While the term “Birmingham’s creative quarter” feels more like a phrase made up by real estate developers than anything locals use, it does show how far Digbeth has come. Once one of the most industrialised areas in the city, it’s now one of the, if not the, coolest neighbourhoods in Birmingham—and, according to Time Out, the world, too.
Yes, you read correctly, Time Out has named Digbeth the 13th coolest neighbourhood in the world. They’ve placed it higher than Red Hook in New York (14th), Linden in Johannesburg (17th), Quartieri Spagnoli in Naples (19th), Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro (29th), and many more cooler-than-thou places.
Top of the list is Jimbōchō in Tokyo, which is called “the hangout of choice for generations of Tokyo intellectuals” and is home to “130 second-hand bookstores”. As well as Digbeth, London’s Camberwell is the only other UK neighbourhood on the list (4th)—for “the young-at-heart vibe, the independent spirit, the multiculturalism”.
What makes Digbeth one of the coolest neighbourhoods in the world?
A “home turf for the city’s community of writers, artists and filmmakers”, Digbeth’s unique aesthetic catches the eye—combining “the ghosts of industry” and “iridescent street art”. Meanwhile, the mentions of the incoming BBC headquarters and the recently opened Digbeth Loc. Studios suggest an even brighter future ahead.
Highlights of a day out in Digbeth include breakfast at Kanteen, browsing the bookshelves of Voce Books, and unique beers from Kilder Bar. You can also join a winery tour at Midland Press, tuck into Original Patty Men’s burgers, catch a film at Mockingbird Cinema, or hit up the Night Owl until late. Also recommended are Birmingham’s Irish bars like Nortons and Hennessey’s.
The world’s coolest neighbourhoods:
- Jimbōchō, Tokyo
- Borgerhout, Antwerp
- Barra Funda, São Paulo
- Camberwell, London
- Avondale, Chicago
- Mullae-dong, Seoul
- Ménilmontant, Paris
- Nakatsu, Osaka
- Vallila, Helsinki
- Labone, Accra
- Nguyen Thai Binh, Ho Chi Minh
- Anjos, Lisbon
- Digbeth, Birmingham
- Red Hook, New York
- Perpetuo Socorro, Medellín
- Burwood, Sydney
- Linden, Johannesburg
- Former French Concession, Shanghai
- Quartieri Spagnoli, Naples
- Bencoolen, Singapore
- Endoume, Marseille
- Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal
- The Liberties, Dublin
- North Melbourne, Melbourne
- Portales, Mexico City
- Davenport, Toronto
- Little River, Miami
- Kemang, Jakarta
- Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro
- Sheung Wan, Hong Kong
- Barranco, Lima
- Mont Kiara, Kuala Lumpur
- Clarksville, Austin
- Margit-negyed, Budapest
- Glen Park, San Francisco
- MiZa, Abu Dhabi
- Villa Devoto, Buenos Aires
- Mehrauli, Delhi
- Poblacion, Metro Manila
To read more about Time Out’s coolest neighbourhoods in the world, head here.