Capitals of cool: New York, Rio and, er, Tooting

NEW York, Rio and Tooting. It sounds like the slogan on Rodney’s clapped out three-wheeler in Only Fools and Horses.

But the south London borough has been ranked among the world’s most desirable locations in a global top ten of coolest neighbourhoods.

A travel website says Tooting ‘has developed into an uber-cool neighbourhood and lost none of its gritty charm in the process’, which puts it on the list with areas such as Botafogo in Rio de Janeiro and New York City’s Sunset Park.

Lonely Planet asked its ‘on-the-ground city experts’ to provide information before choosing its top ten.

It said of Tooting: ‘Rubbing shoulders with perfectly pleasant yet slightly square Wimbledon, Earlsfield and Balham, Tooting is a more captivating affair, revelling in multiculturalism and originality.’

The district was praised for its ‘curry corridor’ of restaurants along the High Street, its ‘eclectic’ shopping at the market and its quirky bars and pubs.

Boasting a lido, the UK’s largest swimming pool, and with Tooting Common providing acres of green space, Lonely Planet said it was ‘ripe for exploration’.