Every year, Time Out delve into all things cool and come up with a list of the world’s coolest streets - based on cultural hotspots, buzzy eateries and local favourites. Where do European streets rank in their new rating?
ADVERTISEMENTDoes your city have a “cool” street?
You know the kind – a place where there are markets, culinary hotspots, exhibition areas or culturally buzzy nooks.
Purveyors of cool Time Out make a yearly habit of compiling and ranking the world’s coolest streets.
“On every street on this list, there are bold, creative new ventures in food, drink, nightlife and culture: from listening bars to repurposed heritage buildings, these streets are where you’ll find a city’s most exciting cultural trends.”
This year’s iteration – the publication’s third – has its 2024 winner.
Amongst a list of 30, the award goes to...
Drumroll...
Melbourne's High Street in Australia.
“It’s cool in all the ways you’d expect – epic restaurants, hidden bars, live music venues and boutique shops – but there’s also a warm sense of community spirit that means everyone feels welcome,” stated Leah Glynn, editor of Time Out Melbourne.
The street “weaves through the ultra-trendy suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury and Preston”, and Glynn recommends catching a gig at Northcote Social Club and the Croxton Band Room (or smaller spots like High Note) and having a cheeky tipple at Gigi Rooftop.
Noted.
Rounding off the podium are Hollywood Road in Hong Kong (second place) and East Eleventh in Austin (third).
Scroll down for the full list.
Of the 30, Europe gets a look-in nine times, which isn’t half bad.
Europe’s highest ranked cool street is Lisbon’s Rua da Boavista, in the Cais do Sodré neighbourhood (ranked seventh). It’s a location to shop local, enjoy brunch, and drink natural wines at the Time Out-recommended Boavista Social Club. Sounds heavenly.
Here are the other European entries:
Consell de Cent, Barcelona (Spain)
Ranked: 10
Location: It is one of the horizontal streets of the urban grid that makes up Eixample district, spanning the Esquerra de l'Eixample and the Dreta de l'Eixample quarters.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat’s cool about it: “It's a vibrant stretch, lined with restaurants, boutiques, and hangout spots – walking down Consell de Cent is like taking a stroll through a microcosm of Barcelona. You've got everything from the latest crazes like Chinese hot pot joints, CBD shops, and beauty salons to timeless favourites like vermouth bars, cozy tortilla spots, and artisan bakeries.”
Oranienstraße, Berlin (Germany)
Ranked: 12
Location: At the heart of Kreuzberg, in the Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg borough, it’s renowned for its artistic community, the trendy bars, and SO36, the past haunt of David Bowie and Iggy Pop when they both shared in a flat in Berlin.
What’s cool about it: “Day or night, there’s an unbelievable amount of stuff happening on Oranienstraße. In the evening, the strip is thick with revellers, amping themselves up to dance past dawn at one of Berlin’s world-famous clubs. (...) This street is made for people-watching.”
Rua Sá de Noronha, Porto (Portugal)
Ranked: 16
ADVERTISEMENTLocation: Part of the Vitória parish.
What’s cool about it: “Praça Carlos Alberto is always lively, especially on Saturdays when the Porto Belo Market fills this square with vinyl records, illustrations, handmade toys, vintage clothing and antiques. But its surrounding backstreets are where you’ll find the real local buzz, and Rua Sá de Noronha in particular has become a must-visit passage in Porto.”
Gerrard Street, London (UK)
Ranked: 17
Location: West End of London, in the Chinatown area, and home of the notorious Roaring Twenties jazz club, 43 Club.
What’s cool about it: “Gerrard Street (Chinatown’s main lantern-festooned drag) is maybe the most bustling, lively bit of London. TikTok has made social media stars of nearly every single food stall and eatery in the area. (...) Meanwhile, Gen Z-friendly shops and boutiques have replaced the manky tat stores.”
ADVERTISEMENTConde Duque Street, Madrid (Spain)
Ranked: 18
Location: Madrid’s buzzy barrio and its cobblestone streets is sandwiched between Moncloa and Malasaña.
What’s cool about it: “Thanks to the buzz of activity around the Condeduque Cultural Center, a former military barracks converted into an exhibition hall, theatre, summer cinema (and much more), the area has now been given a fresh injection of life. It seems that the magnetism of this institution has attracted endless new stores, bars and restaurants, which have turned Conde Duque Street into one of the trendiest areas in the capital.”
Rue de Belleville, Paris (France)
Ranked: 20
Location: The main artery running through the former village of Belleville.
ADVERTISEMENTWhat’s cool about it: “Rue de Belleville is so popular with Parisians because it brings together some of the best bars in the capital, and at the centre of Belleville Chinatown, there’s plenty of delicious stuff to eat, too. Arrive before sunset and be prepared to spend the night.”
Camden Street, Dublin (Ireland)
Ranked: 22
Location: A ten-minute walk from the city centre.
What’s cool about it: “Camden Street and its surrounding area feels like that rare thing: a sprawling neighbourhood that’s retained a no-frills, post-modern grit, despite becoming a hotspot for creative spaces. (...) Camden Street is characterised by unpretentious pubs, political street art and a buzzy dining scene.”
Troon Street, Athens (Greece)
Ranked: 28
ADVERTISEMENTLocation: Starts from Thesion and ends up in the heart of desirable residential neighbourhood Petralona.
What’s cool about it: “Increasingly at the heart of it all is Troon, which runs from Thissio and the observatory on Filopappos Hill down to the very gentle hubbub of the southerly Merkouri Square. The beautiful, rolling hill is punctuated by classic villas, retro apartment blocks and a new wave of architectural residential buildings, with friendly locals lolling between relaxed classic tavernas and easy-going bars.”
Here is the full list of Time Out’s 30 coolest streets in the world:
- High Street, Melbourne
- Hollywood Road, Hong Kong
- East Eleventh, Austin
- Guatemala Street, Buenos Aires
- Commercial Drive, Vancouver
- Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur
- Rua da Boavista, Lisbon
- Arnaldo Quintela, Rio de Janiero
- Chazawa-dori, Tokyo
- Consell de Cent, Barcelona
- Bree Street, Cape Town
- Oranienstraße, Berlin
- Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, New York City
- Ban Tad Thong, Bangkok
- East 3rd Street, Los Angeles
- Rua Sá de Noronha, Porto
- Gerrard Street, London
- Conde Duque Street, Madrid
- Bucareli, Mexico City
- Rue de Belleville, Paris
- 18th Street, Chicago
- Camden Street, Dublin
- Foster Street, Sydney
- Songridan-gil, Seoul
- Quang An Street, Tay Ho, Hanoi
- Miracle Mile, Miami
- Saint-Hubert Plaza, Montreal
- Troon Street, Athens
- Cecil Street, Singapore
- L.P Leviste Street, Manila
