Quartier du Port (Petit Marais niçois) is the Brooklyn of Nice.
Quartier du Port (Petit Marais niçois) named the Brooklyn of Nice
August 4, 2026 - Brooklyn Of (brooklynof.com), a travel publication that names the coolest neighborhood in more than 150 cities worldwide, has named Quartier du Port (Petit Marais niçois) the Brooklyn of Nice.
The "Brooklyn of" a city is a metaphor, of course: shorthand for the coolest neighborhood in town, the one where independent culture, serious coffee, and creative energy define the character. Not the old town, not where the hop-on-hop-off bus goes. Every big enough city has one, and the site names exactly one per city. In many cities the pick is close to consensus, the name locals would give without hesitating. In others it picks a side. Nice's verdict went to Quartier du Port (Petit Marais niçois) ahead of Libération, Vieux Nice and Place Garibaldi, which take the runner-up positions.
"We named Quartier du Port (Petit Marais niçois) the Brooklyn of Nice. The antique dealers were there long before the wine bars, galleries, and coffee arrived, and the whole thing still feels like the city before the cruise ships found it. Niçois are welcome to tell us we are wrong," says Per, creator of Brooklyn Of.
The verdict comes with a guide to Quartier du Port (Petit Marais niçois)'s independent hotels, cafes, restaurants, bars and shops: no big chains, nothing sponsored, and placements are not for sale. Selections draw on research and local tastemakers in each city, and readers who disagree are invited to make their case.
The full Nice verdict: brooklynof.com/nice
Press contact: Per, creator of Brooklyn Of, hello [at] brooklynof.com
Press kit and images: brooklynof.com/press/nice
Runner-up neighborhoods: Libération, Vieux Nice, Place Garibaldi
Free for editorial use in coverage of brooklynof.com. Credit: brooklynof.com.
hello [at] brooklynof.com · Per is available for interviews, quotes, and written commentary on this and every city in the index.