Ocean District, Athens' Neos Kosmos, Los Angeles' Chinatown, and Glasgow's Govanhill completed the top five list.Time Out assessed 40 nominated districts worldwide based on food and drink, nightlife, unique local businesses, liveability, and community.Last year's winner, Tokyo's Jinbōchō district, lost the top spot, though Japan still retained two entries in this year's top 10.In fullWorld’s ‘coolest’ neighbourhoods revealed as Asian city tops listMore bulletinsThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in