Lonely Planet names Ballard one of coolest ‘secret’ neighborhoods in the world

Did you know you live in one of the coolest neighborhoods in the whole wide world?

A new Lonely Planet book has named Ballard one of the coolest “secret” neighborhoods on the planet, along with just a few other American neighborhoods: Hawthorne, Portland; Commercial Drive, Vancouver; French Quarter, New Orleans; and Bridgeport, Chicago.

The book is called Secret City from Lonely Planet: The insider’s guide to the world’s coolest neighbourhood and includes 50 cities around the world. The guide highlights “eating, drinking, partying and where to delve into local culture,” plus a map to the ‘hood.

Other cool neighborhoods around the world include (list compiled from Malay Mail):

  • Africa & the Middle East: Woodstock, Cape Town; Kasbah & Mellah, Marrakesh;  Neve Tzedek, Tel Aviv
  • Asia: Dadar, Mumbai; Siam, Bangkok; Changi Village Singapore; Tai Po, Hong Kong; Tomigaya, Tokyo
  • Europe: Madragoa, Lisbon; Rathmines, Dublin; El Raval, Barcelona; Noord, Amsterdam; Vesterbro, Copenhagen; IX District, Copenhagen; Bethnal Green, London; Highgate, London
  • Oceania: Fitzroy, Melbourne; Surry Hills, Sydney; Thorndon, Wellington; Ponsonby, Auckland
  • South America & the Caribbean: Miraflores, Lima; Palermo, Buenos Aires; Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro

The book will be released May 19 in the U.S.

Photo: SeafoodFest, one of Ballard’s biggest events of the year

14 thoughts to “Lonely Planet names Ballard one of coolest ‘secret’ neighborhoods in the world”

  1. Yup, it’s great, if you’re a limousine liberal/millennial or heroin user. Reminds me of parts of Mexico, where 1 minute you’re in a 3rd world country, the next surrounded by opulence, with schlubs crapping on YOUR stoop of course.

  2. Ya, the attention is great if you’re not so cool like the transplants in the photo, enjoy pretentious a’hole bars that are overpriced (not Albatross, Sunset or Matador:), close at f**k’in 10pm when there isn’t an emergency, give lectures about what a good person you are then go to join a cv19 party at GG with a thousand other dorks clustered together from whatever big tech company employs them. You gotta think…if Lonely Planet says it’s cool and secret then it’s going to be off by 15 years. Seriously, how did that chic get a writing gig with that dumb list?! French Quarter, Kasbah?! Oh, what a secret spot that is :/ lmao

  3. I’m guessing poor Paintking doesn’t actually live in Ballard – sounds jealous to THIS non-limo driving boomer who DOES and thinks it’s a swell place!

Leave a Reply