A street in Montreal has been named the Coolest Street in the World by Time Out, the global media and hospitality business which helps people explore and experience the best of the city. Rue Wellington scoops the top position on the list of Time Out’s Coolest Streets in the World 2022 announced today — the first time that a Canadian city has appeared on the list. The full list can be found here: timeout.com/cooleststreets
The 33-strong list has been collated from Time Out’s annual survey of more than 20,000 global city residents, who were each asked to nominate their city’s coolest street. To come up with the final ranking, Time Out’s global network of local editors narrowed down the selections, factoring in food, drink, fun, art, culture, nightlife and community vibes.
Last year, it was Smith Street in Melbourne which took the Coolest Street in the World title; this year, Melbourne’s Gertrude Street is at number two. Completing the top five after Rue Wellington and Gertrude Street is a one-mile section of Great Western Road in Glasgow (no.3), Yongkang Street in Taipei (no.4) and Vaernedamsvej in Copenhagen (no.5).
This is the second year that Time Out has released its Coolest Streets list. Its aim is to shine a spotlight on some of the most culturally-vibrant and dynamic microcosms of cities globally and this year’s list comes as people are getting out and experiencing the best of cities again as James Manning, Travel Editor at Time Out, explains: “In most of the world, pre-pandemic life has returned with a bang. With people excitedly making plans and going out in their own cities and on city breaks again, our list of the Coolest Streets in the World takes in the key thoroughfares, which clued-up locals—including our expert editors and contributors—recommend strolling down right now.”
Laura Osborne, Time Out’s Editor in Montreal, explains what she thinks makes Rue Wellington in Verdun so special; “It keeps reinventing itself. From June to mid-September, the buzzy main drag becomes pedestrianised, with people spilling out of bustling bars, cult coffee shops and some of the city’s best new restaurants onto the promenade. It’s a street where families can enjoy ice cream (after a free puppet festival!) on the swings that dot the pavement and where live music mingles in the air with the smell of freshly made bagels. It’s where the sound of happy afternoon beach-goers—armed with sandwiches from the neighbourhood’s family-run shop—make their way to the “secret Beach” which is matched by the clinking of cocktails on terrasses late into the evening. In short, it’s a street you may never want to leave and we’re cool with that.”
Some of the new cities to enter the list this year include San Francisco, Auckland, Athens, Toronto, Taipei, Glasgow, Manchester (England), Accra, Mumbai and Medellín. James Manning adds: “These are some of the cities whose burgeoning nightlife, culture, food and drink scenes we’re extra excited about right now. We recommend adding these cities and their coolest streets to your ‘must-visit’ list, pronto.”
Other streets on the list include Tai Ping Shan Street in Hong Kong (no.7), Yaowarat Road in Bangkok (no.8), Deptford High Street in London (no.17), Kagurazaka in Tokyo (no.25) and Carrer del Comte Borrell in Barcelona (no.30).
In the U.S., six streets have been awarded Coolest Streets in the World 2022 status; Hayes Street in San Francisco is the Coolest Street at no. 10. The other U.S. streets on the list are Virgil Avenue in Los Angeles (no. 13), Calle Ocho in Miami (no. 16), Wentworth Avenue in Chicago (no. 20), MacDougal Street in New York (no. 29) and Newbury Street in Boston (no. 31). Elsewhere in North America, Avenida Ámsterdam in Mexico City makes the cut at no.11 and Ossington Avenue in Toronto at no.14 Calle Ocho in Miami is the only street on this year’s list to feature for a second year running.
The full list of 33 streets, along with details from Time Out’s local experts on why they have made the grade, can be found here: timeout.com/cooleststreets