It's a decision faced by many a traveler heading to a new city.
Do you: A) Stay in the most popular area for tourists, thereby ensuring you're close to all the action?
Or B) Try to find accommodation in an up-and-coming neighborhood to get a better sense of how the locals really live?
If Airbnb's latest travel trends report is anything to go by, today's tourists are increasingly going for the latter.
The report is based on bookings made by 40 million site users in 190 countries.
"We examined not only which countries and cities were becoming increasingly popular for travelers, but also which local neighborhoods were surging in popularity," says the report.
"We looked at which neighborhoods in some of the most popular cities around the globe were growing particularly fast in bookings and give people a chance to not just visit a neighborhood but feel like they live in a neighborhood."
Backpacker central
Some of the neighborhoods are hardly tourism up-and-comers — Banglampoo in Bangkok, for one, is home to backpacker central — Khao San Road.
But the surrounding streets are starting to offer a few surprises of their own.
As for the major draws of these neighborhoods, Airbnb's report said some patterns emerged.
Namely, travelers want to be in neighborhoods with thriving arts scenes, great local food and easy access to outdoor experiences.
Here's a quick look at the site's top 16 neighborhoods to visit in 2016, including the level of growth each area experienced in 2015.
More info on each area in the gallery above.
1. Chuo-ku (Osaka, Japan): 7,471 percent growth
This popular shopping, nightlife and arts area has great theaters, including Shin-Kabuki-za, which showcases Japanese Kabuki. " Outside of the major attractions, a small stretch of alleyways called Ura-Namba is quickly growing in renown with locals," says Airbnb's report." Delicious eateries and bars have multiplied in the area in recent years."
2. Banglampoo (Bangkok): 1,239 percent growth
Though backpacker magnet Khao San Road, pictured, might be the center of Banglampoo, it's easy to escape the tourist trail. Nearby side streets have changed little over the decades and are filled with delicious street food.
3. Brickfields (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia): 1,231 percent growth
Locally known as Little India, Indian shops and restaurants as well as Hindu temples are common in Brickfields. But Airbnb's report points out that the area is undergoing a rapid transformation, with a new upscale urban center featuring condos and a mall coming soon.
4. Capucins (Bordeaux, France): 966 percent growth
Capucins is known as "the belly of Bordeaux."Its Rue Sainte Catherine is France's longest pedestrian shopping street. Visitors can walk beside the Garonne, pictured, to Sainte Croix church in one direction or to the Quai des Chartrons, filled with small shops and antique dealers galore, in the other.
5. Koukaki (Athens, Greece): 801 percent growth
Adjacent to The Acropolis, pictured, Koukaki sits at the bottom of the Lofos Filopappou and is home to some ancient treasures of its own. "After it became a pedestrian playground, the street morphed to have a cafe-like feel with all of the restaurants and bars placing tables and chairs outside," says the Airbnb report.
6. Triana (Seville, Spain): 774 percent growth
Divided from central Seville by a canal, Triana is known for sailors, bullfighters, flamenco artists and azulejos — ceramic tiles made in local workshops originally using mud from the river bank. " The neighborhoo's compact cobbled streets come alive with fantastic restaurants and terraces overlooking the water," says the Airbnb report.
7. Hammerbrook (Hamburg, Germany): 418 percent growth
Hamburg's Hammerbrook neighborhood mixes urban residential, industrial and natural areas. One of the best ways to experience it is by boat. Formerly known as "Little Venice" till the name "Hammerbrooklyn" took hold, it's filled with chestnut tree-lined canals.
8. Kaneohe (Oahu, Hawaii): 324 percent growth
"If the drive through the jungle passage to get to Kaneohe doesn't convince you that you're in paradise, the lush, green village should do the trick," says Airbnb's report. Aside from beaches, Kaneohe is known as a local Oahu food hotspot.
9. Meireles (Fortaleza, Brazil): 287 percent growth
The Meireles neighborhood of Fortaleza, Brazil stretches 20 km down the coast. The beaches alone make this area worth a visit, though the area is becoming known for its restaurants and late night bars, too.
10. Roma Sur (Mexico City): 279 percent growth
"Roma Sur is an area of Mexico City that revolves around tradition and daily routine," says Airbnb's neighborhood report. Those who want to live like a local can follow the women to buy fruit from street vendors or grab lunch at Mercado Medellín, pictured.
11. Oak Lawn (Dallas, Texas): 264 percent growth
The streets of park-filled Oak Lawn are lined with coffeehouses and restaurants. Insiders say Klyde Warren Park has free live music every Thursday.
12. Poncey-Highland (Atlanta, Georgia): 242 percent growth
Airbnb's report says many of its hosts recommend visiting Poncey-Highland's pedestrian-friendly Beltline Trail, which now hosts regular art exhibitions. The neighborhood's 86-year-old Druid Hills Baptist Church is also worth a stop.
13. District VII (Budapest, Hungary): 148 percent growth
District VII — more commonly known as Erzsebetvaros — is the old Jewish quarter and home to beautiful synagogues and architecture. "It became a central figure in Budapest nightlife when people began transforming old buildings and derelict public spaces into popular "ruin bars,: in the early 2000s,"says Airbnb's report.
14. The Bukit Peninsula (Bali, Indonesia): 134 percent growth
Beach AND culture? Bali's Bukit has them both covered and is a top location for some of the world's best surfers. "For music, head to Single Fin in Uluwatu, where you'll find surfers hanging out and watching the sunset,"; says the Airbnb report.
15. Richmond (Melbourne, Australia): 126 percent growth
Art is ever present in Richmond — from the fantastical murals that grace the walls to the myriad galleries, such as Niagara Galleries, that line the streets.
16. Constitucion (Buenos Aires, Argentina): 125 percent growth
"Constitucion is an area undergoing a revival," claims Airbnb in its 2016 neighborhoods report. "It is a central neighborhood known for its relentlessly local feel, and still has some edges to it." Why visit? The neighborhood has a growing arts and music scene and is home to some of the city's famous milonga (tango) clubs.
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