While we'd all love to think
America has cornered the market
on pretentious affectations and aloof behavior, the sad truth is that
hipsters are by no means a domestic anomaly -- quite the opposite, in
fact. From Singapore to Stockholm, whole neighborhoods have been overrun
with raw denim, ironic sunglasses, and a deep appreciation of the
superiority of vinyl records. Here are 10 of the biggest hipster
colonies in the world.
10. Kreuzberg — Berlin, Germany
This section of Berlin's deeply entrenched in punk rock history (Iggy
Pop lived here!), a pedigree it retains to this day; the nightlife's
legit, and hipsters looking to feel dangerous can still hit up the
legendary SO36 punk club for live music. There's even a beach bar with a
large, floating swimming pool in the Spree river, because non-floating pools are way too mainstream.
9. Malasaña — Madrid, Spain
Heralded as the heart of the city's counterculture scene, Malasaña's a
haven for fixie bikes, beards, and some of the deepest V's on the
continent. Cafes and obscure book shops line the renovated streets, and
the second-hand stores bustle with snappy dressers looking to up their
vintage sock game.
Protip: Hipsters are called "modernos" in Spanish. Translated to
English, it means "people who totally liked Edison bulbs before they
were cool".
8. Tiong Bahru — Singapore
Built in the '30s, Tiong Bahru used to be the part of town where
rich businessmen stashed their mistresses.
Nowadays, though, it's packed with foodie-approved eateries, overpriced
coffee bars, and trendy shops selling horn-rimmed glasses and mustache
wax. Sure, the locals would never
admit that they're hipsters, but isn't that what all true hipsters do? That "I prefer the drummer" t-shirt is a dead giveaway.
7. Shoreditch — London, UK
Although other hoods like Dalston and Peckham might be considered “the
new Shoreditch", the fact that anyone calls them “the new Shoreditch”
tells you everything you need to know. Like all hipster hangouts, this
place's working-class origins made it the perfect destination for the
infinity scarf set. It's now home to such tech companies as Last.fm,
Dopplr, and Songkick, although you'll still find much of the street art
and grunginess that made this neighborhood appealing in the first place.
6. Södermalm — Stockholm, Sweden
The Swedes love Brooklyn,
so it should come as no surprise that Stockholm's hippest hood seeks to
emulate the place. Between the bottles of Brooklyn Brewery and the fact
that there's an area called
SoFo, it's hard to deny the level of influence that NYC's had on Söder.
Yeah, that's right; nobody calls it Södermalm anymore, presumably
because the name immediately calls to mind everyone's favorite IKEA
bedroom series. Flat-pack furniture is
so 2003.
5. Fitzroy — Melbourne, Australia
The Fitzroy district is home to the annual Melbourne Fringe Festival,
and as such it attracts all manner of quirky, open-minded artistic
types. While you'd think this might foster a welcoming attitude, the
locals know it's only a matter of time before the scale is tipped and
Fitzroy becomes inexplicably "uncool".
At that point, they'll all jump ship and start the whole process over again in
Brunswick -- it's arguably the second-most hipster part of town.
4. Vesterbro — Copenhagen, Denmark
Formerly known for its sex industry, as well as the
large number of butchers who worked there (no connection), Vesterbro's become a beacon of trendiness in an already hip town. It's even home to the
smallest coffee shop (and hotel) in the city.
If that wasn't enough, consider this: we've already established that Copenhagen's one of
the world's most bike-friendly cities, and if there's one thing that hipsters love, it's bicycles. That, and Fjällräven backpacks.
3. Amsterdam-Noord — Amsterdam, Netherlands
The former industrial warehouses of Amsterdam-Noord have been overtaken
by the city's bearded urban explorers, who now use them for art
galleries, skate parks, pop-up restaurants, and music festivals. Much to
the dismay of the locals, the seeds of gentrification have already been
sown here:
Red Bull and MTV have opened up offices on the waterfront, and smaller startups are also starting to reshape the landscape.
2. Florentin — Tel Aviv, Israel
A TV show from the '90s
with the same name put Florentin on the map, but it's the blend of
traditional culture and contemporary style that ultimately drew the
hipster crowd there. In a city already known for its Bauhaus-style
architecture, inspired street art, and 24-hour nightlife, Florentin's
the go-to spot for artists, musicians, and people who dress like artists
and musicians.
1. Williamsburg — New York, New York
Come on, you knew it was coming; like a guy named Silas getting "Hold
Fast" tattooed on his knuckles, it was inevitable. While there are
certainly arguments to be made for places like Portland, Seattle, and
Boulder, the simple fact remains: If hipsters have a mecca, it's most
certainly Williamsburg. A world of bow ties, trilby hats, and suede
chukka boots, where everyone's an amateur photographer with an
unnecessarily expensive DSLR camera, Billyburg (Ed note: Yuck) is the
German vagina sculpture from which all hipsters are birthed.
Gianni Jaccoma
is an editorial assistant for Thrillist Travel, and has been described
as a “hipster doofus” on multiple occasions. Join him in obscurity on
Twitter @gjaccoma.
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