Are these REALLY two of the ‘coolest’ roads in the world? High streets in Kent and north London praised for being ‘edgy’ – but are they actually worth a visit?

If you’re questioning what is or what isn’t ‘cool’ then you’re definitely not and probably never will be.

But if you want to join the ‘in crowd’, how do you go about it? How do you meet these gate keepers?

A start is heading to the planet’s edgiest enclaves – where people go to sip on obnoxiously expensive matcha (with oat milk, obviously), glare at you beneath vintage sunglasses and judge you for your trainers – no one wears Adidas Sambas anymore.

Thankfully, two of the world’s 31 hippest high streets just happen to be in Britain, according to culture bible Timeout.

From New York to Tokyo, each road offers an array of high-end restaurants, low-fi listening bars and curated coffee shops, with two streets in the UK given the prestigious title.

While east London would have been an obvious destination, they selected ‘edgier’ streets – Northdown Road in Margate and Blackstock Road in north London.

But what makes a road cool?

To find out if they’re actually worth a visit, the Daily Mail headed to Kent and north London.

Northdown Road, Margate 

It probably won’t come as a surprise that Margate made the list. Since the pandemic it has become a magnet for gentrifying Londoners, garnering the nickname ‘Shoreditch-on-Sea’.

But Northdown Road is not the cobbled beachfront of the Old Town district that typically attracts hipster creatives from Dalston and Islington.

The 1.7 mile strip has a mix of residential properties and shops. While it is dotted with a few vintage stores, wine bars and considered cafes, they feel more sporadic than the norm.

Instead, like most high streets in Britain, traffic is horrendous, and the few upmarket shops are overshadowed by supermarkets, Turkish barbers and betting shops.

Meanwhile, uber trendy artistes lounging on the curb were nowhere to be found, most people sauntering up the street were completing daily tasks.

Julia Bridge has lived in the area for 20 years and told the Daily Mail she was ‘shocked’ to see her haunt on the list. 

‘I can’t believe they’ve said this road is the coolest,’ Julia Bridge said. ‘I walk up and down this road everyday and there are some good little shops, but it can be rough.’

She added: ‘The road used to be renowned for ladies dress shops and then it got a bit bad, there would be thugs up and down it. 

‘I do feel quite safe here now and there are a variety of one-off shops, you’ve got an awful lot of options.’ 

Northdown Road runs between Margate’s old town and Cliftonville, according to Time Out it ‘fell on hard times in the 1980s and has been making a slow-and-steady comeback ever since’.

They claim it is ‘edgy’ and feels like ‘east London’ and that is certainly reflected in the prices. 

The couple of indie band poster clad cafes that offer a range of gluten free and vegan sweet treats, charge £3.50 for a cappuccino, £3 for a fresh loaf of sourdough and roughly £8.50 for a toastie. 

However, available pints are on the slightly cheaper side averaging at £5.80 and the limited selection of cozy pubs or selective wine bars they’re available in feel chic, meanwhile houses average at around £400k.

Tim Connolly, who runs an organic produce store said he’s noticed a huge increase in ‘creatives’ moving to the area, driving demand for independent stores.

‘It’s surprising that a small town in the corner of the UK has made the list, but since Covid the area’s been growing.

‘A lot of people are moving here from London, bringing a new demand for things like organic produce.’ 

So could you spend an entire day on Northcote Road? Yes.

Anyone looking to grab a coffee, drink or meal at an independent restaurant can certainly do that, but they wouldn’t be spoilt for choice.

The same goes for browsing, after searching a couple antique furniture stores and clothing shops time may run out fast.

VERDICT: ALMOST COOL

In saying that, the street is brimming with potential and now it’s been put on the map it will likely attract some young ‘creatives’ and truly live up to its ‘cool’ factor. 

Blackstock Road, London 

The bustling north London road has made headlines recently, but that has more to do with its skyrocketing crime rates than the ‘hip-yet friendly’ bars.

Time Out have crowned this stretch as ‘cool’ because ‘you can travel the world without leaving N4’.

And that is true. From the traditional Jewish bagel shop serving up smoked salmon, to the Algerian cake store with queues outside, cheap and cheerful bites are plentiful. 

However, locals have been left confused how their childhood delis and traditional butchers have been branded as ‘cool’. 

‘Everyone that lives round here was laughing when they saw Blackstock Road on that list,’ local Sarah told the Daily Mail. 

‘There are some really good places to eat but I was surprised, there’s lots of crime.’ 

Family businesses dominate the high street, alongside supermarkets, a library, homes and convenience stores.

While the area is certainly buzzing, there is a sense that if a tourist were to arrive they would feel like they had been thrown into an episode of Line of Duty. 

Litter lines the street, cute coffee shops associated with ‘trendy’ London are nowhere to be found and small plates restaurants are almost impossible to find. 

By the standards of Time Out, it is unlikely the charm of the road is enough to overpower the litany of supermarkets, making one wonder how Blackstock Road has made the ‘cool’ list. 

Dingy pubs, lacking intentional decor, charge a steep, but sadly typical for London,  £7.20 for a pint. While there’s nothing wrong with traditional bars, it does make one consider if labelling a standard English institution as ‘cool’ is cheating. 

Meanwhile, house prices average at £460k, a ‘bargain’ in comparison to the rest of the capital. 

Yet it speaks volumes, to the essence of Blackstock Road. 

VERDICT: COOL BUT ONLY TO LOCALS

It is a standard street, with a community going about their everyday lives, but now, thanks to its new status, locals may have to barge past hipsters to grab a bagel on a Sunday morning.