7 Hipster Havens to Get Your Groove on ...

1. San Francisco

From its very birth, San Fran has been and is a trendsetter. Whether in regards to technology, cuisine, fashion sense or cultural style, Frisco wears its hipster crown effortlessly...and with a slightly self-satisfied ironic smirk. The gentrified Mission District is one of the city’s many hipster havens, with its vintage offerings at Batch Made market and its hand-crafted recyclables and various knick knacks found in a wide range of shops. Any hipster will feel at home in San Francisco, where being hip and free is the unofficial motto.

2. Amsterdam, Netherlands

Truly avant-garde, Amsterdam is amongst the oldest of hipster havens, with an atmosphere that’s long been too cool for school. Legal pot and abundant biking reinforces the hipster-friendly haven that is Amsterdam, as well as great music venues and tight restaurants. Though perhaps an eye-sore in a non-hipster’s point of view, for a hipster, Amsterdam-Noord, in particular, is a sight for sore eyes. In Amsterdam-Noord, old shipyards and warehouses have been reconstructed, now housing skate parks, tech offices and art studios.

3. East London, U.K

Shoreditch in East London provides a high-end, tight-jeaned atmosphere along Brick Lane and Old Street. You will be sure to run into the variety who appear to care less, while they really care most about keeping up appearances, judging by the very precision of the knot in their scarf or the decided tossle of their bedhead. Boxpark is a new addition to the area, a transient mall of sorts, created from shipping containers, and housing the latest independent fashions, cafes and galleries. Street art (aka “graffiti”) colors the building-sides, and evenings pull in crowds to the not-so-random “random” pubs.

4. Melbourne, Australia

Brunswick Street, located in Melbourne’s Fitzroy, is chock full of earthy, retro pubs and inexpensive vegan cuisine. Bustling with creative energy, Brunswick is frequented by boho artists, fashionistas and hipster hobos. As per usual, this hipster haven is decorated with street art and graffiti, and also houses Rose Street Artists Market, where you can barter for handmade jewelry, clothing and household goods.

5. Mexico City, Mexico

Mexico City’s neighborhoods of La Roma and La Condesa attract hipsters like a sweet pair of Ray-Bans to a sun beam. On Alvaro Obregon, book vendors, antique shops, and collectible kiosks are ranged sporadically, alongside Calle Orizaba and Calle Colima, art streets which house dozens of galleries. Though the area also attracts squatters and prostitutes, this shouldn’t phase hipsters, as hipsters never flinch. In MC, grunge combines effortlessly with high-end retail, landing Mexico City in fifth alongside the world’s more established hipster havens.

6. Tokyo, Japan

If you’re looking for hipster havens in Asia head to Tokyo. The west end of the Japanese capital, in particular, offers a range of antique shops, record shops, cool indie outfits, second-hand stores, bars, galleries, and live music venues. Shimokitazawa puts the shades on the bright lights, big city that is Tokyo, but remains, at its core, a cultural destination for Tokyo’s youth. As vehicles are restricted on most streets in this area, the storefronts (which are often reconstructed residences) may be explored and browsed at a hipster’s leisure, which is great, as no hipster wishes to appear any less than chill.

7. Berlin, Germany

A patchwork of hipster culture, Berlin is one of the most satisfying hipster havens in all of Europe. Görlitzer Park is the go-to location for hipster congregation, and it’s not unusual to find impromptu DJ sets or jam sessions springing up alongside park pubs, where you can kick back with a homemade brew. Hopping hipster nightlife can be found around Skalitzer Strasse and Oranien Strasse, where a love for live music, though not compulsory, comes highly recommended.

So my supercool hipster chicks, any of these hipster havens sing out to you?