The world’s coolest streets have been named. Here’s what locals really think

By Francesca Street, CNN

(CNN) — Hitting the streets is a great way to catch a city’s real pulse — drifting through indie stores, ducking into coffee shops or grabbing a barstool somewhere lively.

As global listing guide Time Out puts it, a city’s streets are where you’ll find “local life at its most authentic.” That idea powers the magazine’s annual “coolest streets” list, its global roundup of walkways, alleys and other urban arteries.

The 2025 edition is out, celebrating, as Time Out travel editor Grace Beard tells CNN Travel, how “streets are everything that makes urban life brilliant.”

To compile it, the brand leaned on its global network of editors and writers, each arguing for the corners of their cities that deserve the spotlight.

This year’s winner: Rua do Senado in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Time Out says this downtown strip is buzzing with newly opened spots that bring “a fresh energy” to the area, alongside institutions like Armazém Senado, home to a weekly, street-filling samba jam.

Luiz Felipe Bernardo, who runs Instagram guide RIO DESTAQUE, tells CNN Travel that seeing a Rio street on the list is a “tremendous source of pride” for locals.

Rua do Senado, he argues, sums up the city’s “history, diversity, and a cultural movement that never stops.” It’s where “music, gastronomy, art, and an unmatched energy all come together.”

What makes a “cool” street?

Coolness, of course, is subjective, but Time Out editor Beard says the streets on the list are “packed with independent businesses, great places to eat and fun things to do.”

Artchitecturally, there’s no common thread. It doesn’t matter if it’s “a pedestrianized canalside path or a major artery,” according to Beard.

Take Pacific Coast Highway in Malibu, slotted in at No. 25. The PCH wouldn’t be classed as a “street” by most people; it’s a classic West Coast California road trip. But Time Out suggests if you actually park your car, you’ll find plenty to enjoy. “It’s teeming with cool stuff to do, eat and drink,” says Beard, who points to the road’s “community spirit” after January’s Palisades wildfires. Time Out says a street’s camaderie and creativity matter as much as bars and coffee shops.

Where else made the cut?

No. 2 is Orange Street, in Osaka, Japan, a former antique-hunting district that now mixes streetwear, retro shops, al fresco eats and showy cocktails. No. 3 is Rua do Bonjardim in Porto, Portugal, with old-school grocers, hotels — including former soap factory Torel Saboaria — and restaurants like artsy Ottto. Its owner, Bruno Amaral, tells CNN Travel “it’s really exciting” to see the street on the list, and hopes it leads “more and more people to discover its charm.”

Chengdu’s Fanghua Street takes No. 4 as the city’s “go-to strip for people-watching.” Sherbrooke Street West in Montreal, the highest ranking address in North America, rounds out the top five. It benefits from historic buildings, museums and the bookish vibes of McGill University and its Blue Metropolis literary festival.

Former McGill student Katherine Davidson tells CNN the street’s “a stone’s throw from much of what makes Montreal great,” from terrace-lined cafes to the Musée des beaux-arts.

Meanwhile, Orchard Street in the lower East Side in New York City is number 8 on Time Out’s ranking, praised for its array of interesting shops and businesses, including recently opened bookstore/podcast studio P&T Knitwear. Owner Bradley Tusk, who chose the name in honor of a business run by his grandfather in the 1950s, tells CNN Travel it’s an “honor” to be namechecked as “cool” in Time Out.

“When my grandfather started the original P&T Knitwear on the Lower East Side in 1952, I doubt he even knew what cool meant, let alone that his grandson would open a bookstore and podcast studio a block over on a street considered one of the coolest in the world,” says Tusk.

Is the list for tourists or locals?

Time Out insists its ranking offers inspiration for both tourists and locals.

The streets are “certified local favorites,” Time Out editor Beard explains. “But there may well be some locals who haven’t yet visited or even heard of the street highlighted in their city. For visitors, we hope this list can provide some invaluable in-the-know insight to help them plan their next city break — and spend their time and money on local businesses.”

The complete list of the 31 coolest streets can be seen at Time Out’s website.

Time Out’s Top 10 coolest streets for 2025

• Rua do Senado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
• Orange Street, Osaka, Japan
• Rua do Bonjardim, Porto, Portugal
• Fanghua Street, Chengdu, China
• Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, Canada
• Montague Road, Brisbane, Australia
• Maybachufer, Berlin, Germany
• Olympou Street, Thessaloniki, Greece
• Orchard Street, New York City, USA
• Vĩnh Khánh Street, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

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