The Liberties has been named by Time Out magazine as one of the 39 coolest neighbourhoods in the world.
The historic neighbourhood clocked in at no. 23 on the list, joining destinations in Japan, Belgium, Finland and more.
It also joins the now-long line of Dublin neighbourhoods celebrated by Time Out: Inchicore ranked 25th in 2024, Smithfield made it to the 2nd spot in 2023, Stoneybatter made the list in 2022 and Dublin 8 got a mention in 2021.
Time Out is a travel and hospitality media group that highlights the best things to do in cities across the world. Founded in 1968 as a guide to London’s buzziest enclaves, it has since grown to a global network of experts all sharing their insights into the places to visit.
The team “quizzed our global network of local experts to rank the coolest pockets of the world’s best cities”, writes Grace Beard, Travel Editor for the publication. They then ranked each selection against criteria including “culture, community, liveability, nightlife, food and drink, street life and that hard-to-define sense of ‘nowness'”.
For this year’s list, the team focused on neighbourhoods that were “homely, village-like enclaves with tight-knit communities to revitalised city-centre hubs and formerly dormant, industrial areas transformed into creative districts”.
Still endeavoring to find off-the-beaten track destinations, all of the selections have “a DIY spirit – and an unshakeable proclivity for ingenuity and fun”, Beard adds.
This certainly rings true for the Liberties, which was celebrated for its wide range of eateries, cultural spots and new accommodation options.
“It may be one of Dublin’s oldest neighbourhoods, but alongside medieval remnants and terraced houses, the Liberties is home to some of the hottest spots in town – from Argentinian bakeries (hello, Bakeology) to classic pubs”, writes Nicola Brady, a Dublin-based writer.
The Liberties Festival also got a shout out, as did Change Clothes, a bustling fashion swap and upcycling store, and “the punkiest Michelin-star spot in Ireland”: Variety Jones.
Brady also recommends stopping for coffee in Two Pups, shopping for vintage lingerie in Space Out Sister and calling by Marsh’s Library.
In the top spot was Jimbocho in Tokyo, a university neighbourhood which it called the “hangout of choice for generations of Tokyo intellectuals” that houses no less than 130 used bookshops.
Borgerhout in Antwerp, Barra Funda in São Paulo, Camberwell in London and Avondale in Chicago rounded out the top five.
Read the full list here, with the top 10 below:
- Jimbocho, Tokyo
- Borgerhout, Antwerp
- Barra Funda, São Paulo
- Camberwell, London
- Avondale, Chicago
- Mullae-dong, Seoul
- Ménilmontant, Paris
- Nakatsu, Osaka
- Vallila, Helsinki
- Labone, Accra