When I heard that a London neighbourhood had been named one of the “coolest in the world,” I wasn’t sure what to expect – in fact, I wanted to laugh. Camberwell isn’t as famous as Shoreditch, Camden Town or Notting Hill, but it recently claimed an incredible fourth place on Time Out’s global list. The neighbourhood even impressively ranked second in Europe and first in the entire UK.

Defining what “coolness” means, a writer from Time Out shared: “The places where stuff like nightlife, art, culture, and affordable food and drink can be found on every corner and down every backstreet. Where diversity is championed and independent businesses thrive, from old-school boltholes to the newest avant-garde art space.

“Put simply, the world’s coolest neighbourhoods are places that represent the soul of our cities, while maintaining their own unique local character that draws people in to live, work and play.” Despite living just 40 minutes away, I have never truly explored the neighbourhood or rather appreciated it.

To discover whether the area was truly “cool” I took a trip around Camberwell and captured it’s livlihood in pictures. Do you think it’s worthy of it’s ranking? Let us know in the comments below.