Who doesn’t love stumbling across a bustling off-the-beaten-track neighborhood on vacation? There’s a particular thrill in finding an area that feels like a welcoming home away from home, where the barista remembers your order — even if you’re only visiting for the week.

If you’re daydreaming about the most exciting local spots in your next city-break destination, global listing guide, Time Out has you covered with its latest roundup of the “world’s coolest” neighborhoods.

Topping the 2025 rankings is a corner of Tokyo that Time Out calls a “bibliophile nirvana.” Jimbōchō is home to some 130 vintage book stores — Time Out highlights Isseido Booksellers and Kitazawa Bookstore as great starting points for a day of bookish exploring — as well as its coffee-shop culture and delicious curry

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