HCM City’s District 3 among ‘50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world’

District 3 in Ho Chi Minh city was ranked 18th among the world’s 50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world to visit in 2019, according Time Out survey from more than 27,000 city-dwellers around the world.

Ho Chi Minh City’s District 3 among ‘50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world’
Ho Chi Minh City’s District 3 among ‘50 coolest neighbourhoods in the world’

This year’s survey is based on factors such as cuisine, beverage, culture, music, nightlife, friendliness and happiness.

For cuisine, Time Out said: “Nguyen Thuong Hien is known as ‘snail street’: a world-famous thoroughfare of fresh snails and shellfish in a variety of preparations from noodles to soup.”

For drinks, HCM City was once a bona fide rock ’n’ roll town. Vestiges of the culture still remain at bars like Yoko Café, a favourite of locals and expats alike, where local bands take to the stage with live rock, jazz, and heavier sounds.

One of the most iconic landmarks is the somewhat surreal bright pink Tan Dinh Church, built by the French in the late nineteenth century. Beyond its eye-grabbing colour, it’s worth visiting for its gorgeous Gothic architecture.

According to the list, the Top three residential areas belong to Arroios in Lisbon (Portugal), Shimokitazawa in Tokyo (Japan) and Onikan in Lagos (Nigeria).

Other places that made the list include Wedding in Berlin (Germany), the Historic Filipinotown in Los Angeles (the US), the Waterfront in Hobart (Australia), Strasbourg-Saint-Denis in Paris (France), Astoria in New York (the US), Embajadores in Madrid (Spain), Pilsen in Chicago (the US), Peckham in London (England), and Soi Pridi Banomyong/Phra Khanong in Bangkok (Thailand).