Grafton Street in Dublin , Ireland
On its face , Grafton Street is simply Dublin ’ s main shopping and dining district — home to unique boutiques , designer brands , and restaurants and pubs galore . But its buskers are what set it apart . Every day , dozens of musicians , poets , and mimes dot its sidewalks , performing for the crowds . Since 2009 , Grafton Street shoppers have been treated to a very special busk on Christmas Eve : Bono , the leader singer of the Irish rock band U2 , plays a set to raise money for homelessness .
Ferhadija Street in Sarajevo , Bosnia & Herzegovina
To walk along Sarajevo ’ s main pedestrian thoroughfare is to — quite literally — experience the intersection of east and west . The street ’ s eastern section is surrounded by mosques and Ottoman-era turrets , while the western portion is flanked by churches and buildings adored with Austro-Hungarian flourishes . The entire route is dotted with museums and monuments dedicated to Bosnia & Herzegovina ’ s bitter struggle to reconcile its ethnic and cultural differences , including the Museum of Crimes Against Humanity , and a gallery dedicated to the 8,000 Bosniak Muslims murdered by Orthodox Serbs in Srebrenica in 1995 .
Buchanan Street in Glasgow , Scotland
İstiklal Avenue in Istanbul , Turkey
During the 19th century , European merchants , diplomats , and intellectuals living in Istanbul transformed İstiklal Avenue into Turkey ’ s premier destination for theater , art , and fine dining . Today , İstiklal caters more to shoppers than to socialites — but it hasn ’ t lost its 19th-century sophistication . Many of the avenue ’ s Neoclassical and Art Nouveau buildings have been preserved ; a vintage , red trolley runs the length of it ; and visitors can still find historic cinemas , passageways , and churches tucked among its modern amenities .
Today , Buchanan Street is one of the finest destinations in Glasgow — home to upscale shops , a museum , and a library , all of which occupy elegant Victorian and Edwardian buildings . But its origins aren ’ t exactly pretty : The street was founded in the 18th century by the Buchanan family , Scottish tobacco merchants who built an immense fortune , in part , on the backs of Southern slaves . Over time , a smattering of workshops , villas , and commercial buildings popped up along the route , but it wasn ’ t until 1997 that a British design firm transformed Buchanan Street into the perfectly manicured promenade it is today .
St . George ’ s Mall in Cape Town , South Africa
With its myriad cafés , trendy shops , and Italianate architecture , St . George ’ s Mall has a distinctly European flair . Stalls filled with colorful artwork , beaded jewelry , and animal carvings hint at the street ’ s African heritage , but the biggest reminder sits at the southwestern end : It ’ s St . George ’ s Cathedral , the ecclesiastical home of Archbishop and activist Desmond Tutu . Tutu ’ s anti-apartheid marches often began on the church ’ s steps — and ultimately brought an end to more than 50 years of minority European rule in South Africa .
DISPATCHES • AUGUST 2022 29