For New Yorkers, streets aren’t just a way to get from point A to point B. They’re our runways, our communities and sometimes our dining rooms. That’s the case with Orchard Street in Lower Manhattan, which is why we named it as one of the coolest streets in the world for 2025.
New York City’s Orchard Street came in as No. 9 on the global list, joining with fellow USA streets Roscoe Street in Chicago and Pacific Coast Highway in Central Malibu. Rua do Senado in Rio de Janeiro took the top spot.
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Each of the streets on the list boasts its own magic—views, architectural gems, museums, boutiques and more. Orchard Street, an eight-block stretch of the Lower East Side, is packed with fascinating shops, dining destinations and low-rise brick buildings. New additions to the street—like bookstore/podcast studio P&T Knitwear, photobooth museum AUTOPHOTO and a seasonal Open Streets program—attract crowds who are met with a bevy of dining and drinking options along the way.
Photograph: Courtesy of Autophoto
Perhaps most charming of all, the street still maintains its NYC authenticity and grit even as it changes. Old-school leather stores sit next to new galleries. Tattoo parlors abut fancy fragrance boutiques. Music spills out of bars while restaurants drag tables into the street for al fresco dinners.
The street offers a feast for the eyes—and the stomach. Stroll from end to end on these eight blocks, and you’ll be met with dozens of bars and restaurants to sate any cravings. A must on our list: Scarr’s Pizza. This slice isn’t just one of the best in NYC, it’s also one of the best in the world thanks to pizzaiolo Scarr Pimentel who mills his own grain, offering an airy base for your toppings. Don’t worry, the line moves fast.
For drinks, pull up a chair in the dimly lit, always creative Bar Contra where the cocktail menu will keep your taste buds entertained. There’s the Better Living, like a grapefruit creamsicle, and the Xipe Totec featuring a Nordic blend of herbs and citrus—or try the supremely salty Saltair if you dare.
Those spots just scratch the surface of where you should be eating, drinking and hanging out on Orchard Street.
Photograph: Courtesy of the Tenement Museum
To write about the Orchard Street of today, we must acknowledge the street’s history. It was once packed with tenements where working-class immigrant, migrant and refugee families lived in often harrowing conditions. Today, the Tenement Museum located on Orchard Street keeps their stories alive. As the museum says, “Their work helped build the city and nation, and their stories help us understand our history.” It’s always a must-visit but even more so today.
Here’s the full list of Time Out’s 31 Coolest Streets in the World:
Rua do Senado, Rio de Janeiro
Orange Street, Osaka
Rua do Bonjardim, Porto
Fanghua Street, Chengdu
Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal
Montague Road, Brisbane
Maybachufer, Berlin
Olympou Street, Thessaloniki
Orchard Street, New York City
Vinh Khanh Street (District 4, HCMC), Ho Chi Minh
Rue de Flandre, Brussels
Nishihara Shotengai, Tokyo
Rue des Gravilliers, Paris
Joo Chiat, Singapore
Avendia Alvaro Obregon, Mexico City
Jalan Kemang Raya, Jakarta
Via Panisperna, Rome
Nakpil St, Malate, Manila
Alserkal Avenue, Dubai
Cambie Street, Vancouver
Calle del Barquillo, Madrid
Kloof Street, Cape Town
Blackstock Road, London
Defensa, San Telmo, Buenos Aires
Pacific Coast Highway, Central Malibu, Los Angeles
Charoen Nakhon Road, Bangkok
Jalan Pudu, Kuala Lumpur
Roscoe Street, Chicago
Swan Street, Richmond, Melbourne
Boulevard Pasteur, Tangier
Northdown Road, Margate