Time Out has unveiled its eighth annual list of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods – with Dublin’s Liberties securing a spot in the top 25.

Every year, Time Out, the global brand that motivates people to explore the best of their city, compiles a list of the most exciting neighbourhoods worldwide. The yearly list is assembled from nominations put forward by Time Out’s international network of editors and writers.

The chosen areas are then evaluated against factors such as culture, community spirit, livability, food and drink offerings, street life, and what Time Out refers to as “that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness'” to determine the 39 coolest neighbourhoods globally. This year, The Liberties in Dublin 8, where medieval walls and 18th-century libraries coexist with modern cafés, antique shops, and Michelin-starred restaurants, is ranked 23rd, reports the Irish Mirror.

“It may be one of Dublin’s oldest neighbourhoods, but alongside medieval remnants and terraced houses, the Liberties is home to some of the hottest spots in town – from Argentinian bakeries (hello, Bakeology) to classic pubs,” writes Time Out’s Dublin expert Nicola Brady. “This past year, the Liberties Festival went from strength to strength, holding events like sunrise yoga in the panoramic Gravity Bar of the Guinness Storehouse.

“The neighbourhood has also witnessed some brilliant new additions emerge, like Change Clothes, the fashion swap and upcycling store, plus Bold Boy bakery and Cleo Prickett Studio for slick contemporary tailoring. Plus, CitizenM chose the Liberties as the location for its first Irish hotel, and the punkiest Michelin-star spot in Ireland, Variety Jones, has just reopened in a brand-new space. What more could you want?”

Those seeking a ‘perfect day’ out in the Liberties are encouraged to “wake up in the new Citizen M, then stroll through the gardens at St Patrick’s Cathedral and pop into Marsh’s Library to say hello to its resident ghost”. Other essential activities include calling into Two Pups for a coffee and a za’atar, feta and hot honey pastry, then wandering up Francis Street to browse the antique shops, the guitars in Some Neck and vintage lingerie in Space Out Sister.

Those hoping to dine out in the Liberties are encouraged to grab dinner in Variety Jones, or “get a killer pizza in Coke Lane at Lucky’s”. For those seeking the ideal time to visit, Time Out suggests checking out the Liberties Festival in July.

If you can’t make that, aim to be in the neighbourhood for the Dublin Flea Market, typically held on the last weekend of the month. Leading Time Out’s ranking of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods at present is Tokyo’s Jimbōchō, which has been praised as “a historic university enclave and a bibliophile nirvana that enjoys a charmed existence just a quick stroll away from the city’s high-powered business districts”. Time Out reports that Jimbōchō boasts approximately 130 second-hand bookshops, with most situated in modest, somewhat dated mixed-use structures they occupy alongside traditional coffee and curry houses.

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