We've got the lowdown on the up-and-coming neighbourhoods in Paris, New York, Berlin, Amsterdam and Rome. Get ahead of the travel pack.
Berlin - Kreuzberg Kreuzberg has always had an affiliation with punk/rock music and the nightclub SO36, an old haunt of David Bowie's and one of the pioneering New Wave venues of the 1970s, was a central venue. Nowadays, not only is Bowie back, but the club is still popular and going strong. There is also a growing hip hop influence in the area now and it has a vibrant gay scene. Traditionally a hub for Turkish immigrants, the district's exotic culture and cheap rent have attracted a young hipster crowd. Görlitzer Park is one if the most popular places to go and listen to music while enjoying the street-food. It also has a bar, Das Edelweiss, where they hold regular jazz jam sessions.Where to stay: A sunny roof-top apartment with a terrace that sleeps four people from £62/night. Book through House Trip.
Paris - The 20th Arrondissement Also known as the Arrondissement Ménilmontant, this is where you'll find Père Lachaise Cemetery where Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison are laid to rest and it's the up-and-coming district in Paris. The opening of hip, indie venues, such as La Maroquinerie (a former leather factory that now hosts cool music acts, literary debates while serving up excellent food) and La Flèche d'Or in the former Charonne train station, have made it the cool place to go for laid-back nightlife. The area retains a bohemian charm, housing many artist studios and the oldest artists' commune in Paris, mixed in with newer chic boutiques. It also has a growing street-food culture, as the second-largest Chinatown in the city and with some of the best Asian restaurants as well as an Asian street market. Where to stay: We've found a classy one-bedroom apartment that sleeps two people from £77/night. More information.
Edith Piaf, Oscar Wilde and Jim Morrison have all been laid to rest in the Père Lachaise Cemetery New York - Red Hook, Brooklyn This surprising neighbourhood has recently undergone a reinvention and is fast becoming the new 'it' district in New York. An artistic boom has turned its abandoned waterfront warehouses into trend-setting artists' studios and galleries attracting a crowd of art-lovers leading its gentrification. There is a string of hip restaurants a boutique bakery (called Baked) and the area even has its own comic book super hero "for hipsters" now - The Red Hook. Where to stay: We love this top floor one-bedroom apartment in Red Hook sleeps two people from £155/night, and is just around the corner from some of the best dining spots in New York: Frankies 457, Prime Meats, Buttermilk Channel and Michelin-star rated Saul. More information.
Red Hook: yet another reason to visit New York
Amsterdam - De Pijp De Pijp was a traditionally artistic neighbourhood, where many famous Dutch Writers came to live at the end of the 19th century. It's now a culturally diverse neighbourhood with lots of small restaurants, like Bazar a North-African restaurant in an old church, and boutique shops that have attracted the trendy crowd. It is home to the original Heineken brewery and Albert Cuyp market, The Netherlands' most famous market, which serves a mix of Asian and Eastern European foods. Other hipster haunts are the De Badcuyp musical hall, a former public bathhouse that hosts concerts from artists from around the world and the kitsch Taart van mijn Tante tearoom, which serves up flamboyant cakes and a dish known as 'Chocolate Bitch Pie'. Where to stay: You can get a lovely apartment that'll sleep five people from £112/night. More information.
De Pijp is teaming with boutiques and restaurants
Rome - Monti Monti is a traditionally working-class neighbourhood with a 'village feel' that has become the place to be and be seen in Rome. Lacking in major tourist attractions, it's slightly off-the-beaten-track, which no doubt attracted the hipster locals and made it a haven for up-and-coming artists. Vintage shops like Pulp and cool bars like Casa Clementina with its retro 1960s decor add to the area's charm. Where to stay: Get a beautifully designed apartment that sleeps four people from £124/night. A great base from which to explore the labyrinth of shops, craftsmen, restaurants, taverns, bars, trendy clubs, art galleries, antique shops and much more. More information.
