Singapore’s Koon Seng Road has been named one of the most beautiful streets in the world

Earlier this year, the Time Out team picked Cecil Street as the coolest street in Singapore for 2024, as part of our overarching ranking of coolest streets around the world. Despite its seemingly cold and steely appearance, the oft-overlooked stretch along the business district is packed with fun – from swanky wine bars to a golf simulation centre and trendy coffee cafés.

If we’re zooming in solely on aesthetic beauty, however, there are plenty of pretty streets across the city that we’d cast our radar over. And according to Condé Nast Traveler, Koon Seng Road in the Joo Chiat area takes the title as one of the most beautiful streets in the world – ranked at 46th place globally out of a total list of 71, and second in Southeast Asia.

Old Town in Colmar, France, scores first place, followed by Brunngasse in Breinz, Switzerland, and Setenil de las Bodegas in Spain taking the second and third spots respectively.

As for eye-pleasing streets in Asia, we have Jinli Street in Chengdu, China (#11) and Tetsugaku no Michi in Kyoto, Japan (#17) making the top 20. The latter isn’t the only place in Japan to be highlighted for its breathtaking beauty though; There’s also Sagano Bamboo Forest (#25), a highly popular tourist spot also commonly known as Arashiyama Bamboo Forest, which also happens to be located in Kyoto. Hội An in Vietnam sits just one spot above Singapore at 45th place, while Soi Romanee in Phuket, Thailand and ​​Bukchon Hanok Village in Seoul, Korea score 52nd and 62nd respectively.

According to Condé Nast Traveler,  Koon Seng Road was selected for its row of pastel-hued shophouses, which “pay homage to a more traditional approach to life” in contrast to our futuristic “glossy skyscrapers and highly efficient public transportation”.

The Koon Seng stretch is easily one of the most colourful places in Singapore, and it’s with good reason that it has appeared in plenty of postcards and paintings. Visit local souvenir stores and you’ll even find it appearing in the form of stickers, fridge magnets, scarves, and other types of merch. In fact, the larger Katong area that Koon Seng is situated within was named as Time Out Singapore’s coolest neighbourhood in 2021 – so we wholeheartedly approve of this pick.

Here’s a list of the top 20 most beautiful streets in the world:

1. Old Town in Colmar, France
2. Brunngasse in Breinz, Switzerland
3. Setenil de las Bodegas, Spain
4. Águeda, Portugal
5. Washington Street in Brooklyn, New York
6. Rua do Bom Jesus in Recife, Brazil
7. Montmartre in Paris, France
8. Mykonos, Greece
9. Pretoria, South Africa
10.  Rue du Petit Champlain in Quebec City, Canada
11. Jinli Street in Chengdu, China
12. Aldama Street in ​​San Miguel De Allende, Mexico
13. Zrinyi Utca Street in Budapest, Hungary
14. Tohid Tunnel in Tehran, Iran
15. Bruges, Belgium
16. Burano, Italy
17. Tetsugaku no Michi in Kyoto, Japan
18. Gamla Stan in Stockholm, Sweden
19. Shambles in York, England
20. Calleja de las Flores in Cordoba, Spain

Check out the full list of 71 most beautiful streets in the world here.

READ MORE:
10 prettiest streets in Singapore to explore
The ultimate guide to Katong and Joo Chiat
Where to see the most Instagram-worthy shophouses in Singapore