# what is the most bohemian city in the world????????



## Dissenter (Nov 17, 2005)

Left Bank of Paris in the '20s.


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## KGB (Sep 12, 2002)

agreed....I doubt anywhere will ever surpass 1920's Paris.






KGB


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## Rene Nunez (Mar 14, 2005)

I found Buenos Aires to be quite bohemian.Plus I think many people here are mistaking bohemian for a place where "cool" people around their 20s/30s live...I dont feel any area in the USA is truly bohemian. They're all gentrified.


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## AcesHigh (Feb 20, 2003)

at least in Brasil, bohemian has the meaning of "night life". A bohemian city is a city with lots of night life, preferably the later it sleeps, the more bohemian it is.


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## AMS guy (Jun 27, 2003)

I'd say that if we compare the city's size with the amount of its alternative, artistic, weird inhabitants, then *Amsterdam* could be the number one Bohemian city in Europe.

Amsterdam has a very "no-mainstream" mentality. You feel it immediately when you arrive at Central Railway Station.




Rene Nunez said:


> I think many people here are mistaking bohemian for a place where "cool" people around their 20s/30s live...


Exactly! ^^ this is not bohemian, but trendy.


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## KGB (Sep 12, 2002)

"I dont feel any area in the USA is truly bohemian. They're all gentrified."


Yea...used to be it took decades for people to hone in on the artsy/bohemian areas and gentrify it, and there were always "new" areas for the bohemians to move on to. Not so anymore...Manhattan is pretty much off limits unless you are one very resourceful bohemian...or a rich one (but that would be slightly contradictory). And you only have about 10 minutes in Brooklyn.

Which reminds me...look how long it took West Queen West to gentrify...it seemed like only yesterday I was drinking cheap draft and listening to shitty C&W music at the Gladdy, occaisionally slumming it with the crack whores at Papa Ginos (aka the Drake), and eating greasy food at Elvis, and the artists were living in the back of those storefront galleries.

Didn't take long for the Yorkville galleries to move in, the poor artists to get thrown out, gets a BIA and starts calling itself the "Art and Design District"...then comes the Drake....and the Starbucks looks like it's opening in a couple of days (Queen & Dovercourt, replacing a pretty good gallery). Did anyone see what someone painted all over that building....a blurb about blaming the Drake for bringing in Starbucks...it was funny.

Oh yea....even the sales office for a new condo development across from the Drake is designed by a superstar architect (Will Alsop).

And yet Kensington has been able to successfully fight off gentrification for decades...can't figure out why...it just does. It must be doing something right (or wrong, depending on your perception).










KGB


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## railway stick (Jan 16, 2005)

Amsterdam, Seattle, Paris, Montrèal, Toronto, New York City, Copenhagen, they`re all so bohemian, but the winner is BERLIN, Germany. Never seen so many `autonomes` within a city.


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## cello1974 (May 20, 2003)

AcesHigh said:


> at least in Brasil, bohemian has the meaning of "night life". A bohemian city is a city with lots of night life, preferably the later it sleeps, the more bohemian it is.


No, bohemian are cities that are not as uniform, have no single stream in fashion and which are pretty laid back in all senses. Everyone can be as ha wants, without being considered ridiculous. In that sense, Berlin is beohemihemihemian!!! Like the "OLD FRITZ" said: "Jedem Tierchen sein Plaisierchen" - the typical Berliner!!!


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## Nick in Atlanta (Nov 5, 2003)

Dissenter said:


> Left Bank of Paris in the '20s.


The Left Bank of Paris in the '20s exists today...in central Mexico City! Inexpensive, many expatriates, exploding with hipness, many fantastic museums and a great nightlife.


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## manileño (Feb 25, 2005)

cello1974 said:


> No, bohemian are cities that are not as uniform, have no single stream in fashion and which are pretty laid back in all senses. Everyone can be as ha wants, without being considered ridiculous. In that sense, Berlin is beohemihemihemian!!! Like the "OLD FRITZ" said: "Jedem Tierchen sein Plaisierchen" - the typical Berliner!!!



do they have to be a city with a homogenous race/ethnicity? cos multicultural cities usually have no single stream in fashion. In that case, NYC the capital of the world is most bohemian-- bombay fashion, arab suit, gipsy, hiphop clothes, the jew, the frenchman and the skaters--but there's a problem, it's not that laid back.


