Two Aussie suburbs have made the list for the top 100 coolest suburbs in the world — and those that made the cut might shock you.

Two Australian neighbourhoods have earned spots on Time Out’s coveted annual list of the World’s Coolest Neighbourhoods for 2025, joining trendy districts from global powerhouses including Dublin, São Paulo, Lisbon and Tokyo.

One Sydney neighbourhood and one Melbourne suburb have cut through the rest and boast a diverse culture, population and thriving real estate market.

Here’s a look inside the two coolest Aussie neighbourhoods in the country and what they have to offer to residents and visitors alike.

Burwood is known for its diverse culture. Picture: Justin Lloyd

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BURWOOD – INNER WEST, SYDNEY

The suburb of Burwood has made it to number 16 of Time Out’s coolest suburbs in the world for this year.

Boasting a diverse community and a variety of delicious cuisine that can be hunted out among its streets you can find some of the best Chinese, Japanese and South-East Asian food, as well as Uyghur, Greek and Italian in Burwood.

Its residents come from a mix of backgrounds, with the majority of the population Chinese followed by Australian, English, Italian, Scottish and Lebanese heritage.

Burwood’s popularity has boomed over the past five years, with median house prices increasing 67 per cent. The standard house in Burwood would have set you back $1.755m five years ago and now will cost you almost $3m ($2.93m).

Burwood has shockingly been dubbed Australia’s coolest suburb. Tommy Thungsunawan and Abigail Adriano pictured on Burwood Rd, Burwood. Picture: Justin Lloyd

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Most of the area is made up of 20-24 year olds, followed by 25-29 year olds, according to ABS census data.

The suburb is not only diverse in its people, culture and cuisine, but in its housing type, with a large number of units on the market, giving Aussie residents a property alternative.

You can find an old school estate listed for almost $10m, penthouses for sale upwards of $4.6m, while there are units listed for as little as $600,000.

The median unit price in Burwood is currently $892,000 and more than 200 units have sold in the suburb in the past 12 months. For those wanting to rent in the hub, you’ll be paying more than the median price for a unit ($730) or house ($800).

A man in Burwood is selling with a $9.5m price guide. Picture: Supplied

Renting a unit will set you back $820 per week while a house has a median rental of $950.

It’s also the fifth-most diverse community in the country, according to Time Out.

NORTH MELBOURNE – CITY FRINGE, MELBOURNE

Coming in at number 24 on Time Out’s coolest suburbs list of 2025 is the city fringe suburb of North Melbourne.

Home to Queen Vic Market and the trendy Errol St, clearly the younger generations know the hip suburbs as this one is made up primarily of 20-29 year olds.

Half of North Melbourne’s residents were born overseas, according to ABS census data, which reflects the strong sense of community in the suburb.

The Queen Vic Market in North Melbourne. Picture: Supplied

There is a diverse spread of cuisines on offer, where you can find Melbourne’s first Mauritian wine bar, a Moroccan Soup Bar and Japanese baked goods at Le Bajo Milkbar all in the neighbourhood, according to Time Out.

North Melbourne’s real estate is as diverse as its food and people, offering charming Victorian terraces and modern apartments.

The unit median price is currently $480,000, while the house price is more than $1.2m.

More than 300 units sold in the popular locale over the past 12 months, while 100 houses sold.

A charming North Melbourne terrace selling for $1.4-$1.5m.

To secure a rental in the cool suburb, the median rent for a unit is $580 and $750 for a house, while the standard rental in Melbourne was around $580, according to PropTrack.

TimeOut’s Top 25 Coolest Neighbourhoods of 2025

1. Jimbōchō, Tokyo

2. Borgerhout, Antwerp

3. Barra Funda, São Paulo

4. Camberwell, London

5. Avondale, Chicago

6. Mullae-dong, Seoul

7. Ménilmontant, Paris

8. Nakatsu, Osaka

9. Vallila, Helsinki

10. Labone, Accra

11. Nguyen Thai Binh, Ho Chi Minh

12. Anjos, Lisbon

13. Digbeth, Birmingham

14. Red Hook, New York

15. Perpetuo Socorro, Medellín

16. Burwood, Sydney

17. Linden, Johannesburg

18. Former French Concession, Shanghai

19. Quartieri Spagnoli, Naples

20. Bencoolen, Singapore

21. Endoume, Marseille

22. Plateau-Mont-Royal, Montréal

23. The Liberties, Dublin

24. North Melbourne, Melbourne

25. Portales, Mexico City

Full list here

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A 40-foot container home set on an elevated four-hectare rural lot in the small Queensland town of Kinbombi is attracting keen interest from buyers looking for a rural off-grid escape.

