Casablanca’s Mers Sultan Named World’s Second Coolest Neighborhood by Time Out

The Mers Sultan neighborhood in Casablanca ranks second out of 38 in this ranking of the coolest neighborhoods to live and go out in the world, carried out by the British magazine Time Out, specialized in arts and entertainment. The Casablanca neighborhood follows the Notre-Dame-du-Mont neighborhood in Marseille (France) which took first place in the ranking. Mers Sultan is the coolest neighborhood in Africa.

The Casablanca neighborhood, "this concrete jungle with narrow alleys and art deco, art nouveau and modernist buildings hides a pleasant secret: it has become the favorite place of young artists and cultural workers in Casablanca," writes the magazine, highlighting the authenticity and originality of Mers Sultan. "This neighborhood is still authentic, with no trendy cafes in sight. Instead, prepare to hunt for treasures at the bookstores, savor modest but delicious food in one of the many small restaurants and snack bars, or sip a "Noss-Noss" (half espresso, half milk) in a small glass, squeezed among elderly men filling out betting slips in a haze of cigarette smoke, and promising young filmmakers, rebel graffiti artists and electronic music artists, speaking a mix of Moroccan Arabic, French and English."

The specialized magazine describes what a perfect day in Mers Sultan should be like. It starts with a visit to the former apartment of Moroccan musician Abdelwaheb Doukkali, located on the 17th floor of the "Liberté" building, which has been turned into a museum. "Then head to the Cité Maréchal Améziane, a heritage residential building teeming with life, and don’t forget to grab a beef liver sausage sandwich from the butcher on the street. Stop by the Agadir Street market, designed by the Franco-Moroccan architect Jean-François Zevaco, or watch a Moroccan or foreign film at the cinema," details Time Out. Then, you shouldn’t miss a visit to the "Champs Élysée" to enjoy a coffee, while vibrating to the "spiritual vibes" of the Nevada Skate Park, just across the tram line. The day ends "with an intimate drink at Bar Atomic, and admire the night skyline from the rooftop of the Hotel Washington".

The criteria established by Time Out to recognize a cool neighborhood are its culture, community spirit, nightlife, food and drink, walkability, in short, everything that makes this place a better place to live. This global ranking also includes other African neighborhoods such as East City in Cape Town (South Africa, 19th) and Osu in Accra (Ghana, 36th). There are also neighborhoods like Seongsu-dong (South Korea, 4th), Chippendale in Sydney (Australia, 7th), Glória in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil, 9th), Little River in Miami (United States, 12th), Gakugeidaigaku in Tokyo (Japan, 15th) or East Hollywood in Los Angeles (26th).