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## markanthony1111 (Feb 9, 2012)

*Portland, Oregon*

Portland is about as Bohemian as you can get in the USA.


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## Dr_Cosmo (Nov 8, 2010)

Its still Berlin.










Basically, nobody is working here. Everybody is making art, drinking beer, enjoying parties or is seeking sex....


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## ssiguy2 (Feb 19, 2005)

Berline
Prague
Amsterdam 
Barcelona 
Montreal
Melbourne 
Buenos Aires


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## SydneyCity (Nov 14, 2010)

In Sydney, we have always had "bohemian" areas where artists, musicians, students, homosexuals and other alternative types live. The traditional homes of bohemians are Surry Hills and Paddington, but gentrification has forced the bohemians to move to other areas.

Currently, the main bohemian areas in Sydney would be Darlinghurst, Glebe, Enmore and Newtown, with emerging scenes in Marrickville, Redfern and Waterloo.


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## isaidso (Mar 21, 2007)

Montreal


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## Isek (Feb 13, 2005)

Dr_Cosmo said:


> Its still Berlin.
> Basically, nobody is working here. Everybody is making art, drinking beer, enjoying parties or is seeking sex....


While Bavarian, Swabian taxpayers are funding your beloved capital. 










:nuts::nuts::nuts::nuts:


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ last time I checked Berlin was the capital of the all Germany, including Bayern


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Surely it has to be Prague!


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## Dr_Cosmo (Nov 8, 2010)

Isek said:


> While Bavarian, Swabian taxpayers are funding your beloved capital.


Yep. The provinces have to pay for all the joy in the German capital....:troll:


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## skymantle (Jul 17, 2010)

Berlin for sure. the more bespoke your bicycle there, the more admiration you receive.

Brighton in England.

Montreal in Canada

Melbourne in Australia.

Austin in the States possibly?

Istanbul, and in particular the Chihangir and surrounding neighbourhoods, very boheme, believe it or not, and very happening, no gloss and make-up but the real thing that would put other supposed bohemian neighbourhoods to shame.

I also believe that more authentic bohemian districts exist in eastern European and balkan countries, than in more affluent western ones.


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## Sweet Zombie Jesus (Sep 11, 2008)

Dr_Cosmo said:


> Its still Berlin.
> 
> Basically, nobody is working here. Everybody is making art, drinking beer, enjoying parties or is seeking sex....


Sold.

When can I move?


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

.


http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=1144231


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## musiccity (Jan 5, 2011)

It's definitely Nashville!


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## Tiaren (Jan 29, 2006)

Berlin and I kinda dislike it for that. XD


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## bayviews (Mar 3, 2006)

Caleb said:


> bo·he·mi·an (bō-hē'mē-ən) pronunciation
> n.
> 
> A person with artistic or literary interests who disregards conventional standards of behavior.
> ...



I'd venture that the future Bohemian cities are places like Buffalo, Pittsburgh, Cincinnatti, even Detroit, places that have lots of vacant & very affordable housing. 

These are also the types of low-cost cities that the "Occupy" types should be making their homes, as well as many of the new immigrants. 

NYC, Boston, Chicago, San Francisco etc are simply not affordable for regular middle-class families, let alone for those who prefer a Bohemian lifestyle.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ That will not happen. Losers who don't want to work hard have a desire to be where the "buzz" is.

And low-skilled immigrants have an irritating habit of just moving to the extremely overprice (for their income and that of the neighborhoods they go) "ethnic" neighborhoods because God forbids they learn some English or watch some free Youtube videos before immigrating to help them learn the language if they can't afford language school.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

not another sweeping statement there then.


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

yet another thread derailing into race, anti-immigration and religion...

hmmm, a pattern methinks.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Thats a pretty old thread.


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## TVN (Apr 26, 2008)

Try Christiania in Copenhagen:


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

Christiania is a tourist trap mixed with retire homes for smoked-up and worn out hippies mostly. It should be dismantled (but it is a tourist trap)


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## SydneyCity (Nov 14, 2010)

Suburbanist said:


> And low-skilled immigrants have an irritating habit of just moving to the extremely overprice (for their income and that of the neighborhoods they go) "ethnic" neighborhoods because God forbids they learn some English or watch some free Youtube videos before immigrating to help them learn the language if they can't afford language school.


