Do you ever have one of those moments where you sort of notice something, move on, and then sudden realization pours over you and you do that intense double take of disbelief? Well, that just happened. Not two minutes before I began typing away at this I noticed something very strange on my Yelp app for Android.
You see, I was looking up Vietnamese food places because I have an obsession with phở (no really, I have two phở shirts and crave it often) when I noticed that Yelp users have the option to categorize the ambiance of an establishment as - you guessed it - Hipster! WHAAAAT?! That's an ambiance?! Or is it the ironic lack of ambiance? Or maybe the scale of how intensely the other patrons will judge you during your meal? Or maybe how often M.Ward can be heard softly playing in the background and bar fights erupt because -as we all know - Pitchfork totally ruined M.Ward for the rest of us!
However, I'm not the only one who finds this crazy. And what does Hipster ambiance mean?
The New York Post defines a "hipster ambiance" as one that caters to the "skinny-jeans-wearing, Pabst Blue Ribbon-swilling, somber-and-ironic crowd." Ha - need some "organic eucalyptus based salve" for that burn?
Despite the confusing categorization this tag has been popping up everywhere, my home city of course being VERY guilty of over using it. And during my research - I mean how could I not do a little research?!?! I had faith that society would never come to this! - I discovered that an eatery I have been to many times has the Yelp Hipster stamp of approval.
Ah, Roberta's in Brooklyn, NY
Now, I know what you're thinking... You ate there?! To be fair... My mom made me. She's a sucker for food trends. But, they have AMAZINGLY good pizza. Not that it's any excuse. It seems to have all the obvious signs of Hipsterdom. Shabby outside with a warm and rustic interior, PBR on tap, paper table cloths so hipsters may write out their theories on life and Pitchfork, and you can probably assume the rest.
So, next time you go on Yelp and see that little Hipster category pop-up... this is what you should expect. Who knows, it may become useful for some who like to avoid this kind of crowd/service. I know my mom is always annoyed by how inattentive, tattooed, and creepy casual the waiters at Roberta's are - I usually just marvel at the perfect sloppy yet elegant updos and fierce ensembles (BOWTIES FTW!).
But, I fear this may cause a segregation as well. No matter how good Roberta's pizza is, if the ratio of Hipster to normal person becomes Hipsters and just me... I'll be pissed.
Then again, I think I am giving Yelp waaaay too much credit here and I don't think it dictates people's eating/drinking habits nearly as much as it does for me. Maybe this wont do a thing, but if they let you use it as a search term SO HELP ME I will sue!!!
So, stop overusing the Hipster function! I'm looking at you Portland, Seattle, Brooklyn, and LA... we're watching you.
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Credit For Photos:
Image of Roberta's in BK: www.seriouseats.com
Image of Yelp: pdx.eater.com
You see, I was looking up Vietnamese food places because I have an obsession with phở (no really, I have two phở shirts and crave it often) when I noticed that Yelp users have the option to categorize the ambiance of an establishment as - you guessed it - Hipster! WHAAAAT?! That's an ambiance?! Or is it the ironic lack of ambiance? Or maybe the scale of how intensely the other patrons will judge you during your meal? Or maybe how often M.Ward can be heard softly playing in the background and bar fights erupt because -as we all know - Pitchfork totally ruined M.Ward for the rest of us!
However, I'm not the only one who finds this crazy. And what does Hipster ambiance mean?
The New York Post defines a "hipster ambiance" as one that caters to the "skinny-jeans-wearing, Pabst Blue Ribbon-swilling, somber-and-ironic crowd." Ha - need some "organic eucalyptus based salve" for that burn?
Despite the confusing categorization this tag has been popping up everywhere, my home city of course being VERY guilty of over using it. And during my research - I mean how could I not do a little research?!?! I had faith that society would never come to this! - I discovered that an eatery I have been to many times has the Yelp Hipster stamp of approval.
Ah, Roberta's in Brooklyn, NY
Now, I know what you're thinking... You ate there?! To be fair... My mom made me. She's a sucker for food trends. But, they have AMAZINGLY good pizza. Not that it's any excuse. It seems to have all the obvious signs of Hipsterdom. Shabby outside with a warm and rustic interior, PBR on tap, paper table cloths so hipsters may write out their theories on life and Pitchfork, and you can probably assume the rest.
So, next time you go on Yelp and see that little Hipster category pop-up... this is what you should expect. Who knows, it may become useful for some who like to avoid this kind of crowd/service. I know my mom is always annoyed by how inattentive, tattooed, and creepy casual the waiters at Roberta's are - I usually just marvel at the perfect sloppy yet elegant updos and fierce ensembles (BOWTIES FTW!).
But, I fear this may cause a segregation as well. No matter how good Roberta's pizza is, if the ratio of Hipster to normal person becomes Hipsters and just me... I'll be pissed.
Then again, I think I am giving Yelp waaaay too much credit here and I don't think it dictates people's eating/drinking habits nearly as much as it does for me. Maybe this wont do a thing, but if they let you use it as a search term SO HELP ME I will sue!!!
So, stop overusing the Hipster function! I'm looking at you Portland, Seattle, Brooklyn, and LA... we're watching you.
----------------
Credit For Photos:
Image of Roberta's in BK: www.seriouseats.com
Image of Yelp: pdx.eater.com
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