neighbourhood

Time Out has released its list of the 39 coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2025, and one unexpected UK area has made the cut for its community spirit and multiculturalism

The UK’s coolest neighbourhood has been unveiled, and the location might come as a shock. Prestigious travel guide Time Out has just dropped its annual list of the world’s 39 coolest neighbourhoods, with one unexpected British area securing a coveted place.

The publication updates this ranking yearly, spotlighting the latest districts that have earned “cool” status. Notable past UK entries like Stokes Croft and St Paul’s in Bristol failed to make this year’s cut.

London claims the title for Britain’s “coolest” neighbourhood, though it’s probably not the area you’d expect. Most people would immediately think of trendy spots like Camden, Shoreditch, Hackney, Dalston or Peckham when considering London’s hippest districts.

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Yet none of these well-known areas secured a place on the list. Instead, a compact but flourishing neighbourhood in London’s southeast corner has been crowned the country’s coolest district.

Time Out ranked Camberwell fourth on its global list of the world’s trendiest neighbourhoods, reports the Express. Contributor Lauren O’Neill praised this “community-oriented little patch” for its “young-at-heart vibe, the independent spirit, the multiculturalism”.

She added: “One of the big draws of the place, of course, is the food. Over the years, Camberwell Church Street has become the stuff of legend, and now, it’s easily one of the heaviest-hitting roads in the capital for hungry Londoners.”

For an ideal day out in Camberwell, the writer suggests kicking things off at Toad with a scrumptious sandwich and a cuppa, then heading over to the South London Art Gallery. While wandering around, she advises popping into Dash the Henge for some vinyl hunting, followed by a refreshing pint at The Clarendon.

When it comes to dining, she raves about “FM Mangal for Turkish food that absolutely always hits the spot.” Impressively, Camberwell has outshone a host of trendy global spots to clinch fourth place.

This year, it’s ranked above locales in Paris, Chicago, Lisbon, and New York. Another British area also made the cut, with Digbeth in Birmingham securing the number 13 position.

Time Out described Digbeth as possessing a “rough-edged beauty” and being a hub for the city’s creatives including writers, artists, and filmmakers.

Hopping over the Irish Sea, Dublin’s The Liberties nabbed the 23rd spot on the list. Known for housing the iconic Guinness Storehouse, The Liberties was lauded for its historic charm and an array of distinctive, traditional pubs, cafes, and distilleries.

The coolest neighbourhoods in the world for 2025, as per Time Out, are:

• Jimbōchō, Tokyo
• Borgerhout, Antwerp
• Barra Funda, Sao 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

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George Nathanel was found guilty of illegally using the properties in North Finchley, north London, for short-term rental bookings, Barnet Council said in a statement

A rogue landlord has been hit with a hefty £75k fine for unlawfully renting out two flats on Airbnb and Booking.com to unruly revellers.

Neighbours of properties leased out to partygoers by George Nathanel were subject to banging parties and chaos.

A court heard that the properties were being booked through holiday platforms for brief stays by large groups, often using them for raucous parties. Neighbours reported significant noise disruptions due to lack of soundproofing and antisocial hours, with boisterous parties continuing into the small hours of the morning.

Victim statements presented in court included one from a local resident who described the rentals as “stressful and devastating.” He said that they had a “detrimental impact on his life, his work and mental health” and it “had severely impacted his ability to sleep and has made living in the property unbearable.”

Have you been badly impacted by a holiday let? Maybe we can help. Email [email protected]

Mr Nathanel was convicted of illicitly utilising the North Finchley properties in north London for short-term lettings, according to Barnet Council.

The landlord, who oversaw the flats on behalf of Zenobia properties, was served a notice by the council in November 2023 to halt the use of the flats following grievances from local residents.

The Grove Road residences were scrutinised for potential planning control breaches as the properties only had permission to be used as self-contained single households. Nathanel failed to attend court hearings, telling the court that he was residing in Russia with his children and awaiting surgery.

The landlord claimed ignorance about the short-term lets on Airbnb and Booking.com, yet was hailed as “an amazing, attentive and responsive host” in Airbnb reviews.

The court heard that the two flats had been occupied for at least 220 days within the first ten months of 2024, according to evidence from the prosecution.

