Whether you’re living in your mom’s basement or have struck out on your own, one thing you’ll notice is the presence of hipsters. Some cities have more than their fair share, and some really are up and coming hipster enclaves.
If you’re looking for a place that has all your hipster needs or you want to find some time for hipster spotting, we’ve got a great list of cities that have everything you need.
Hipster Spotting -The Comprehensive Hipster Cities List
Here are our favorite hipster cities.
Our list happens in no particular order, but you’ll be guaranteed to find hipsters in their natural habitat. Plus, we’ve got some recommendations for how to get into the spirit of your hipster city even if you can’t be there.
With souvenirs and everything these hipster cities have to offer, it’s a win-win. Let’s take a look.
Portland – Keep Portland Weird
Of course, we’d start with Portland. It’s the land of the most ridiculous hipster show of all, the great Portlandia, and it’s crawling with hipsters and weirdos at every corner.
Portland is the reigning champion of all things hipster with the most vegan restaurants to people ratio and the world’s first mini-mall.
Portland is a fantastic town with lots of culture and art. And despite the fun characters from the show, the city actually has a thriving art and literature scene.
It is highly trendy, though, but despite that reputation, it still manages to maintain its fringe image
If you want to get into the spirit of Portland, you can go with something like this. A Portlandia Cookbook like this one is a great way to get into the spirit of the city.
Cook up a few fun recipes and invite some friends over.
Reno, Nevada – The Biggest Little Hipster City
Reno is a wonderful little city with lots of hipster cred. It’s got beautiful views from the foot of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, giving any hipster with a love for the outdoors a thrill.
And because it’s located so close to nature, hipsters can get their fill of both the city and the great outdoors.
It has plenty of art galleries and things to do once you get in from nature -galleries, zoos, and enough hipster eateries to make sure that there’s never any lack of things to do. With Lake Tahoe just a short drive, it’s a hipster paradise.
To get into the spirit of Reno, a t-shirt like this one is a hilarious way to say that you love Reno. It’s washable and comfortable to wear.
- Funny Nevada shirt Reno is calling and I must go funny Reno NV t shirt makes a great gift for Birthdays, Christmas, Mother's Day, Father's Day, Anniversary, Gift Exchanges,...
- Perfect gift for anyone who love Reno Nevada, who call Reno home, who travel to Reno or who live in there.
- Lightweight, Classic fit, Double-needle sleeve and bottom hem
Brighton, England – England’s Hipster Mecca
Brighton is an amazing seaside town with so much to offer. The southern England town has plenty of vegan eateries, coffee shops, and lots of record stores for finding that one true record.
It’s got lots of culture and fun things to do.
It does have nine record stores per 100,000 people and some of the most coffee shops of any hipster shop on the planet. There’s also plenty of vegan restaurants, so you’ll never have to go without your favorite vegan food.
This vintage style Brighton poster is a great decorative item to remind you of your favorite hipster city. It’s done in the style of vintage travel posters and is an entertaining gift for a hostess or for your new home.
Athens, Georgia – Music and Football
Ok, most people may know the city of Athens by the University of Georgia football, but the city boasts a lot more than that. It’s the home of hipster favorites from the past, REM and the B-52s. It has lots of vintage clothing stores and a really walkable downtown area.
Five and Ten is often cited as the best restaurant in the south, and the music scene is incredible. There are plenty of underground bands to hear on the campus, and you can hang out at the local bars with the locals.
Plus, there are some great local staples as well as a very walkable university campus for fun things like student art shows or theater.
A super fun thing to get into the spirit of the city is the ironic hanging of Ugga, the famed bulldog. You can display it ironically or develop a fun connection with the team and the city.
- Embossed aluminum shield/route sign
- Team colors and logo
- Two holes for easy mounting
Santa Rosa, California – San Francisco Lite
For hipsters who can’t afford the sky-high real estate of San Francisco, there’s always the chance to move just a few hours north to Santa Rosa. It’s at the heart of wine country and features plenty of thrift stores to make the biggest hipster happy.
It’s also home to quite a few microbreweries and vegan restaurants.
Plus, the area is a beautiful part of the Northern California nature scene. Hipsters could easily spend weeks discovering everything the area has to offer with the great outdoors. Wine, beer, and the great outdoors cover just about anything a hipster could want from the great state of California.
