CNN has ranked Onikan in Lagos as the 3rd coolest neighborhood in the world.
At last, Lagos, Nigeria’s commercial capital, has made the news for all the right reasons on the world stage.
A CNN magazine publication, Time Out , has listed Onikan, a Lagos neighborhood, as one of the coolest places to visit in the world.
Only Arroios in Lisbon, Portugal and Shimokitazawa in Tokyo, Japan, were ranked higher than Lagos by the global publication.
50 neighborhoods around the world made the cut.
CNN writes that: “When you’re deciding where to spend your vacation, you might think about famous attractions or gorgeous natural wonders.
“But if you really want to get to know a city like a local, your best bet is to look for the neighborhoods where they hang out, where the most interesting new restaurants, art galleries and coffee shops emerge.”
In its Onikan citation, the self-acclaimed ‘World News Leader’ writes: “Nigeria’s biggest city is home to artists, writers, designers and Nollywood actors. You might spot some of them hanging out in cool Onikan, where “past, present and future collide effortlessly.”
“The central neighborhood on the Lagos Lagoon is home to some of the city’s most important cultural offerings, including the Nigerian National Museum and Rele Gallery, which focuses on contemporary art.”
Cool and the gang
Pilsen, Chicago was ranked number 10, Astoria in New York was ranked number 8, Wedding in Berlin was ranked number 5 while Arroios in Lisbon was ranked number 1.
The 50 coolest neighborhoods to visit in the world, according to CNN’s Time Out , are as follows:
1. Arroios, Lisbon
2. Shimokitazawa, Tokyo
3. Onikan, Lagos
4. Wedding, Berlin
5. Historic Filipinotown, Los Angeles
6. The Waterfront, Hobart
7. Strasbourg-Saint-Denis, Paris
8. Astoria, New York
9. Embajadores, Madrid
10. Pilsen, Chicago
11. Peckham, London
12. Soi Pridi Banomyong/Phra Khanong, Bangkok
13. Footscray, Melbourne
14. Zhongshan, Taipei
15. Kerem Hatelmanim and Shuk HaCarmel, Tel Aviv
16. Kypseli, Athens
17. Jalatlaco, Oaxaca
18. District 3, Ho Chi Minh City
19. Juárez, Mexico City
20. Poblenou, Barcelona
21. Jamestown, Accra
22. Verdun, Montreal
23. Overseas Chinese Town, Shenzhen
24. Holly, Austin
25. Bom Retiro, São Paulo
26. Katendrecht, Rotterdam
27. Ancoats, Manchester
28. Corktown, Detroit
29. Gemmayzeh and Mar Mikhaël, Beirut
30. Barranco, Lima
31. Dogpatch, San Francisco
32. Vesterbro, Copenhagen
33. Naeja-dong, Seoul
34. Yppenplatz and Brunnenmarkt, Vienna
35. Easton, Bristol
36. The Junction, Toronto
37. Kadıköy-Moda, Istanbul
38. Kelvinbridge, Glasgow
39. Oltrarno, Florence
40. Old Havana, Havana
41. Melville, Johannesburg
42. Stoneybatter, Dublin
43. Bartók, Budapest
44. Downtown, Miami
45. Tanjong Pagar, Singapore
46. Nové Město, Prague
47. Bandra West, Mumbai
48. Sai Ying Pun, Hong Kong
49. Old Xuhui, Shanghai
50. Dorćol, Belgrade
Onikan is perched on the Lagos lagoon and is a melting pot of some sort. It is also the business and banking hub of Lagos.