Do you agree?
Despite a spiralling cost of living crisis and the frequent erosion of cultural spaces, Dublin still packs a strong, appealing punch with tourists.
Plenty of storied streets, too, of course. As it happens, one such boulevard has been singled out for praise by the good people at Time Out magazine.
And why, it’s the recently fully-pedestrianised Capel Street, located in the heart of the city centre just off Wellington Quay.
The list, entitled ‘The 33 Coolest Streets in the World’, places Capel Street at number 22. What makes a significantly cool street, you ask? “Independent business and creative humans” play a part, as does general overall location, one presumes.
As for Capel Street, some of the glowing write-up notes:
“It might be tough to spot Dublin’s coolest street right off the bat, but spend a bit of time here and you’ll discover that the buzz on Capel Street is like no other in the city. You won’t find the glamorous shops of Grafton Street or the tourist-trap pubs of Temple Bar here.
“Instead you’ll find a whirl of culture and some of the best food in Dublin, usually without any frills: locals know they’re good, so there’s no need for fuss. There is genuinely always something new to discover on Capel Street, whether it’s a steamy bowl of authentic pho, a lively Moroccan restaurant with karaoke from noon to night, or brunch at the super-popular Brother Hubbard.
“Plus, the street has recently been pedestrianised, making it the ideal spot for sipping pints in the sun and just generally hanging out.”
‘Secret’ restaurant White Rabbit, poitín bar 1661 – freshly named the best bar in all of Ireland, no less – and the iconic Pantibar also get shout-outs.
It’s not the first time Dublin has bothered a recent Time Out ‘cool’ list, either. Last October, Stoneybatter featured as one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods, while just last month, the capital was named as one of the most friendly cities found across the globe.
As for this new ‘coolest streets’ list, the top 10 looks like this:
10. Hayes Street, San Francisco
9. Oranienstrasse, Berlin
8. Yaowarat Road, Bangkok
7. Tai Ping Shan Street, Hong Kong
6. Karangahape Road, Auckland
5. Værnedamsvej, Copenhagen
4. Yongkang Street, Taipei
3. Great Western Road, Glasgow
2. Gertrude Street, Melbourne
1. Rue Wellington, Montreal
You can check out the entire rundown here.
Featured Imagery via Sasko Lazarov / RollingNews.ie