While it comes without a shower and toilet, the one-bedroom container home was powered by a 2.5kW solar system with battery and generator, while fresh water was available via a solar bore pump.

Set across two lots, the property at 5707 Wide Bay Highway (Lot 48 & 49), Kinbombi near Gympie has been listed with a price tag of $480,000.

Sales agent Greg Gilmore from Tom Grady Real Estate – Gympie said the vendors had used the property as a weekender and had purchased it after the farmland had been subdivided into smaller blocks.

“It’s 10 acres fully fenced and they’ve got a pad where we sit and have a coffee or whatever, and then up behind there, they’ve got a pad for this house,” he said.

“They’ve got a two-bedroom kit home, all wrapped up into pieces, if someone wants to do up the kit home, they’ll sell it.”

The kit home – with plumbing approvals in place – presents the opportunity to expand on the current living space on offer in the container home that includes four big French door openings, with two retractable awnings.

There is also a lounge and a dining area with a sink. It is being sold fully furnished and all inclusive.

Mr Gilmore said he has had interest from prospective buyers in Brisbane, and believed it is an ideal buy for someone looking for a country escape from the city.

Set 6km from Goomeri, the listing described the home as having a “sunny aspect and sweeping rural views” in an idyllic setting.

Mr Gilmore said the listing was a “scarce as hen’s teeth” opportunity.

“I’d reckon give me six or eight weeks … we’ll probably have a contract,” he said.

The post Off-grid escape: The container home offering no-frills country living with a twist appeared first on realestate.com.au.

The iconic ‘Hills Opera House’ situated among the treetops of the Perth Hills has hit the market, complete with a soaring stone fireplace that’s igniting strong buyer interest.

Likened to a liveable work of art, 280 Mundaring Road, Bickley, was designed and built in the 1990s by Perth architect Lynthorne Matthews.

Set on 7.1ha, the two-level home features two bedrooms, three bathrooms and endless bush views are afforded throughout thanks to floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights, with the main bedroom primly perched with a swath of windows.

Enveloped by lush bushland, kangaroos and endless treetop views, this secluded Perth Hills sanctuary is reminiscent of luxury treehouse.

Sales agent Jo Skirrow from Earnshaws Real Estate – Darlington said the vendors, who were married at the property, were relocating to Tasmania.

“The location is beautiful, like you could pick the house up and put it elsewhere, but it’s really built into the treetops and you’ve got this, not quite a suspended walk, but you’ve got the walk around deck in the middle, and it’s almost like it was meant to be there,” she said.

A castle-style front entrance opens to an expansive living space with vaulted ceilings, where a soaring stone fireplace, quite literally takes centre stage.

“It’s got fires on both sides of it and it’s absolutely stunning,” Ms Skirrow said.

“It’s phenomenal … the photos do it justice but for the size, it’s imposing and you walk in, and it’s just the biggest feature in the whole main room.

“You’re looking out over the valley, over the treetops and everything, then you’ve got this massive fireplace.”

Wooden stairs recycled from a jetty, a wine cellar, indoor spa with views, a games room or third bedroom, a viewing platform, a kitchen with Jarrah benchtops and a central stone island bench, and a three-phase powered shed were among the home’s long list of highlights.

Buyer interest has been wide and varied, Ms Skirrow said.

“We’ve had quite a lot of interest from everybody – people with children, people who are moving from Europe – I think people just want to have a look at it to see if they can make it work for them,” she said.

“And I think the general consensus is yes, even though it only has two bedrooms, it’s so bespoke, it’s so custom, it has just got that wow factor.”

Ms Skirrow said she believed it would suit a buyer who appreciated architecture and wanted a property that impressed.

The home is on the market for offers over $1.9 million.

The post ‘Phenomenal’: The ‘Hills Opera House’ and its soaring stone fireplace hits the market appeared first on realestate.com.au.

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