World’s ‘coolest streets’ named – and two of them are right here

Himangi Singh
Aug 26, 2022, updated Aug 27, 2022

Gertrude Street takes out the second spot for its "peaceful vibe". Photo: Visit Victoria

Every street has a story to tell, but not every street is named ‘coolest’.

Melbourne’s Gertrude Street has taken out the runner-up spot in a prestigious list of “the world’s coolest streets of 2022” – beaten only by Rue Wellington in Montreal.

Entertainment and culture media outlet Time Out surveyed more than 20,000 people around the world to come up with its list of the top 33.

Glasgow’s Great Western Road took third place, followed by Yongkang Street in Taipei in fourth and Copenhagen’s Værnedamsvej in fifth.

Gertrude Street, in the inner-northern suburb of Fitzroy, offers heritage-listed facades and an “impossibly leafy, slow and peaceful” vibe, according to the outlet. It toppled its neighbour, Smith Street, which ranked No.1 last year.

“Gertrude Street is beautiful, unassuming and devoid of the rampant nightlife of its comparatively rowdy siblings. It has steadily added a wealth of independent retail, drinking and dining joints to its cultural portfolio,”Time Out wrote.

“Despite its proximity to the city centre, this 850-metre stretch feels impossibly leafy, slow and peaceful …Gertrude maintains a very locals-only, if-you-know-you-know kind of energy,”

The only other Australian city to get a mention on the list is Enmore Road, in the inner Sydney suburb of Newtown, in 24th position. It knocked down a nearby rival in King Street, which was No.19 in 2021.

According to Time Out, Enmore Road’s glory is in its laid-back charm and inclusive spirit and its legendary culture hub, Enmore Theatre – where one famous long-time local, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, joined thousands last week to watch Sydney band Gang of Youths.

“While King Street claims a lot of the glory, the other main artery of Sydney’s Newtown neighbourhood – joining it up with Enmore and Marrickville – is a haven of excellent restaurants, bars and pubs and boutiques,” Time Out said.

The officially designated ‘world’s coolest street’, Rue Wellington in Montreal – the largest city in Quebec – is perfect for social gatherings with one of the best cocktail bars, stellar brunch spots and an urban beach.

In the summer, the boulevard becomes pedestrian-only, with a free tuk-tuk service to get visitors from one end to the next.

The third on the list, Glasgow’s Great Western Road is known for inexpensive pizzas, beer schooners, thrift shopping, craft brews, hangover-busting coffees and breakfast burritos.

“When the sun sets down the tree-lined barrel of Great Western Road in the summertime, it feels like anything is possible … abuzz morning through the night with all from latte-sipping mums and dads to students and full-on hipsters – [Great Western Road] is where all the good stuff happens,” Time Out said.