We love hipsters. Yes, they’re easy to make fun of (seriously, glasses without lenses?), but they also tend to attract cool things to their neighborhoods. Here are 10 painfully hipster ‘hoods around the world—add them to your list for the epic people-watching, organic food, obscure cafes, and fun bars.
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Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
New York City's Williamsburg has a long-standing reputation as one of the world's most hipster neighborhoods, so of course hipsters are claiming that this neighborhood is "over." (Maybe because fanny-packed tourists can take an official hipster tour of the place?)
Hipster Haunt: The Gutter. Obscure vintage decor? Check—the "authentic wooden lanes" were sourced from a 1970s bowling alley in Iowa. Perfect Instagram lighting? Check—they never dim the lights. Craft beer? Check—12 on tap. The Gutter rolls a perfect strike in all hipster categories.
Related: What Not to Do in New York City
Williamsburg, Brooklyn, New York
New York City's Williamsburg has a long-standing reputation as one of the world's most hipster neighborhoods, so of course hipsters are claiming that this neighborhood is "over." (Maybe because fanny-packed tourists can take an official hipster tour of the place?)
Hipster Haunt: The Gutter. Obscure vintage decor? Check—the "authentic wooden lanes" were sourced from a 1970s bowling alley in Iowa. Perfect Instagram lighting? Check—they never dim the lights. Craft beer? Check—12 on tap. The Gutter rolls a perfect strike in all hipster categories.
Related: What Not to Do in New York City
Mile End, Montreal, Canada
Mile End in Montreal is where the ultimate hipster band Arcade Fire launched its career, so if you're an indie music lover you should definitely add this spot to your travel list. Plus, you'll get the chance to spot a rare breed—the French Canadian hipster—in its natural habitat. Soak up the vibe in great cafes, art studios, and at local shows.
Hipster Haunt: Casa del Popolo describes itself as "Montreal's only family-run neighborhood vegetarian hot-spot. Part fair-trade cafe, part music venue, part resto-bar, and part art gallery." Come here for vegetarian pate, a band you've never heard of (but that will probably be really cool in the next few years), and a cheap beer.
Sant Antoni, Barcelona, Spain
The Sant Antoni neighborhood is still somewhat undiscovered among Barcelona tourists, so if you hang out here, you'll likely be bonding with locals rather than other visitors clutching the same guidebook. Head to Carrer Parlament, the main street in this area, and get ready to eat and drink your heart out at all of the trendy bars and restaurants.
Hipster Haunt: Whether you're not done partying for the night or simply getting an early start on day drinking, the Moritz Brewery Bar is open from 6:00 a.m. to 3:00 a.m. The Fabrica Moritz Barcelona calls itself a "theme park for adults"; here you can literally drink your weight in wine (although we don't recommend that), as the Bar a Vins serves wine by the weight (or glass or bottle). Adventurous beer lovers will go for the unpasteurized fresh Moritz beer sold here.
Kreuzberg, Berlin, Germany
Kreuzberg used to be a neighborhood divided, surrounded on three sides by the Berlin Wall. Now, it's a young and vibrant hot spot full of street art and cheap eats.
Hipster Haunt: Tempelhofer Park was an airport before it was cool. Now it's been revamped into a public park, and you can ride your bike or roller skate on the former runway. You can even take guided tours of the abandoned terminal building.
Buckman, Portland, Oregon
Portland has basically become synonymous with the word hipster—after all, there's an entire TV show based on the Portland stereotype. But out of the whole city, which neighborhood earns the title of ultimate hipster 'hood? Real estate website Find the Home ran the data and gave Buckman a "Hipster Score" of 86—the highest in all of Portland, due to its concentration of cafes and yoga studios, and its young and well-educated residents.
Hipster Haunt: Dig A Pony. Its website features black-and-white photos of a tattooed DJ spinning records and a bicyclist and a skateboarder high fiving. We rest our case.
District VII, Budapest
The city of Budapest has been called "the Hipster capital of Europe," and to see why, you'll want to venture to District VII. This is where you'll find ruin pubs, which are abandoned buildings that have been taken over and made into bars.
Hipster Haunt: Szimpla Kert is one of the oldest and best known ruin pubs in Budapest. The former factory is now a multi-story bar that's decorated with all kinds of hipster markings like bicycles, an antique car, and a vintage bathtub.
Related: 27 Awesome Natural Wonders in Europe
Fitzroy, Melbourne, Australia
The young and cool Australians flock to Fitzroy, Melbourne. Fitzroy used to be a derelict, dangerous suburb, but thanks to hipster gentrification, this neighborhood has reemerged as an artistic hot spot in Australia. Don't miss Brunswick Street, the heart of the area, which is lined with unique pubs and vegan cafes.
Hipster Haunt: Hipsters take their coffee and their brunch very seriously, and you'll find the best of both at Industry Beans. Expect menu items like truffle foam, porcini powder, and a coffee-rubbed Wagyu burger.
Related: Best Places to Go in Australia
Florentin, Tel Aviv, Israel
Headed to Tel Aviv? Leave room in your suitcase for all of the amazing vintage fashion you'll find, prepare your body to dance and drink all night, and come hungry for all of the epic food you'll gorge on in Florentin, Tel Aviv's hippest city.
Hipster Haunt: Underground bar Radio EPGB is so hipster that it offers FourSquare specials for people that check in.
Dalston, London
Located in the unfortunately named borough of Hackney, Dalston has recently overtaken Shoreditch as London's most-hipster neighborhood. There are enough theaters and design studios based here to guarantee epic people-watching.
Hipster Haunt: Wondering where all of these, um, interestingly dressed inhabitants are sourcing their clothes? Visit Beyond Retro and wonder no more. In this former suit factory housed in a beautiful Art Deco Building, you'll find amazing vintage fashion as well as a staff that claims to have the "highest number of tattoos per staff member" out of all of the Beyond Retro locations. Now that's hipster.
Related: Cool London Eats: A Tale of Two Tantalizing Culinary Tours
Noord, Amsterdam
Abandoned industrial spaces attract hipsters like bees to honey. Hence the high concentration in Amsterdam's Noord district. This neighborhood is full of former warehouses that are now being used for everything from pop-up restaurants to skate parks.
Hipster Haunt: Pllek is a restaurant made out of former shipping containers that serves up organic food and drink. It's also home to Amsterdam's largest disco ball, which is quite the claim to fame.
Caroline Morse does not consider herself a hipster, but you should follow her on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline and on Twitter @CarolineMorse1 anyway.
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