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Are these hipsters? (Shutterstock)
Which hipster r u? (Shutterstock)
"What is a hipster?" real estate agent Tyler Harman asks. It's more complex than man buns and flannel shirts, he explains—here in Los Angeles, hipsters are mainstream, yet conceptually speaking, "really hard to pin down" and define. Sometimes it's easier if you just define them as: humans. But no, they must be labeled and defined, because they are leading a gentrification movement across the sprawl. If you aren't cringing yet, keep reading...Harman separates the hipster species into two subclasses: the Long-Time Locals and The Opportunists (or Bandwagoner). The former are "the real hipsters," who "live in gentrifying areas because they were cheap when they moved in." Catch their scent, and find your dream home for under $500K.
As far as Hipster Real Estate is concerned… They were the ones that brought the Opportunists to Silver Lake, Highland Park, Eagle Rock, and so on. The Long-Time Locals don’t so much “clear the way” for the Opportunists, instead, they simply make it socially acceptable to move into the next Opportunity Neighborhood.
These Long-Time Locals have been known to bravely depart the Sunset Triangle and "venture across the Arroyo River into East L.A. into neighborhoods like Lincoln Heights and El Sereno to make room for the Opportunists in Northeast L.A." Investors follow their lead, and start flipping houses in those areas, which Opportunists then purchase because they are the hipsters with bank accounts.
Previously, The Opportunists could be found in Silver Lake or the Arts District in DTLA, and in recent years Highland Park, Eagle Rock, Altadena's Lincoln Corridor, and Pasadena have seen a hipster movement, meaning there's "a very large concentration of investor flips that are driving up prices." Where will the hipsters strike next?
I have it on good authority that they are moving into neighborhoods like Lincoln Heights, El Sereno, and Boyle Heights pushing right up against Monterey Park, which doesn’t need more rehabilitation as it is. I predict soon they will start venturing south of The 10 Freeway and underneath Downtown L.A.
Harman suggests you school yourself on hipsters, and make sure you're "able to spot and identify the different breeds of hipsters" in the wild. This way you can "figure out which stage of gentrification and/or rehabilitation certain neighborhoods are in." Our advice: If you see a lot of hipster fences, you probably can't afford it.