These Santa Rosa souvenir shot classes are a really fun way to honor the slightly boozy history of Santa Rosa. It has a thick square base and bright graphics with a vintage feel to it — such a great little thing to bring you joy.
- Holds up to 2 oz
- Thick square base
- Bright, colorful graphics
Lisbon, Portugal – Old World Hipsters
Lisbon offers a taste of old-world Europe. It offers excellent shopping where hipsters can find one of a kind items and eat amazing Portuguese food and drink incredible Portuguese wine.
It even provides some of the most vintage boutiques in the world and some impressive vegan restaurants.
It’s an amazing and bold city with lots of fun fashion, great art, and good theater. The vintage shops and the beautiful scene is incredible.
The whole city is well laid out just enough to get delightfully lost and unusual sights in some of the most amazing parts of the world.
For you readers, a history of Portugal’s empire is on the docket – Conquerors: How Portugal Forged the First Global Empire. It’s a look at how Portugal began their exploration of the world while other countries were struggling to catch up.
- Amazon Kindle Edition
- Crowley, Roger (Author)
- English (Publication Language)
While Portugal began to fade into the background later, it does have a fascinating story.
Albuquerque, New Mexico – Hipster on the Rio Grande
Albuquerque is an amazing little city that’s done a lot to preserve its native heritage. It’s a beautiful little town with lots of thrift shops and fun places to eat.
The color of the city and its influence from both tribal and neighboring countries is an enjoyable culture that’s perfect for individualists everywhere.
With hipsters, the attention to preserving the history of the city is a huge bonus. The city has been preserved with lots of new things happening to blend with both history and modern times.
It’s a great choice with not a snowflake in sight.
The Jigsaw Puzzle Factory’s colorful puzzle is a throwback hobby for staying in. If your hipster (or you) is an introvert, a puzzle and a movie could be just the thing.
It’s a 750 piece puzzle and suitable for framing.
- Hometown reflections – Albuquerque express is a 750-Piece jigsaw puzzle. Poster included.
- Albuquerque express features the artwork of cherished Americana artist, Anthony Klee
- These puzzle pieces are precision cut on quality blue board and no two pieces are the same.
Kansas City, Kansas – High and Low Hipster Culture
Kansas City offers a blend of both high culture like amazing museums right next to BBQ joints known for their special sauce. Hipsters could catch a baseball game and then head over to a performance at the Performing Arts Center.
It offers fantastic food, including barbecue and world-class Mexican food. It’s full of local artisans from jewelry to art, and the entire atmosphere is casual enough to be a really fun environment.
This set of Kansas City coasters are tiny maps of this fun city. They are made of natural wood and are a fun way to add a little pop of personality to your apartment.
- Handmade Original design ideal gifts.
- Made by Natural Sapele wood. Very elaborate map details.
- Size:9.2x9.2x0.4cm,(3-5/8"×3-5/8"×1/8") for 1 piece
Seattle, Washington – Of Course
We couldn’t leave the list without mentioning Seattle. It might be in competition with Portland, but it’s a hipster city all its own. The city is filled with coffee, microbreweries, and excellent music.
It’s home to many different types of neighborhoods. No matter what your interest is, there’s a perfect neighborhood.
It has both young neighborhoods and areas where it’s great to raise a little hipster family.
So how hilarious is this little rain globe? Seattle is known for its spot-on depiction of Seattle’s weather. It’s a real raining microcosm with the Needle and comes in its own box.
- Inspired by the snow globe, it's the globe that rains!
- Contains the beauty of rainy Seattle: the Space Needle, the Great Wheel, Smith Tower, Mount Rainier, and Pike Place Market.
- Unique, fun gift or souvenir that rains on the inside!
Finding Your Hipster City
The perfect hipster city is out there for you. While you may not be able to move now, you could find that even your own city has a few hipsters in it.
Any city with some culture and good food is a hipster magnet – even better if you have good music.
All the cities on our list have multiple thrift stores, excellent microbreweries, and plenty of coffee. With art museums and a lot of beauty with the great outdoors, there’s so much to offer in these cities, whether you’re a hipster or just interested in hipster culture, add one of these cities to your list.