Umm...ethnic neighbourhoods (in Sydney, anyway) are usually areas with very low property values. The only exceptions to this are Korean, South African and Indonesian neighbourhoods, all of which are upper or middle class. And some ethnic groups (such as Chinese) have both "rich" and "poor" enclaves. Wealthier Chinese live in, say, Chatswood while poorer Chinese live in say, Auburn. 

Your argument is invalid.


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## city_thing (May 25, 2006)

The only 'semi' bohemian areas in Sydney aren't really that bohemian. Melbourne is easily Australia's "alternative capital". Melbourne's inner city is flooded with students, lots and lots of bars and cafes, cheap housing. Sydney is more orientated to high end business and gross suburban types heading out to beer barns for the night.


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## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

In the US I would say Portland, Oakland, Brooklyn, New Orleans and Minneapolis. The freaks are being priced out of San Francisco and Manhattan. Philadelphia is on the way up as a cheaper alternative to New York. Seattle and Austin are still cool but they are a bit overhyped and gentrification is making them victims of their success. In general Chicago is not a bohemian type city but it is so big that you can still find a large creative community there.

It would have been easier to answer this question 20 or 30 years ago when things were more clear cut (in the US). The counterculture from that era has slowly supplanted the old mainstream culture so you are seeing pockets of it popping up in places it didn't used to exist.


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## Skyrazer (Sep 9, 2009)

Berlin and Amsterdam would be the 2 biggest in the world IMO.

For Australia, it would be Melbourne as others have mentioned. Before, Sydney had some pretty thriving bohemian areas like Darlinghurst/Kings Cross, Surry Hills and Newtown, but like NYC & SF, Sydney's just priced out the majority of its bohemian community with heavy gentrification. Now, all those aforementioned areas are pricey as hell and quite exclusive.

Mind you, Melbourne has pretty much been going the same way as well - Carlton, Fitzroy, Brunswick, all undergone hefty gentrification and not exactly cheap these days. It just hasn't gone quite as far as Sydney has.


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## El_Greco (Apr 1, 2005)

Uzupis in Lithuanias capital Vilnius is bohemian, although not as bohemian as it used to be.


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## Suburbanist (Dec 25, 2009)

^^ amsterdam os caricatural, not bohemian. And I live here in The Netherlands. The tiny major areas where junkies come to smoke and see depressing women in windows are being cleaned up somehow and it is more an amusement park for looking than anything else.


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## TVN (Apr 26, 2008)

Suburbanist said:


> Christiania is a tourist trap mixed with retire homes for smoked-up and worn out hippies mostly. It should be dismantled (but it is a tourist trap)


Oh, you have not been there...


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## Bricken Ridge (Feb 16, 2008)

KGB said:


> agreed....I doubt anywhere will ever surpass 1920's Paris.
> 
> 
> KGB



true. and those literati sipped their hot coffees all day at Cafe de Fiore and Les deux Magots.


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## BringMe (May 7, 2011)

What about *Buenos Aires*? San Telmo,Downtown etc...


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## royal rose1 (Oct 4, 2009)

I'd definitely say Portland, Oregon or Seattle, Washington. These are yuppie-ran cities!


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## krkseg1ops (Mar 19, 2009)

What about my city, Krakow? It is bohemian! Cultural capital of Poland with long history and different spheres of influence across the flow of time. Nowadays it serves as a student base for over 100000 students, a fat portion of artists (painters, sculptors, poets) visit Krakow for the atmosphere. Others visit it for cheap drinks and ladies


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## alexandru.mircea (May 18, 2011)

I see Paris was nominated several times but I can't really find it that bohemian. One of the most expensive places in the world - when I find a concert with tickets under 30 euros I consider myself lucky. There is a huge lot of cultural activity but from what I sense it's mostly happening through established institutions. The local artists who exhibit in the galleries live outside of Paris, when not in the province. There are no intellectuals' cafés. Etc.

