Cool needs no translation and hipsters are cool across the globe . With the help of Simply Be, we list our top seven trendiest cities from around the world to add to your Bohemian bucket list
A hipster is a firstmover, they are resident cool kids who live outside of the social mainstream and standout from the crowds. They know what’s trendy before it becomes cool. They know the location of the most eclectic eateries and where the quirkiest bars hide all over the world before anyone else does. So if you want to stay one step ahead and avoid the crowds when picking somewhere to holiday then what’s the obvious thing to do? Follow the trail of hipsters. If you want to know about the hippest of hipster hotspots then read on and embrace your inner bohemian.
Bushwick, Brooklyn New York
For the last few years, Williamsburg has been the epicenter of Brooklyn cool. However, apartments have hit a staggering $4 million plus and as a result, the trendy hipsters and creative types have moved on to a new neighbourhood called Bushwick. New dive bars, bodegas, vintage markets, yoga studios, great eats, great art and gallery spaces are flourishing in this area, fuelled by the movement of the hipsters that have been setting up residence in Bushwick’s converted loft spaces. However, although Bushwick has been revitalised and reinvented, the industrial edginess of the area is still very much apparent in the heart of the neighbourhood. To get to Bushwick just take the L subway line to Jefferson Street and start wandering.
District VII, Budapest, Hungary
Budapest has earned a reputation as being THE playground for twenty something hipsters and District VII is definitely the hippest place in capital. Once ravaged by war, District VII was left run-down and ruined for many years, but after undergoing a restless revitalisation this historic Jewish corner has blossomed into an up-and-coming cultural hub. Jammed with bars, cafés and restaurants, the bohemian atmosphere of District VII has been likened to Berlin’s Kreuzberg. If your planning a visit then hitting the ruin pubs with their worn-down pieces of furniture and thrifty interiors should definitely be on your list of things to do. The best ruin pubs have live music and DJs on the weekends, as well as film nights and art exhibitions.
Ossington Strip, Toronto Canada
The Ossington Strip in downtown Toronto has become synonymous with absolute hipsterdom. Occupied by rows of cute bakeries and cutting-edge bars, the Ossington Strip is fast gaining a name for itself as a hub for great food and even greater drinks. The best time to visit is at night where you’ll have a hiptastic choice of bars to visit, of which the locals won’t want you to discover.
Surry Hills, Sydney, Australia
Once a sketchy crime-ridden corner, Surry Hills is now one of Sydney’s most artistically-vibrant neighbourhoods. This area is is a major player in Sydney’s foodie revolution. It is like an urban food court brim full of Sydney’s most innovative chef, restaurants and cafes. In fact, some have heralded the buzzing ‘burb as the very epicentre of the city’s food scene. Also if you like shopping then head on over to Surry (as the locals call it) for some seriously cool vintage shops and markets.
Fès el-Bali, Morocco
Behind the high city walls of Fès el-Bali, the 9400 twisting alleys of this medina are alive with markets, mosques, medersas, fondouks and monuments. Fès el-Bali is the largest living medieval city in the world and for centuries it attracted and nourished a community of poets, musicians and intellectuals. Today its trades and crafts have hardly changed in 1,000 years. Packed with market stalls and shops selling everything from local exotic food to unique local products, you almost feel like you have taken a step back in time when you enter the incredible maze that is Fès el-Bali. For a taste of art, culture and all other things that hipsters like, Fès el-Bali is a must.
Parnell, Auckland New Zealand
Parnell, which is one of Auckland’s oldest suburbs is full of charm and character. This area is lined with great cafes and speciality shops, art galleries and beautiful gardens. The Rose Garden is a good way to spend an hour or two of your day after hitting up Parnell’s boutique stores and grabbing a coffee at one of the cafés housed in a gorgeous Victorian villas.
Habana Vieja, Cuba
Habana Vieja is the hippest hub in Havana, bursting with a plethora of historical, cultural, and architectural highlights. This bustling baroque district plays host to Cuba’s coolest, not to mention a fair few tourists looking for a piece of the city’s action. This hipster hub is famous for the Catedral de San Cristoal de la Habana at the Plaza de la Catedral. Also, it is renown for Hemingway’s bar, “La Bodeguita del Medio”, famous for its daiquiris and for having been one of the favourite hangouts of Ernest Hemingway in Havana. Anywhere that combines literature and drinking is definitely on the bohemian bucket list as a hipster’s heaven.
For more inspiration check out the hipster holiday map from Simply be here: www.simplybe.co.uk which gives suggestions of where to go as well as what to do and wear.