Which is more "hipster"-- Arlington or Alexandria?

[MedvedActual]

Del Ray x3. There quite a bit just to observe "hipsters in the wild..."

[chazas]

Arlington, but neither, really.

[gomason]

Originally Posted by Deeman804

I would focus your search on south Arlington (Shirlington/Columbia Pike) and Del Ray to compare the most hipster. Really, you should have had a neither option. All the hipsters are in DC and it's a not-so-high amount compared to other major northeast cities.

This. Outside of Del Ray, Alexandria just has too many old people to ever be "hipster" IMO.

[frostopsy]

Old Town Alexandria is yuppie. The only "hipster" type part of town would be Del Ray, but even that isn't very hipsterish. Honestly, if you want hipster (which I don't exactly find desirable) you are actually better off in DC proper. Adams Morgan, H street, and Columbia Heights would be good places to start.

[SmoothGuy]

Shirlington in Arlington (near Busboys and Poets)

Del Ray in Alexandria

Neither area is really that hipster though

[Back to NE]

Originally Posted by gomason

This. Outside of Del Ray, Alexandria just has too many old people to ever be "hipster" IMO.

Right, but even Del Ray is dominated by couples with kids. I don't really think you can be a hipster if you have kids (unless you raise them in seriously unconventional ways).

Arlington is the correct answer though because it is the frequent alternative for young people who don't move to DC instead. It is newer, younger, closer to DC, easier to get by w/o a car, and closer to urban living than Alexandria (in most places).

[Ffxdata]

Having lived in hipster Mecca Austin, these cities do not cut it for hipster. Hipster is more than plaid and beards (which Arlington has some of and Del Ray a few too). Hipster things from Austin:

They sell artisanal toast (yes meaning just the bread) for $6 a slice.
There is a bar on east side where on the outside it says it's a floppy disk repair shop, and you have to know and type in the code to get in.
Most people don't "believe" in kids.

Arlington and Alexandria just aren't hipster.

[SteelCityRising]

Williamsburg, Brooklyn has hipsters.
Austin has hipsters.
Lawrenceville, Pittsburgh has hipsters.
Portland, OR has hipsters.
Boulder, CO has hipsters.
Allentown, Buffalo has hipsters.
Berkeley, CA has hipsters.
Seattle has hipsters.
Asheville, NC has hipsters.
I'm missing a zillion other places.

Northern Virginia, however, does NOT have hipsters---at least not in a critical mass. The prevailing occupations, educational levels, IQs, and often snobbiness of the hipster-aged populace in NoVA isn't exactly attractive for hipsters to run amok in.