The most bohemian place I've been to was London, but I didn't travel much yet. From reputation alone, Berlin is the most bohemian, and The Netherlands in general. However in the case of The Netherlands, it's not because of cheep stuff, but because working there pays a lot. A friend of mine was recently student in Utrecht and working part-time as librarian at the university library was paying better than the wage of a full-time hard-working intern doctor in Paris. 

Again from reputation, the northern Pacific area of America appears to be the best there: Portland, Seattle and Vancouver are all not far. Brooklyn also has a growing reputation, and I was surprised to read good things about Texas, especially Austin but Dallas too. Apparently it's a great place to be an aspiring musician.


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## Bricken Ridge (Feb 16, 2008)

^^what they are saying is that Paris WAS a bohemian city back in the 20's when the likes of Jean-Paul Satre, Simone de Beauvoir, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso congregated around St Germain-de-Pres also known as the Left Bank.


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## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

alexandru.mircea said:


> Again from reputation, the northern Pacific area of America appears to be the best there: Portland, Seattle and Vancouver are all not far. Brooklyn also has a growing reputation, and I was surprised to read good things about Texas, especially Austin but Dallas too. Apparently it's a great place to be an aspiring musician.


Minneapolis :yes:

http://www.buzzfeed.com/chrismenning/the-most-hipster-state-in-the-us

We don't usually tell the rest of America what goes on here though.


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## alexandru.mircea (May 18, 2011)

Bricken Ridge said:


> ^^what they are saying is that Paris WAS a bohemian city back in the 20's when the likes of Jean-Paul Satre, Simone de Beauvoir, Ernest Hemingway and Pablo Picasso congregated around St Germain-de-Pres also known as the Left Bank.


True that, but there were also several mentions of Paris as a currently bohemian city.

RE the United States, is Denver anywhere near as bohemian as it was in the '40s and '50s? I just read Jack Kerouac's On The Road, which is why I ask...


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## Lost Cosmonaut (Feb 10, 2005)

Mecca and Tehran. Really nice gay nightlife


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## Somnifor (Sep 6, 2005)

In general there are two types of people in regards to culture - those who produce it and those who consume it. Bohemian cities are oriented around those who produce culture. They often have good nightlife. But nightlife on its own does not make a city bohemian, nightlife is geared towards those who consume culture. A city can have tons nightlife and not be bohemian at all, Miami is an example of that.


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## hmueller2 (Feb 3, 2009)

Dr_Cosmo said:


> Its still Berlin.
> 
> Basically, nobody is working here. Everybody is making art, drinking beer, enjoying parties or is seeking sex....


Agree.
It's kinda funny when you visit Munich, where probably about one in two is holding a university degree and works 60-80 hrs a week (at Siemens, BMW, Allianz, Infineon etc) just to pay the high rent, the car (BMW) etc.
600km north of Munich, in Berlin, it's quite the opposite:
About one in two is living from social welfare, 24/7 party end enjoying life


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## DanielG! (Sep 16, 2008)

Definitely *Berlin* and Paris, love them so much. <3

PD. Amsterdam too, and maybe London.

PD. Buenos Aires is very bohemian, but not as an european level.


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## Darryl (Jan 14, 2007)

1920's: Paris

1980's: New York

2012: BERLIN


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## jabroni (Mar 24, 2011)

I'd have to say Berlin too, based on the cities I've been to.


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## Dr_Cosmo (Nov 8, 2010)

hmueller2 said:


> Agree.
> 600km north of Munich, in Berlin, it's quite the opposite:


Not quite.

Berlin: 87% of the potential workforce has a job.
Munich: 95% of the potential workforce has a job.

Plus:

In Berlin the percentage of people with university degree is the highest among all German states.
http://www.n-tv.de/ratgeber/Meiste-Akademiker-in-Berlin-article416013.html

Berlin is bohemian, intelligent, hip and sexy at once.


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## 009 (Nov 28, 2007)

Montreal, Barcelona, Buenos Aires, Guadalajara


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## -Corey- (Jul 8, 2005)

New Orleans perhap?


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## bayviews (Mar 3, 2006)

-Corey- said:


> New Orleans perhap?


Yeah, thats been one of the up & coming bohemian candidates since Katrina. 

