A food hamlet tucked away in Kuala Lumpur’s city centre, a theatre district in Seoul and a green enclave in the sprawling metropolis of Toronto are among some of the urban communities singled out by Airbnb as the trendiest city neighbourhoods to watch out for in 2017.
For their annual “Neighbourhoods to Watch” list, Airbnb compiled a ranking of the 17 fastest-growing hotspots in cities around the world, based on the travel and booking patterns of their 140 million guests and three million listings.
Topping the list is Milneburg in New Orleans, which saw an impressive 1,500 % growth in the last year. Airbnb cites the area’s supply of cosy homes at a comfortable distance from the frenzy of the French Quarter as reasons for the neighbourhood’s growing popularity.
Overall, analysts noted the emergence of three consistent themes when it comes to trending neighbourhoods: “urban, but not dense” communities; green spaces; and foodie hotspots.
The French Quarter in New Orleans.
The dining area in an Airbnb listing in Milneburg, New Orleans.
Milneburg, and Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland, for instance, fall into the category of laid-back community with the conveniences of urban amenities.
Rockcliffe-Smythe in Toronto, is cited as a good example of a residential area that boasts swathes of green spaces, with restaurants, shops and live music venues nearby.
And Bangkok’s Din Daeng district is renowned for its roadside food markets.
Check the list below to find out of if your neighbourhood made the cut:
1. Milneburg in New Orleans, Louisiana – 1,500% growth
2. Kampung Baru in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 976% growth
Aerial view of Kampung Baru, in Kuala Lumpur. Photo: The Star/Glenn Guan
3. Fitzroy in Melbourne, Australia – 770% growth
4. Konohana-ku in Osaka, Japan – 609% growth
5. Chutes-Lavie in Marseille, France – 604% growth
6. Rockcliffe Smythe in Toronto, Canada – 497% growth
7. Midtown in Miami, Florida – 430% growth
8. Narvarte in Mexico City, Mexico – 264% growth
9. West Seattle in Seattle, Washington – 230% growth
10. Usera in Madrid, Spain – 228% growth
11. Din Daeng/Huai Khwang in Bangkok, Thailand – 218% growth
12. Chippendale in Sydney, Australia – 204% growth
13. Daehangno in Seoul, South Korea – 203% growth
14. Lyndale in Minneapolis, Minnesota – 193% growth
15. Phoenix Park in Dublin, Ireland – 180% growth
16. Chacarita in Buenos Aires, Argentina – 172% growth
17. Žižkov in Prague, Czech Republic – 103% growth – AFP Relaxnews
