Move over Stoneybatter, there's another cool neighbourhood in the... neighbourhood.
Phibsboro, the vibrant Northside spot, has been ranked as the 27th coolest neighbourhood to live in, in Time Out's annual round-up of the 40 coolest neighbourhoods around the world.
And as if there wasn't enough friendly competition between the two spots, Phibsboro's award officially booted nearby Stoneybatter – once famously compared in a Guardian article to Brooklyn's Williamsburg – off the list.
It comes at a particularly special time in the lives of Irish people, as like many around the world we are rediscovering the nooks and crannies of our neighbourhoods. With travel restricted in some ways for many, exploring the communities in your city has become a favourite pastime.
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"Over the past months, billions of people have found themselves spending way more time close to home," the editors write. "Places that used to be dormitory districts are buzzing all day long. The shop on the corner and the local takeaway restaurant have become vital lifelines."
Published each year, the Time Out top 40 draws on a survey of more than 38,000 city locals around the world, who were asked to name the neighbourhood they most loved spending their time out and about in their city.
This year's one is a list with a twist, however, as the publication singles out places where it's "cool to be kind", where neighbours have supported one another and "that represent the soul of the city".
The top spot went to Esquerra de l'Eixample in Barcelona, a leafy spot filled with apartment blocks and courtyards that during lockdown became a hub of support and community.
"During Barcelona's strict lockdown, these spaces became focal points for the city’s energy – as in the pop-up Hidrogel Sessions, in which residents dressed up in costumes and organised mass dance parties from their balconies", the publication writes.
Downtown, Los Angeles came in at number two, while Sham Shui Po, Hong Kong rounded out the top three.
But coming in at 27 was none other than Phibsboro, the buzzy Northside village of chic cafés and hidden parks that Time Out says has "valiantly weathered these truly bizarre times".
"Combining old-school charm and contemporary buzz, Phibsboro feels at once lived-in and lively", the publication says. "Locals are spoilt for choice with an abundance of coffee shops, restaurants and pubs right on their doorstep. Neighbourhood café Bang Bang is a one-stop shop for brunch burgers and political tote bags."
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Beloved pizza spot and sports bar The Back Page gets a shoutout, while The Hut pub is cheered for its pints of plain. But it's not just the new hotspots that win praise here: it's the sights that come with the neighbourhood, like "the Bohemians FC murals, the snooker halls, the punk collectives, the brutalist behemoth that is Phibsboro Shopping Centre".
Speaking about the news James Manning, Time Out Media's Global Editor says: "We're excited to have Phibsboro back in the list, back on top after being toppled last year by Stoneybatter!
"For 2020’s cool-to-be-kind list, we felt Phibsboro had the edge: not only is the area full of great coffee shops, restaurants and pubs, but its community spirit shines through, and residents have been fiercely supporting its local institutions through these tough times."
