Once again, Melbourne has triumphed over Sydney and the world.

Time Out has released its list of “30 Coolest Streets in the World” and a Melbourne stretch, High Street, has taken out the top spot.

In the past Melbourne’s Smith Street has also come in first place, while Gertrude Street was runner-up in 2022.

The coolest street in the world, High Street, extends through the “ultra-trendy” suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury and Preston.

So what makes High Street so special? Time Out says it’s because it offers something for everyone.

“High Street’s bona fide cool status comes down to its unique, something-for-everyone local businesses,” the publication’s Melbourne editor, Leah Glynn, wrote.

“Craving authentic Portuguese tarts? Head to Casa Nata. Want to sip a local natty vino? Make a beeline for Northside Wines. Got the urge for a late-night boogie? Hit up Francesca’s Bar.

“It’s a strip where vintage stores and cool cafés sit comfortably alongside a food truck park and boutique indie cinema.”

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So Melbourne may have once again been declared cooler than Sydney, but the Harbour City did also score a place on the list with Foster Street in Surry Hills rating a mention.

The street was recently in the news when Taylor Swift was in town, as she and Sabrina Carpenter dined at the Italian restaurant Pellegrino 2000.

Foster Street is also part of the city’s Hollywood Quarter, a micro precinct, which Time Out promises “brings low-key cool vibes”.

What makes a street “cool”

To decide the coolest streets in the world, the publication reached out to their own editors and contributors globally, allowing them to make the case for the coolest place to be in their city.

Of course, what is considered to be “cool” changes over time.

It noted that there has been an “evolution” in “street life” over the past few years.

In the midst of the pandemic, outdoor dining and drinking was a must, but now it is somewhat of a “staple” for many streets that made the cut.

Many also tend to be low-traffic and walkable.

Time Out’s Coolest Streets of 2024

1. High Street, Melbourne

2. Hollywood Road, Hong Kong

3. East Eleventh, Austin

4. Guatemala Street, Buenos Aires

5. Commerical Drive, Vancouver

6. Jalan Petaling, Kuala Lumpur

7. Rua da Boavista, Lisbon

8. Arnaldo Quintela, Rio de Janeiro

9. Chazawa-dori, Tokyo

10. Consell de Cent, Barcelona

11. Bree Street, Cape Town

12. Oranienstraße, Berlin

13. Fifth Avenue, Park Slope, New York City

14. Ban Tad Thong, Bangkok

15. East 3rd Street, Los Angeles

16. Rua Sá de Noronha, Porto

17. Gerrard Street, London

18. Conde Duque Street, Madrid

19. Bucareli, Mexico City

20. Rue de Belleville, Paris

21. 18th Street, Chicago

22. Camden Street, Dublin

23. Foster Street, Sydney

24. Songridan-gil, Seoul

25. Quang An Street, Tay Ho, Hanoi

26. Miracle Mile, Miami

27. Saint-Hubert Plaza, Montreal

28. Troon Street, Athens

29. Cecil Street, Singapore

30. L.P Leviste Street, Manila