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.