Does Boston\Cambridge have any hipster neighborhoods? (Brookline, Malden: college, live)

[Caymon83]

Just curious, heading up to Boston this weekend.

Is there any thing in Boston or Cambridge that is similar to a Northern Liberties/Williamsburg/Wicker Park type neighborhood?

Maybe Central or Inman Square or are those areas more college areas?

[brightyellowhaha]

Having lived both in Brooklyn and Boston for many years yes Boston does... although it's not as evident as being on Bedford Ave in Wburg.

In Boston there is the Allston/Brighton neighborhoods and I would say that is a lot like Wburg but more college aged rather than mid-late 20's. Jamaica Plain is a lot like Greenpoint. I lived in JP for several years and loved it and I lived in Greenpoint and love it too. JP geographically is a little out of the way but still very accessible to Allston/Brighton and then out to Cambridge. What's nice is that there are really good restaurants and bars and not nearly as many college aged kids as in Allston/Brighton. It's more professional by day and partier by night. HTH!

[Cantabridgienne]

Not as dense as Wicker Park or Williamsburg, but Allston or Central Square are probably what you're looking for.

[Caymon83]

Thanks for the suggestions. That kind of what I was thinking. I will have to check out Jamaica Plain. I have never made it out there before.

[UsAll]

A sincere question born out of my intellectual curiosity:

What, in this day and age (being year 2011) is considered to be a "hipster"? Please describe the characteristics that make one a "hipster" (versus a "non-hipster") in year 2011.

Being that all or nearly all the characteristics that made someone "hip" in the 1960s or early 1970s has been wholly absorbed into or usurped by the larger society, how does one separate out a "hip" neighborhood or area from a "non-hip" neighborhood or area? Like Central Square (Cambridge) is "hip" but Coolidge Corner or Brookline Village (both in Brookline) are not? Is Kenmore Square (Boston) "hip" or not? Is the Symphony Hall area "hip" or not? Is the South End (Boston) "hip" or not?

In short, what makes an area "hip" versus "non-hip"?

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by UsAll

A sincere question born out of my intellectual curiosity:

What, in this day and age (being year 2011) is considered to be a "hipster"? Please describe the characteristics that make one a "hipster" (versus a "non-hipster") in year 2011.

Being that all or nearly all the characteristics that made someone "hip" in the 1960s or early 1970s has been wholly absorbed into or usurped by the larger society, how does one separate out a "hip" neighborhood or area from a "non-hip" neighborhood or area? Like Central Square (Cambridge) is "hip" but Coolidge Corner or Brookline Village (both in Brookline) are not? Is Kenmore Square (Boston) "hip" or not? Is the Symphony Hall area "hip" or not? Is the South End (Boston) "hip" or not?

In short, what makes an area "hip" versus "non-hip"?

I lived in NYC for few years, and there was a hipster neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I also lived in Portland Oregon, which is another huge hipster destination.

Basic elements I saw was conforming very strongly to very particular images in your discussion and dress and everything else. If you were unable to CONFORM specifically to those norms, you weren't a hipster.

Hipsterism is about conforming to an image of non-confirming. You also have to have stories of how hard it was to conform to other groups throughout your whole life, which gives you more credibility in the hipster community.

In short, there is a lot of ironies in being a hipster. Most hipsters don't last much past 23 or 24 or 25...as once they start getting stop conforming to the hipster image....they're out of the hipster club.

I think it changes often, but probably some regular themes are the 'John Deer' or 'Mack Truck' baseball hat....t-shirts that have a superman logo or green lantern logo or other famous childroom/teen product on them, stuff like that. I think having had watched a lot of tv as a child/teen (they'll occassionally reference it) and a strong awareness of popular childhood games also gives you an edge in their conversations. Larger bonus points for Star Wars knowledge or random things like having had Godzilla figurines, etc.

In short, nothing like the 'beats' or 'beatnicks' or 'hippies' or whatever else from a previous generation or two back.

[UsAll]

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I lived in NYC for few years, and there was a hipster neighborhood in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. I also lived in Portland Oregon, which is another huge hipster destination.

Basic elements I saw was conforming very strongly to very particular images in your discussion and dress and everything else. If you were unable to CONFORM specifically to those norms, you weren't a hipster.

Hipsterism is about conforming to an image of non-confirming. You also have to have stories of how hard it was to conform to other groups throughout your whole life, which gives you more credibility in the hipster community.

In short, there is a lot of ironies in being a hipster. Most hipsters don't last much past 23 or 24 or 25...as once they start getting stop conforming to the hipster image....they're out of the hipster club.

I think it changes often, but probably some regular themes are the 'John Deer' or 'Mack Truck' baseball hat....t-shirts that have a superman logo or green lantern logo or other famous childroom/teen product on them, stuff like that. I think having had watched a lot of tv as a child/teen (they'll occassionally reference it) and a strong awareness of popular childhood games also gives you an edge in their conversations. Larger bonus points for Star Wars knowledge or random things like having had Godzilla figurines, etc.

In short, nothing like the 'beats' or 'beatnicks' or 'hippies' or whatever else from a previous generation or two back.

So there are WHOLE neighborhoods/towns devoted to catering to such types of people? One would think that everyone just more-or-less BLENDS IN to the population-at-large. You can find "hipsters" wandering Boston's Financial District or downtown, you can find them hanging around Dedham or Hyde Park or Savin Hill or Malden or ____________ (fill in any neighborhood or town anywhere). They work in stores as clerks or in offices or supermarkets or ______________ (fill in any type of workplace). They are EVERYWHERE, it seems to me. Maybe I am misperceiving reality as it really is.