Koenji is one of the world's coolest neighborhoods this year!

When I first moved to Japan all the way back in 2013, I was living in Tokyo. Back then, I was enamored with both Kichijoji and Koenji, two neighborhoods that have lots of "cool" vibes but without the mainstream-feel of somewhere like Harajuku. They're not really under the radar anymore, and that's probably going to be even more so now! 

Koenji was just named one of the World's Coolest Neighborhoods from TimeOut Worldwide, coming in at 8th place. Their writeup mentioned things like the cool records stores and second hand shops, which I think is a big part of the area's charm.

Do you have a favorite neighborhood in Tokyo (or beyond!)? What is it that makes it so special to you?