The magazine described the district as ‘a standout corner of frenetic Ho Chi Minh City’
Binh Thanh, bordering the center of Ho Chi Minh City, has been listed as the 32nd coolest neighborhood in the world by U.K- based magazine Time Out.
The Time Out annual list of the world’s 40 coolest neighborhoods was put together from the results of a survey of over 38,000 global city residents based on their personal experiences.
The magazine’s focus this year is on places “with a fascinating mixture of people, innovative and inclusive food, drink, arts and culture, affordable rents and living costs, and that hard-to-define buzz that draws people from across the globe.”
In addition, Time Out also surveyed city-dwellers on their city districts’ sense of community during troubling times.
At 32nd place, Binh Thanh District was described as “a standout corner of frenetic Ho Chi Minh City.”
“It’s easy to get lost in its maze of alleyways, but that’s a good thing: the atmosphere is electric, locals friendly and tourists few,” Time Out wrote.
“On Phan Van Han street, a bustling strip on the border with District 1, established street-food stalls rub up against higher-end spots such as SuShi Nhí, Captain Phook and Here and Now. Similarly, the Saigonese culture of streetside coffee shares space with upper-end options such as Café Tartine, Café Cơ and Nhà Saigon.”
The UK global magazine also mentioned Landmark 81, which opened for businesses – hotels, apartments, offices, a shopping mall, restaurants, and bars – in 2018, as “Vietnam’s tallest skyscraper.”
“Don’t forget to head to the seventy-fifth floor to hang out at café-bar Blank Lounge inside the 81-floor building,” it recommended.
For the morning, Van Thanh Tourist Site on Dien Bien Phu Street is a welcome green oasis, it added.
Esquerra de l’Eixample in Barcelona was the coolest neighborhood in the world, followed by Downtown in Los Angeles.
Other Asian neighborhoods that made the list include Sham Shui Po in Hong Kong, Hannam-dong in Seoul, Chula-Samyan in Bangkok, Bugis in Singapore, Gongguan in Taipei, and Kabutocho in Tokyo.
Last year, District 3 in Ho Chi Minh City was listed among the 50 coolest neighborhoods by Time Out.
