Hip to be square

The hippest hipster neighborhoods in America? East Austin makes Forbes' top 10

Photo by: Gavan Murphy
Cinema East
Photo by: Jon Shapley
Paul Qui's East Side King
Photo by Aimee Wenske

What's the hippest hood of them all? Forbes' did a little cross-country digging and on Thursday announced its inaugural list of America's Hippest Hipster Neighborhoods.

With the help of Nextdoor.com and Walkscore.com, Forbes compared 250 U.S. neighborhoods, ranking them based on walkability, coffee shops per capita, food trucks, locally-owned bars and restaurants, number and frequency of farmers markets and those working in artistic occupations.

For even more street cred, Forbes' also factored in "Nextdoor’s Neighborhood 'Hipness' Index, which is based on how often words associated with hipness (for example art, gallery, designer, musician) appeared on each Nextdoor neighborhood’s site pages."

The results? Austin — "East Austin" to be more specific — ranks No. 7 on the inaugural list, and is one of the few that doesn't lie on the East or West Coast:

East Austin has unseated South Congress and Travis Heights as Austin's newest hipster home base, according to Nextdoor.com. It not only touts some of the most highly rated Mexican eateries in the country but also coffee shops, a farmers market and food trucks like the East Side King parked outside of bars and music venues every night.

Dominated with free-loving communities on both coasts, the list runs the gammut — from PDX to BKLYN. Here's the official top 10.

Silver Lake, Los Angeles
Mission District, San Francisco
Williamsburg, Brooklyn
Wicker Park, Chicago
Pearl District, Portland
H Street Corridor, Washington D.C.
East Austin, Austin
Capitol Hill, Seattle
The Uptown, Oakland
Warehouse District, New Orleans

According to Forbes, Silver Lake is the dream city for those who want to "pick up a cup of single-origin java from a coffee shop on your corner," "grab a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich from a food truck," "[forage] for organic veggies at a farmers market" and close out the day with "the latest hot indie band play[ing] on a small stage through the wee hours of the morning."

If that's what makes a happy hipster, then I'd say we in East (West, North or South) Austin are pretty well set, eh?

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Weed News

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas files bill protecting cannabis

Redheaded Blackbelt

Let's make it legal.

Texas Rep. Jessica González of Dallas has filed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana in Texas. House Bill 1208 would legalize the cultivation, manufacturing, transportation, and sale of cannabis.

The bill would allow adults 21 and older to use, possess, and transport up to 2.5 ounces of cannabis for personal use. Adults could also keep up to 10 ounces of cannabis in their residence, as long as it is stored in a secure location.

Smoking or consuming cannabis while in a public place or in a car on a public road would not be allowed.

Gonzalez filed the bill in mid-November, one in a suite of bills that also included expanding insurance coverage for in vitro fertilization for LGBTQ couples; and requiring landlords to disclose all fees before a rental lease is signed.

Her bill was filed prior to an initiative launched by Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick on December 4 to ban THC products in Texas entirely.

In addition to legalizing recreational use, the bill also makes provisions for its production and sale including requiring that the packaging be child-resistant and clearly labeled, so that it's not confused for candy.

Businesses looking to grow, transport, test, or sell cannabis would need to be licensed by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. A 10 percent tax would be imposed on the sale of all cannabis and cannabis products. Some of the profits would go towards funding public schools.

If passed, the bill would take effect on September 1, 2025.

Medical cannabis is currently legal in Texas under the Texas Compassionate Use Program, which allows low-THC cannabis to be prescribed for conditions such as epilepsy, MS, autism, cancer, and post-traumatic stress disorder.

Some cities have also approved decriminalization for the possession of four ounces or less of marijuana, including Austin, Bastrop, Dallas, Denton, Elgin, Killeen, and Lockhart.

politics marijuana