A list for Cincy............
Street life: it’s the only life we know. Seriously, streets are where most of us spend our lives – hanging out, eating, drinking, working, sleeping and occasionally pulling some embarrassing dance moves. If parks are the lungs of the city, streets are its veins, carrying urbanites around each day like stressed-but-happy little blood cells. Street life is what makes the places we live feel alive. Which makes streets kind of a big deal.
Why are we telling you this? Because every year, we quiz thousands of city-dwellers around the world for our Time Out Index survey. And this year, we asked more than 20,000 people the question: what’s the coolest street in your city?
https://www.timeout.com/things-to-do/coolest-streets-in-the-world1. Rue Wellington, Montreal
2. Gertrude Street, Melbourne
3. Great Western Road, Glasgow
4. Yongkang Street, Taipei
5. Værnedamsvej, Copenhagen
6. Karangahape Road, Auckland
7. Tai Ping Shan Street, Hong Kong
8. Yaowarat Road, Bangkok
9. Oranienstrasse, Berlin
10. Hayes Street, San Francisco
The main drag of Hayes Valley, one of San Francisco’s trendiest neighbourhoods, took a big hit during the past few years. But lately, it’s become a symbol of resurgence. Bustling once again, Hayes Street meshes old SF – with its quirky shops and long-time eateries – with some of the city’s most exciting restaurant openings and trendiest storefronts. Once you’re done trawling the boutiques, where you can splurge on everything from clothing and jewellery to home goods and gifts, end your Hayes Street spree with a drink at a charming wine bar or a bite to eat on a sidewalk patio.
BUY Locally-produced everything from local favourite (and woman-owned small business) Rare Device.
EAT A casual lunch at Mano, also the perfect place for meet-ups or special dinners.
DRINK A take-out coffee from Ritual Coffee’s tiny container outpost — a key element of the Hayes valley neighbourhood’s landscape. Clara Hogan, Time Out San Francisco
11. Avenida Ámsterdam, Mexico City
12. Kolokotroni, Athens
13. Virgil Avenue, Los Angeles
Formerly famous as the home of ultra-trendy café Sqirl (before a mouldy jam scandal shredded that particular establishment’s reputation), Virgil Avenue’s culinary scene now orbits around a pair of sensations: Melody, a wine bar in a bungalow that’s become known for its next-big-thing food pop-ups, and Courage Bagels, a Montreal-style bagel shop with an LA-sized line. Others have moved into this low-profile, tree-lined stretch of Virgil Village in their wake, including colorful Cuba-inspired bar Bolita and chicken-based Ken’s Ramen – albeit at a cost to the area’s largely working-class, Central American community.
DO Catch Hot Tub, Kurt Braunohler and Kristen Schaal’s long-running Monday night comedy show at the Virgil.
EAT A 10-course Thai and Japanese meal at KinKan, a casual, grandma-chic dining room.
DRINK A selection of ciders and snack on all sorts of waffles at the intimate Alma’s Cider and Beer. Michael Juliano, Time Out Los Angeles
14. Ossington Avenue, Toronto
15. Via Provenza, Medellín
16. Calle Ocho, Miami
Calle Ocho, or Eight Street, is the main artery for the lively community of Little Havana. Along the bustling strip lie some of Miami’s oldest cigar shops, their aroma permeating the sidewalks; the city’s most iconic domino park (Andy Garcia could be seen playing here in the latest iteration of ‘Father of the Bride’); and beloved artisanal dessert shop Azucar, whose giant ice cream cone sculpture is a beacon to all those in search of a Cuban-inspired frozen treat. Not much has changed along Calle Ocho in recent years, and in our book, that’s a good thing – with so much of the world in flux, it’s comforting to know there’s still a stretch of Miami serving consistently good cafecito with a side of genuine warmth and hospitality.
EAT The creations of by James Beard Award-winning chef Michelle Bernstein at Café La Trova. It’s a tough one to pull off, but La Trova successfully closes the gap between tourists and locals: out-of-towners come here for the authentic Miami Cuban experience, while locals delight in the nightly live music and cocktails by decorated cantinero Julio Cabrera.
DRINK Freshly made mojitos at Ball & Chain. This storied jazz club recently remained closed for far too long (a casualty of local political tensions) but persisted, prevailed and reopened last fall. Its iconic pineapple stage is the place to catch live acts, while indoors it’s all about the swirling salsa dancers and infectious Latin beats.
