Time Out raised a few eyebrows as it ranked Cliftonville as the eighth coolest neighbourhood in the world.

But has this part of Margate really become a trendy hotspot for jet-setters - or is the magazine "glamorising poverty"? Reporter Millie Bowles went to find out...

My first destination is Dalby Café. Just off Northdown Road, it's described by Time Out as having the town's best fry-up, as the A-board outside proudly displays.

It's the place where rocker Pete Doherty famously polished off an enormous breakfast challenge a few years ago.

He also opened the Albion Rooms hotel around the corner in Eastern Esplanade with his Libertines bandmates in 2020 - no doubt adding to Cliftonville's cool credentials.

Anyway, on first impressions, the Dalby Café seems to be a typical greasy spoon. However, as soon as I walk through the door into the bustle of a busy breakfast service, it's clear this is a firm favourite for locals.

Regulars walk in and greet each other behind me as I wait in the queue, and the staff welcome each visitor like old friends.

I was introduced to chef Matt Williams, who explained that "everyone knows everyone around here".

"Its a nice place to work and a nice place to be," he said.

It's a fact that classic and simple does well, especially in a largely working class area, and this is where the Dalby Café gets its charm.

But it is your typical spot for a Full English. So whether - as Time Out claims - it can push Cliftonville up there with places such as Ridgewood in New York City, and Shimokitazawa in Tokyo... I'm not so sure.

I went on to explore more of Northdown Road - the heart of Cliftonville - to see what else it had to offer.

I found a vibrant array of different businesses, from international supermarkets to furniture stores.

A bright green sign caught my eye, and I headed into The Grain Grocer, a refill organic food store and plant-based café.

The "conscious grocery" also appeared to get a nod in the Time Out article.

The staff were pleased to hear their home had been ranked the eighth coolest place to visit.

Toby, 24, moved to Margate in 2018 and has lived above the shop for a year.

Speaking about the area, he said: "I really enjoy it. It's really multicultural, which I like. If you want a specific type of shop we've got it."

But he did find the news of its new fame "quite shocking".

He added: "I do really enjoy the [Walpole Bay] tidal pool - I go there nearly every day".

Wandering down the street and taking in the beautiful churches (of which this road has two, although one is currently head-to-toe in scaffolding), I came across John Davis painting the fence in front of his house.

The 73-year-old has lived in the area for 20 years and hadn't yet heard of its new high status.

"It's surprised me massively to know this is a world-respected place," Mr Davis said.

"A lot of people say it's not a nice place to live because there's not been enough money put into it".

Mr Davis, a construction worker, thought cheaper property prices might be why people are drawn to the area, which Time Out also comments on.

"Any of these houses would cost you £1,000,000 in London" he said, pointing to the rows of four-storey terraced homes.

It's this cheaper property that has drawn many cash-rich buyers from the capital down to the south coast, as well as attracting optimistic landlords.

Another café came to my attention, and the fact it sells vinyls made it worth a stop. Record stores are highlighted by Time Out as being one of the attractions of Cliftonville.

The aptly-named Cliff seemed the perfect place to pop in for a frothy cappuccino and browse the collection of music for all generations that fills the upstairs.

Szymek Lawik was behind the counter and also wasn't aware of his neighbourhood's new fame.

The 36-year-old is originally from London and thinks the influx of people from the city has made everything "very expensive" for those living in Cliftonville, disagreeing with Time Out's claim of "affordable housing".

"It's heavily dominated by landlords who don't rent to local people, but use their properties as Airbnbs," he said.

"There's nowhere to live".

The town, despite being a nice area, is definitely idealised in the magazine.

During my visit there was an unusually high police presence for 10am on a Tuesday, and there was a number of rough sleepers - something Time Out seems to gloss over.

It's obviously a rough-and-ready area, which doesn't take away from its charm. But you could imagine it being a bit of a shock to happy-go-lucky travellers who visit based on the review.

Time Out describes Cliftonville as "buzzing with a different kind of energy and home to one of the UK’s most thriving artistic communities". Wanting to find out more, I ventured out to Elsewhere, in The Centre, Margate - an independent music venue and community arts space.

I found Sammy Clarke behind a laptop with headphones on, which he kept around his neck for the duration of my visit.

He's worked in the Margate music scene for nearly 10 years, and lived in Cliftonville all his life.

After a brief look around, he directed me to a quirky café - which Margate seems to be crawling with - just opposite his place called Curve Coffee and kindly bought me a cup.

"Cliftonville is steeped in poverty, and that's been overlooked," he said, after reading the Time Out article.

"We live in one of the most impoverished areas in the country and it's been glamorised."

A recent study showed one in three children in Thanet are living in poverty. Mr Clarke highlighted the problems he's seen locally and how Time Out could exacerbate them.

"The people of Cliftonville aren't here because it's a cool neighbourhood - they are here because it's their home," he said.

"In my opinion, these kind of news items are bait for real estate opportunists, who will probably see pound signs.

"Landlords will see this as a chance to raise rent, and turf out tenants to turn their flats into Airbnbs".

The influx of Airbnbs is a common worry among residents. In the midst of a housing crisis, this attention isn't helping.

"It pushes creative people out of the town, and suddenly you don't have one of the coolest places in the world," said Sammy.

"We shouldn't be putting the fleeting masses before local people and their well-being. We can't make the gap between the haves and the have-nots even bigger".

The 33-year-old knows all too well the struggles in the area, having recently launched a campaign to save Elsewhere as his energy bills have tripled since April.

Thankfully this effort has been met with "phenomenal support", and so far £16,000 has been raised to save the venue.

Enlightened but slightly deflated, I marched on, eventually stumbling across two colourful murals, painted as a part of Rise Up Residency, just off Northdown Road,.

This led me down the street to an eclectic antiques store, with a garage full from floor to ceiling with chairs.

I smiled to myself, realising I had been to this very store when I was nine or 10 with my family on a day trip to the seaside town. I had to take a look inside.

The shop was filled with shelves - with tiny, spiralling avenues separating them. After staring in awe, I found the counter, and the owner of the family-run business.

R.G. Scotts has been owned by Ron Scott since 1978, and he is proud of Cliftonville.

His family had already seen Time Out's article, and he exclaimed: "We're better than eighth.

"It's the people that make Cliftonville. It's a really friendly place."

It was refreshing to hear such a positive view, and to explore Mr Scott's extensive collection of antiques which spans over three floors.

I had to stop myself from buying a beautiful oak vanity. I doubt it would have fitted in my VW Up.

So is Cliftonville really such a cool place to live?

To me it seems the younger generation living locally, especially those trying to climb onto the housing ladder, might not think so.

Somewhere a rung or two above them there are landlords wanting easy money from Airbnbs - and ex-Londoners with cash to splash.

And some residents clearly feel this situation could be made worse by Time Out's ranking.

Tourism is great - don't get me wrong. However, when I looked down Northdown Road I saw sprinkles of development, surrounded by poverty.

New art galleries aren't going to help the homeless, and bougie cafés aren't going to build more houses.

Currently, there are more than 500 Airbnbs available in Margate, according to the company's website. So more potentially popping up after Time Out's article, when local people can't find housing, can't be a good thing.

I really liked Cliftonville. Everyone I spoke to was lovely and friendly, and it was nice to see a thriving selection of businesses, with not too many of the tragic boarded-up windows many Kent towns are full of.

I love the town of Margate. It has so much potential and its full of cool, creative people.

But eighth coolest neighbourhood in the world? I don't think so.

I suspect if Time Out saw it for themselves, it would drop down the list.