Brooklyn has changed so much with the rise of the hipster that one artist set out to document her Brooklyn and all its flux, for better or worse. As coffee shops and bars spring up, founded by people willing to pretend artisanal ice is a thing, industrial hubs have been left behind. Williamsburg is the iconic New York City hipster capitol, but Greenpoint, where Girls is set, is also a big hipster destination.
Austin is famous for being a hipster enclave in the middle of a state that's not really known for artisanal donuts. Heck, they're probably doing well not to shoot people who say phrases like "artisanal donuts." Still, South and East Austin are both havens for beards, tattoos, flannel, and food trucks that keep Austin weird, however much the side north of the river is changing. Still, the hipsters may yet be unseated by "young urban creatives," the next step in hipster evolution.
(image via tracyhunter, CC)
As much as people give Portland flak for its weirdness, Capitol Hill may well be the birthplace of the West Coast hipster. Ballard and Union Park also give it a run for its money. The echoes of grunge permeate the city, and if you want to learn vegetarian cooking or rent a fixie, you won't have any trouble at all.
Oakland has garnered a reputation as "Brooklyn by the Bay." The city has seen such an influx of vegan restaurants, local beef jerky, and hula-hoopers that there are now online think pieces about how many online think pieces are about Oakland alone. Still, among the frivolity are concerns about gentrification in a region that's already one of the country's most expensive.
Denver is hardly what most people think of when they hear "hipster paradise," but it's second only to Austin in population growth. Comparisons to "Austin five years ago" abound, and placed among the many foodie destinations is Austin burger darling Hopdoddy. Of course, while the indie film theaters don't hurt the hipster influx to neighborhoods like Southmoor Park and Auraria, neither do the tons and tons of recreational weed.
It's hard to say whether Boston's hipsters are intentional or just dress in secondhand flannel because all their money is going to Harvard, BU, BC, Tufts, or Northeastern. Still, in student areas like Allston, Brighton, Cambridge, or Somerville, hipsters congregate in endless bars, yoga studios, and shops like The Bee's Knees Supply.
Atlanta has a surprising number of hipster hangouts. There's Little Five Points, with places like Sister Louisa's Church of the Living Room & Ping Pong Emporium. There's East Atlanta Village, where the Krog Street Tunnel just narrowly missed our list of best places for graffiti in the world. There's also Cabbagetown, Reynoldstown, and plenty of other districts where hipster emphasis on locally-sourced food meets good, old-fashioned Southern cooking for some truly wonderful culinary experiences.
Providence has a surprisingly high number of cafes, vegan restaurants, live music venues, and more. They've even expressed hope that the flannel-shirt-and-beard army can revitalize the local economy. Still, it's not perfect. Just 40 minutes south in West Warwick, the city started a petition to block a Chief Keef concert. It doesn't get less hipster than hating on gangster rappers.
New Orleans is experiencing incredible growth right now, and much of it stems from the swarthy, gentrifying variety, especially in places like the Warehouse District and Bywater. You're less likely to find pomaded coifs in the French Quarter, though. Try Marigny or the Garden District. Artistic graffiti abounds, and like Atlanta, hipster foodie culture is pretty comfortable alongside the rich Southern offerings for which the city is famously known.
(image via jasonparis, CC)
Hipsters are like moths—they swarm in, turn bodegas into craft breweries, then flutter away to a new location once they've driven the property value up beyond what even they can afford. Knowing that they're starting to flee Brooklyn lessens the surprise of seeing New Jersey on this list. Hoboken came first in a study that ranked the hipster-friendliness of cities by looking at population demographics, education stats, and how many cafes and yoga studios there were. Several people came out decrying the conclusion, but a slow migration does seem to be happening. What's more hipster than declaring a city to be the new hipster capital before anyone's heard of it?
(image via toddcrusham, CC)
