Tampa Among America's Hippest Cities

TAMPA, FL—Tampa may not be the hippest city in America. However, according to Business Insider, the East Coast city by the bay is among the top 20 coolest places to live.

The website MoveHub created a U.S. Hipster Index that ranked cities based on factors that make them appealing to the Millenial generation, people who became adults at the start of the 21st century.

This included the prevalence of Millennial favorites such as microbreweries, thrift or resale stores, stores that sell organic foods and products for vegans and tattoo parlors.

Using the Hipster Index, Tampa ranked 17 among the top 20 hippest cities.

MoveHub attributed Tampa’s ranking on the Hipster Index to the flourishing culture in Ybor City, known for its vibrant club scene, Latin-inspired restaurants, bohemian-style specialty shops, converted cigar factories and gay pride activities.

Marketing gurus characterize hipsters as people in their 20s and 30s who are non-conformists, free thinkers and tend to shun mainstream culture.

They like to shop at thrift stores for vintage clothing; they prefer locally made beers and wines; and they favor free-range chicken and organically grown vegetables.

You’ll find hipsters shopping for vintage styles at La France and Revolve Ybor Clothing Exchange on 7th Avenue, sampling beer at the Tampa Bay Brewing Company on 9th Avenue and choosing farm-fresh produce at the Ybor City Saturday Market.

Ybor City and the surrounding area also appealed to the wallets of Millennials. According to the website www.rentometer.com, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Ybor City is a relatively modest $1,311. As an added enticement for this generation, Ybor City offers a number of unique living spaces such as the Box Factory Lofts on 2nd Avenue and the soon-to-be converted Oliva Tobacco Co. building.

Add to those incentives Ybor City’s myriad hipster-appealing festivals and parades like the Gasparilla Night Parade, the Heritage and Cigar Festival and the Fantasma Fest.

As for nightlife, Ybor City is renowned for its variety of bars and clubs such as the Ybor City Jazz House, The Castle, Club Prana and Club Skye.

So, which cities were ranked hippest by MoveHub? The answer may come as a surprise to many.

Number 1 on the list is Vancouver, Washington, due to its high density of tattoo parlors and microbreweries.

Coming in second was Salt Lake City, Utah, for its outdoors appeal to Millennials including activities such as biking, hiking and skiing.

However, the city that spawned Starbucks Coffee and grunge rock ranked last on the list. While Seattle, Washington, has plenty of microbreweries, gourmet coffee shops and thrift stores, it falls short of being an affordable place for hipsters to live.

Here is a list of the top 20 hippest cities:

1. Vancouver, Washington
2. Salt Lake City, Utah
3. Cincinnati, Ohio
4. Boise, Idaho
5. Richmond, Virginia
6. Tacoma, Washington
7. Spokane, Washington
8. Atlanta, Georgia
9. Grand Rapids, Michigan
10. Rochester, New York
11. Orlando, Florida
12. Portland, Oregon
13. Knoxville, Tennessee
14. Tucson, Arizona
15. Santa Rosa, California
16. Huntsville, Alabama
17. Tampa, Florida
18. Reno, Nevada
19. Albuquerque, New Mexico
20. Seattle, Washington

Photo via Ybor City Chamber of Commerce