STAY Boutique hotel chain Life House has transformed an old apartment building into a charming, Le Labo-scented inn located just a few steps from Calle Ocho. The rooms are small but nicely done, and the in-house restaurant, Terras, really stands out in the neighborhood: it’s an adorable rooftop bar and restaurant serving Latin-inspired small plates, stiff drinks and swoon-worthy views towards Brickell. Virginia Gil, Time Out Miami
17. Deptford High Street, London
18. Praça das Flores, Lisbon
19. Oxford Street, Accra
20. Wentworth Avenue, Chicago
Amid waning Asian-American populations in Chinatowns across the US, Chicago’s Chinatown has continued to expand and thrive. The neighbourhood’s heart is the bustling commercial strip along Wentworth Avenue, from the street’s iconic Chinatown Gateway (modelled after a wall in Beijing) down to the south end’s dense network of gift shops, grocers, boba spots and truly incredible Chinese restaurants.
EAT Handmade lamb and coriander dumplings at Qing Xiang Yuan, with a side of slick, spicy wood-ear-mushroom salad for good measure. Grab frozen dumplings on your way out to recreate the meal at home.
DO Work your way to the north end of the street, which deposits you at the eastern end of Ping Tom Park: a riverside green space that boasts some of the city’s most stunning skyline views.
BUY You could spend a whole afternoon puttering around the strip’s vast array of stores, from long-time souvenir shops to the brand-new, Japanese-inspired chain Miniso. Emma Krupp, Time Out Chicago
21. Cutting Room Square, Manchester
22. Capel Street, Dublin
23. Jumeirah Beach Road, Dubai
24. Enmore Road, Sydney
25. Kagurazaka, Tokyo
26. Kloof Street, Cape Town
27. Süleyman Seba Caddesi, Istanbul
28. Calle Echegaray, Madrid
29. MacDougal Street, New York
Running through the West Village along Washington Square Park and down to Prince Street, this half-mile stretch has been one of the most vibrant streets in NYC for decades. Despite its short span, MacDougal has a long and storied history – it’s particularly known as the epicentre of the Beat Generation and for attracting luminaries like Bob Dylan, Allen Ginsberg and Jack Kerouac to now-iconic haunts like Cafe Wha?, Minetta Tavern and Caffe Reggio. (Even Eleanor Roosevelt lived here.) What makes this street the coolest in NYC today isn’t just its history, though. It’s home to Comedy Cellar, much-awarded negroni haven Dante NYC, Mermaid Oyster Bar, illustrious jazz clubs (like Blue Note) and a whole clutch of other must-see spots, ensuring that its enduringly cool vibe still brings tourists, college students and New Yorkers seeking the best of the city to its sidewalks. That’s especially true on warm evenings when the street comes alive with live music and outdoor dining.
EAT Scrummy oysters at the New England-inspired Mermaid Oyster Bar.
DRINK A negroni or three at Dante NYC, named the world’s best bar in 2019, but with a history dating right back to 1915.
SEE A spellbinding set at Blue Note Jazz Club, which has earned its stripes as one of the world’s best rooms for the big J. Shaye Weaver, Time Out New York
30. Carrer del Comte Borrell, Barcelona
31. Newbury Street, Boston
It’s official: Newbury Street is cool again. The Back Bay street once known for its designer shops and historic brownstones is now home to some of the best new restaurants, funkiest speakeasies and chic-est boutique hotels Boston has to offer. Newbury’s roots may go back nearly two centuries, but thanks to the arrival of street patios and throng of new openings, this tony street is once again one of the liveliest places to spend a night out in the city.
DRINK A tipple or two at Hecate, Boston’s coolest new bar. A speakeasy inspired by the Greek goddess of witchcraft, Hecate’s drinkable creations will have you raving to your friends. Step into this dark, underground lair of a speakeasy to kick off your night with a bang.
EAT Italian small plates at Faccia Brutta. Translating to ‘ugly face’, Faccia Brutta specializes in delicious shareable small plates in a casual setting.
STAY At The Newbury, for those nights you don’t want to end. Perched over Boston Common, this place is fun, stylish and sexy, and its Street Bar regularly gets packed with a buzzy crowd of locals. Jacqueline Sabia, Time Out Boston
32. Colaba Causeway, Mumbai
33. Everton Road, Singapore
