Saigon district among world’s 40 ‘coolest neighborhoods’

Binh Thanh District was placed 32nd on the Time Out list, which surveyed over 38,000 city-dwellers around the world based on their experiences.

Time Out, a U.K.-based global magazine, described the district as "a standout corner of frenetic Ho Chi Minh City."

"On Phan Van Han Street, 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 like Café Tartine, Café Co, and Nha Saigon," Time Out wrote.

It also mentioned Landmark 81, which opened for business in 2018, as "Vietnam’s tallest skyscraper." The mixed-use building includes hotels, apartments, offices, a shopping mall, restaurants, and bars.

"Don't forget to head to the seventy-fifth floor to hang out at café-bar Blank Lounge inside the 81-floor building."

For the morning, Van Thanh Tourist Site on Dien Bien Phu Street is a welcome green oasis, it recommended.

Binh Thanh, just a few kilometers from downtown Saigon, is home to 500,000 residents and a major transportation hub linking the city center with neighboring provinces to the south.

An aerial view of Thanh Da Peninsula in Binh Thanh District, HCMC. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

Esquerra de l’Eixample in Barcelona was the coolest neighborhood in the world, followed by Downtown in Los Angeles.