My one probably unpopular opinion on matters like this is that unless you have personally been to every street on earth, you can’t accurately concoct a definitive ranking of the ten coolest. For all you know there could be an absolute belter of a strip on the southern outskirts of Caracas. There’s literally no way to tell this. That said, any arbitrary ranking of global destinations that features Australia in the number one spot is obviously worthy of treating as gospel fact. Love that green and gold, baby. You bloody beauty. To that end, the world’s ten coolest streets have been named. And wouldn’t ya know it, an Australian street is sitting pretty in the top spot. Get around it.
Time Out has unveiled a list of the ten streets from across the globe that encapsulate cool better than any others, and right smack bang at the top sits Smith Street, in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Collingwood.
The main Smith Street drag scored number one overall on the ranking, which takes into account things like nightlife, food, drink, culture, and retail offerings, as well as a survey of some 27,000 people globally.
Smith Street topped the overall list for its “pubs, gay bars and live music joints,” which are “a magnet for Melburnians who like to kick on till the early hours.” Despite a string of city-wide COVID lockdowns which wreaked havoc on businesses, the local Collingwood community rallying around Smith Street’s proprietors was another tick in the win column, helping propel the beloved drag to the top of the overall list.
Beyond the magnificent footpaths of Collingwood, iconic global settings also featured heavily in top ten, including South Bank in London and Los Angeles’ famed Sunset Boulevard.
For those Sydneysiders despairing at yet another Melbourne thing, fear not. King Street did warrant a mention in the extended list, placing an entirely respectable 19th overall.
But all that pales in comparison because Smith Street – home of getting absolutely slotted at the Gaso before hooning yourself up the road to the salvation of Hasir Kebabs. Number one, baby. Best in the world!
You can peep the full top ten list below:
TIME OUT TOP TEN COOLEST STREETS 2021
1) Smith Street, Collingwood
2) Passeig de Sant Joan, Barcelona
3) South Bank, London
4) San Isidro, Havana
5) Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles
6) Witte de Withstraat, Rotterdam
7) Rua Três Rios, Sāo Paulo
8) Haji Lane, Singapore
9) Rua Rodrigues de Faria, Lisbon
10) Calle Thames, Buenos Aires
