I came across a slideshow from Conde Naste Traveler about a topic that I never really thought about before .
The slideshow takes a look at The World’s Most Famous Streets.
So what makes these streets so famous?
While giving the list a quick glance, the streets seemed to be famous for a variety of different reasons.
Some are famous as busy shopping streets, while others more so for a party-like atmosphere. We also have one which was made famous thanks to the Beatles with another making a name for itself due to its steep curves.
Here are the streets that made the Top 10:
- Broadway- Manhattan
- Champs -Elysees- Paris
- Pacific Coast Highway
- Bourbon Street- New Orleans
- Michigan Avenue- Chicago
- La Rambla- Barcelona
- Hollywood Boulevard
- Wall Street- Manhattan
- Abbey Road- London
- Lombard Street- San Francisco
I wasn’t so surprised to see that I’ve been to 9 of the 10 streets which made this list.
If I could pick one street that I feel deserved a place on this list, I’d most likely select Khao San Road in Bangkok, Thailand. Which would you choose?
Find out about the most famous roads in the world through CN Traveler’s slideshow here.
Andrew- Interesting but is it so famous that most would know Omotesando by its name?
> Omotesando
I guess people go to Harajuku, Akihabara, and Ginza districts rather than their main streets Omote-Sando (Takeshita-Dori), Chuo-Dori, and Ginza-Dori. It makes sense that Japan’s street names aren’t that famous because of its addressing system that counts everything by blocks instead of streets, and many streets don’t have names.
As a tourist destination by itself, the Shibuya Scramble Intersection might be the most famous in Tokyo if that counts as a street. The Tokai-Do might be the most well known street name in Japan, but people know it as the Shinkansen line rather than the old route.
Maybe Ginza is the winner in the end. Although Ginza is the district and Ginza-Dori is the street, tourists only stay on the street anyway. It’s amusing to see bus full of Chinese tourists with shopping bags from Gucci, Uniqlo, and Hanamasa (whole sale butcher market) together in their arms.
I would put Omotesando Tokyo’s equivalent to Rodeo Drive on the list.
Tim- Good one! I wonder if more people would know Rodeo than Lombard St around the world.
Paul Feagan- Great points. We enjoyed driving a small portion of Rt 66 in Oklahoma late last year. As for La Rambla, I still remember wandering up and down the street and enjoying it during my first trip to Europe, years back… We could probably say surrounding streets for many areas but their list is most famous streets (although I agree their entries aren’t only streets). I love the idea of a famous squares list!
MarkM- Agreed, it definitely could use more non- US entries.
Yes, unfortunately, US centric. Don’t they travel?
Here’s a couple: Atlantic Ave in Copacabana Rio; Ave 9 de Julio in Buenos Aires; Shibuya in Tokyo. Any of these easy have more pictures taken daily than most on the above list.
These are really a mixture of streets and highways. So if they include the Pacific Coast Highway then why not Route 66? And much as La Rambla is a fun area, it’s the surrounding streets that make the experience and just La Rambla alone isn’t that impressive. Abbey Road is famous but there are plenty of equally famous London streets; Carnaby St, Regent St, Downing St, Saville Row. And how about famous squares; Wenceslas Sq and Old Town Sq in Prague for example? The whole thing sounds like a lazy Conde naste article to me.
Rodeo Drive, Beverly Hills
Ben- It isn’t my list- CN Traveler came up with it. I also have yet to visit Abbey Road.
Penguin- HAHA- Thanks for the comment! The Vegas Strip is a great choice! As for Sesame Street, I believe that’s located in Queens, NY! 🙂
America wise, my friends and relatives from Asia would probably put NYC 5th Avenue and the Vegas Strip high up on the list, but would have never heard of the Pacific Coast Highway or the Michigan Avenue. Perhaps Downing street over Abbey Road in UK for the younger generation. I’ve met parents who want to take their kids to Sesame Street, though!
OMG I have the same list as yours–been to LDN thrice but never had a chance to make to Abbey Rd.