Inner-Brisbane suburb tops Australian picks for coolest suburbs

A Brisbane suburb has taken the crown for the coolest neighbourhood in Australia in 2026, landing above areas in Melbourne and Hobart in an international entertainment and hospitality magazine’s top 40 across the globe.

Inner-city enclave New Farm sat 29th on the list, sharing space with New York’s Financial District, in 28th, and inner-Parisian neighbourhood Quartier d’Aligre, in 30th.

Time Out Australia editor Melissa Woodley said the 2026 nominations relied on “on-the-ground” experts, with New Farm scoring points for its walkability, parkland and green spaces, and myriad eateries, cafes, and restaurants.

“The suburb’s creative crown jewel is the Brisbane Powerhouse – an avant-garde riverside arts centre hosting 1250-plus performances each year, alongside standout events like the Melt Festival and Night Feast,” Woodley wrote in her report.

The ranking came as little surprise to New Farm locals, who told this masthead the place had been on their lists well before many made the move to Brisbane.

Roger Wylie said when he began visiting Brisbane from Sydney more than 20 years ago, he’d expected the Queensland capital to be a “country town full of timber Queenslanders”.

However, having moved to New Farm more than five years ago, Wylie said the suburb had come into its own with fresh developments, and added to Brisbane’s status as a fledgling “international city”.

“[New Farm] is the equivalent to, say, Double Bay in Sydney or Toorak or South Yarra in Melbourne– it’s just a good area with a big park, good facilities, and an easy place to live,” Wylie said.

“There’ve been a number of restaurants go in [in New Farm]... the place is walking distance to the river – its on the river, most of it – there’s also James Street precinct.”

“It’s a great area for families, younger people, older people, just about anyone.”

Wylie said the area had also maintained some of its original architecture that gave nods to its maritime and industrial past.

New Farm local Georgina moved to the suburb from the UK in 2019.

“I fell in love with it, so I think it’s getting the recognition it deserves,” she said.

Sammy recently moved to the area from New Zealand, and joined by visiting friend Issi said the suburb topped her list of Brisbane suburbs to live in.

“It’s such a cute area and I love it … I [had] always said if I moved here I would definitely live in New Farm,” she said.

Further down the Time Out rankings, North Hobart scored 32nd, while South Melbourne crept onto the list in 39th place.