On June 26, 2025, Nathanel faced justice at Willesden Magistrates’ Court, where he was convicted for not adhering to a Breach of Condition Notice from the council. He received a hefty fine of £75,000, was ordered to cover council costs amounting to £5,400, and pay a victim surcharge of £2,000.

Cllr Ross Houston, Cabinet Member for Homes and Regeneration, commented: “We gave Mr Nathanel ample opportunity to stop using the properties as short term rentals, but were left with no alternative but to take him to court when he didn’t stop.

“Barnet Council clamps down hard on rogue landlords and where they don’t cooperate, we will always bring them to justice. We would like to thank the residents who brought this case to our attention. This is a great result for the neighbours whose lives were made a misery by the illegal letting of these flats on Airbnb and Booking.com.

“The prosecution and huge fine highlights the seriousness of the case and will be a strong deterrent to other rogue landlords from breaking the rules in the borough of Barnet.”

A Booking.com representative said: “When accommodation providers sign up to list on Booking.com, they agree to our terms and conditions, where we ask them to verify that they are operating in full compliance with local laws and are legally permitted to rent out their property on a short-term basis.

“If we are ever made aware that a property on our site may not be operating in compliance with local regulations, we investigate and take further action as needed.

“At Booking.com, we remain committed to collaborating with the Government and local authorities to help deliver sustainable, measured legislative solutions for short-term-lets in the UK.”

Airbnb was contacted for comment.

A milestone court case came to a close in Spain earlier this month, ruling that ten holiday lets all located in the same block must close down due to “the illicit and unsanitary activities” that had taken place there.

Vomiting and sex in the communal areas, as well as drunken, destructive, and lewd guest behaviour, had caused one family stress, anxiety, and sleepless nights. This was judged to have inflicted psychological damage on the family, which includes two children, and violated their fundamental right to privacy.

Madrid’s 44th Court of First Instance ruling—that the flats must stop being used as holiday lets—is a significant one, as the properties were registered legally but their presence was judged to infringe on the family’s rights.

In the ruling, the judge noted “the constant noise, the breaking of shared fixtures, the filling of the lobby with suitcases at all hours, and the presence of shopping trolleys filled with towels,” before the family were awarded €37,000 in damages.

Authorities in the city of San Diego say that heavy fog had created low-visibility conditions at time of crash.

Authorities in the city of San Diego, California, have said that several people are dead after a small, private plane crashed into a military housing complex.

On Thursday, Assistant San Diego Fire Chief Dan Eddy said that the plane had capacity for between eight and 10 people, but it is not clear how many people were on board during the crash.

“I can’t quite put words to describe what the scene looks like, but with the jet fuel going down the street, and everything on fire all at once, it was pretty horrific to see,” San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl said.

The incident took place in the early hours of Thursday morning, just before 4am Pacific time (11:00 GMT) in the United States.

The crash left a trail of charred vehicles and damaged houses in the Tierrasanta neighbourhood of San Diego, located in the southernmost region of California. Downed power lines were observed near the scene, as emergency responders struggled to contain the fire.

Residents of the neighbourhood were evacuated, and police say that two schools located near the site have been closed for the day. Authorities also asked people to avoid the area while emergency crews are at work.

The San Diego Police Department said in a social media post that “multiple fatalities” had been confirmed from the crash and that one person remains hospitalised, with two others treated and released.

The plane, which officials say was en route from the Midwest, caused damage to several homes and vehicles in the neighbourhood but did not cause any injuries to residents.

“It was definitely horrifying for sure, but sometimes, you’ve just got to drop your head and get to safety,” said Christopher Moore, who lives one street over from the site of the crash.

Eddy, the assistant fire chief, said that heavy fog had severely diminished visibility at the time of the crash.

“You could barely see in front of you,” he said.

UPDATE: Multiple fatalities confirmed in crash near Sculpin St & Santo Rd. 1 person hospitalized, 2 treated & released. Evacuations + road closures remain. Area expected closed all day as FAA investigates. Call 619-531-2000 if you find debris or jet fuel.

— San Diego Police Department (@SanDiegoPD) May 22, 2025

Authorities have yet to share details about the make and model of the plane, but the flight tracking website Flight Aware says that a Cessna Citation II jet was scheduled to arrive at the Montgomery-Gibbs Executive airport in San Diego at 3:47am after departing from the Colonel James Jabara Airport in Wichita, Kansas.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has said that the National Transportation Safety Board will oversee an investigation into the incident.