Melbourne’s 850 metre-long strip in the innercity suburb of Fitzroy was one of only two streets in Australia to make Time Out’s 2022 list of the coolest streets in the world right now.
So what makes a street cool? According to Time Out “it can be about food and drink establishments, museums, parks or art galleries. A cool street can be a vibrant community space, a thriving business district or just a place that oozes fabulous vibes.”
Top of this year’s list is Rue Wellington in Montreal, thanks to its gastronomic prowess and vast number of thriving local businesses.
In second place was Melbourne’s Gertrude Street, which has slowly but surely added to its cultural portfolio in recent years, followed by Great Western Road in Glasgow, which boasts vintage shops, craft beer breweries and swanky coffee shops galore.
Fourth was indie food paradise Yongkang Street in Taipei, while fifth was Copenhagen’s Værnedamsvej, the epicentre of the hyper-cool Vesterbro neighbourhood.
In an article announcing Gertrude Street’s victory, Time Out’s Melbourne editor, Eliza Campbell, said the lack of gentrification along the road was what set it apart.
“While Brunswick and Smith [streets] have slowly gentrified over the years, Gertrude has remained the independent shopping and dining force of the north,” she said.
“From end to end, this leafy little strip is chock-full of some of the city’s best retail stores, galleries, bars, pubs, restaurants and cafés. It’s Fitzroy funk, but with noticeable polish.”
Do you think Gertrude Street deserves this accolade?
