Melburnians have been left with some surprising news this week, after Time Out magazine ranked High Street as the coolest street in the world.

The street that runs through the city’s inner north suburbs of Northcote, Thornbury and Preston beat out the likes of Hollywood Road in Hong Kong, East Eleventh in Austin, Guatemala Street in Buenos Aires and Commercial Drive in Vancouver (the remaining top five).

As many readers would know, High Street has long been known as a ‘Greek Street’, with many post-war waves of Greeks, and other Europeans, shaping it – especially Thornbury and Northcote.

Coffeehouses, smallgoods grocers and dancehalls once filled the street, now you’ll still find a plenitude of Greek business, but gentrification has seen it become a bit ‘cooler’ for the current generation.

What makes it cool? According to Time Out, it is the abundance of offerings that appeal to both locals and visitors alike.

From the restaurants, bars, cafes, vintage stores and even the retro style Thornbury Picture House cinema.

One of the Greek businesses still running shop today is Axilleion Zaxaroplastio from Achiilion Cake Shop in Preston.

Giota has worked there for 23 years and says she has seen the changes, but everyone still loves their Greek cakes.

“High Street is busy as everyone knows, we’ve got a big community here,” she told Neos Kosmos.

“There’s a lot of Greeks but also other nationalities as well, which they learn to take our cakes.”

She also pointed to the nearby Preston Market as something that draws a lot of people onto High Street.

“You see the young generation Greeks now as well. They get to enjoy what their parents and grandparents used to do.”

Looking further, there is a vast variety of entertainment and leisure.

Melbourne City Wrestling (MCW) are in fact based out of Thornbury Theatre on High Street, there you can find Greek Australian tag team the Parea run roughshod through the rest of the wrestlers.

High Street also draws in many sports stars. On January 25, Neos Kosmos readers spotted Greek tennis star Stefanos Tsitsipas meet up with Greek Aussie’s Thanasi Kokkinakis and Nick Kyrgios for a traditional spread at GRK Greek Kitchen & Bar.

AFL retired superstar and former Carlton Football Club player Anthony Koutoufides, known by fans as ‘Kouta’, was also enjoying a night out and soon joined the tennis stars.

Another draw card to High Street is the lively music scene, with gigs being played at many bars and venues.

Last year, a new festival, Eighty-Six, took place on High Street – the name is derivative of the 86-tram line that runs through the street.

It further proved Melbourne to be a global live music capital and part of that festival was Greek Australian DJ Adriana (Lazaridis).

Neos Kosmos reached out to her to get her thoughts on High Street and what it means to Greek’s like herself.

“One of my favourite places to go to on High Street would have to be Capers,” she said.

“With lots of friendly faces, furniture that looks like it could be from Yiayia and Pappous house, and a devotion to all things Greek, Capers does an incredible job at commemorating our motherland in a hip and accessible way.”

Another place she spoke fondly of was 1800 Lasagne, where people enjoy food and live music.

However, she was most fond of remembering the history of High Street and what it means for many Greeks in the community.

“Amongst all of the new and exciting establishments that seem to be popping up, there is so much history that lies on High Street.”

“For me personally, my grandparents had their own Greek tavern, and so I harbour memories such as frequenting the kafeneio with pappou, visiting the deli for fresh cheese and getting fish and chips whilst my grandparents prepared for the service ahead.”

Some of these Greeks in High Street in particular are Thessalonians, with the Thessaloniki Association “The White Tower” located in Northcote.

Iakovos Garivaldis from the association told Neos Kosmos that the news is quite exciting but not a complete surprise.

“We were always cognisant of the variety of services to the community offered on this coolest part of the world,” he said in a statement sent to the masthead.

“The surprise was that High Street has beaten so many other important landmark streets around the planet especially in countries where tourism is very rife.

“Streets in Spain, USA, England, even Athens Greece came in the top thirty coolest streets, but our pride and joy has beat them all.”

He said this will only help promote the culture that makes what High street is today.

“We, as Thessalonians, are very proud to be part of this culture.”

Last year Brunswick East was named the sixth coolest neighbourhood in the world, another location rich in Greek Australian history, and also home to the Cyprus Community of Melbourne and Victoria.