Add in Buffalo, Cleveland, St. Louis, Detroit & other cities with notable histories, but lots of cheap, vacant, & surplus housing & you've got a good selection of future Bohemian magnets, where folks van live cheaply. 

Forget about places like Paris, NYC, Chicago, San Francisco & Seattle, their just way too expensive & yuppified. 

Worldwide, I think East Berlin & Prague (talk about Bohemia!) remain some of the top picks.


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## funnyhouse88 (Feb 18, 2012)

i don't know what this thread really mean...


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## kam4rade (Dec 6, 2007)

In Europe: London, Paris and Amsterdam. In Latin America: Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio. In Asia: Tokio. In USA: New York.


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## Cloud92 (Jul 26, 2011)

These Boho cities need more props
Seattle Yes
Austin Yes, and i dont think these cities are over hyped at all


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## hmueller2 (Feb 3, 2009)

kam4rade said:


> In Europe: *London*, Paris and Amsterdam. In Latin America: Mexico City, Buenos Aires and Rio. In Asia: Tokio. In USA: New York.


:rofl:

Maybe Soho and Fitzrovia (although the poor artists can't pay the rents there anymore), but "The City" with all the banksters is def not bohemian for me.
Gentrification at it's best.

Munichs district of "Schwabing used to be very bohemian decades ago, but then rich people figured out that it's a very nice district and nowadays you pay 1k € rent for a 50² flat (probably cheap for London standards ) and the streets are parked with Porsche, Audi's and BMW's..


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## the spliff fairy (Oct 21, 2002)

kevi said:


> Is there some sort of festival going on in those London pics? I've never seen so many young people just hanging around.


no that's just the market day (Sunday). It happens every night too, an estimated 500,000 pass through some of the entertainment districts in a night, doubling on weekends. Also that's just one out of 4 'hipster hangout' markets on just that day. The amount of hipsters in London is phenomenal but they do tend to stay away from the centre (West End). Now it's all about the East End.


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## techniques1200s (Mar 11, 2005)

intensivecarebear said:


> San Francisco def NOT! Like others have said, its way too expensive/yuppie/pretentious. Cross the Bay Bridge into Oakland and Berkeley: that's where the real bohemians live.


That's a very stereotypical way of looking at it. San Francisco city proper has plenty of poor people, it also has plenty of "bohemian" types...and Oakland and Berkeley, though cheaper, also have plenty of yuppies, wealth, and pretentious people of their own. But really it's all "San Francisco" anyways, since they all are neighboring cities within the same metro area.


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## intensivecarebear (Feb 2, 2006)

^^Ok I may have made a sweeping generalization. I'll just say that the overall atmosphere and character of Oakland and Berkeley are more bohemian nowadays that SF, whereas a few decades ago that was not the case. But you're right also that the three cities share a common identity, but they're special in their own way:cheers:


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## Bricken Ridge (Feb 16, 2008)

based on the pics posted on previous pages, is bohemian still defined and confined today to a raggedy tattery bangly mishmashy look ala Cindy Lauper and Johnny Depp? most would agree this bohemian 'look' is more like a fashion statement than being unorthodox and anti establishment with expressed social and artistic views. pseudo-bohemian neighborhoods anyone?


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## eklips (Mar 29, 2005)

^^ I think there is always an element of elitism in bohemian behavior, even the real ones.


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## Bricken Ridge (Feb 16, 2008)

^^unfortunately today in these 'hoods, elitism still does not translate into big bucks.


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## DasWolf (Jan 25, 2011)

Lots of Berlin, how about Hamburg?

I heard many similar about Hamburg and Berlin as far as art and alternative scenes go and both are reputable for nightlife.

Only difference I can see is Hamburg is more condensed and expensive and Berlin is more sprawled and cheaper.


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## nicdel (May 13, 2011)

DasWolf said:


> Lots of Berlin, how about Hamburg?
> 
> I heard many similar about Hamburg and Berlin as far as art and alternative scenes go and both are reputable for nightlife.
> 
> Only difference I can see is Hamburg is more condensed and expensive and Berlin is more sprawled and cheaper.


Both are bohemian and cosmopolitan; however, Hamburg is a bit more stuck up, "hanseatic" and "cold". Therefore, it seems more easier and casual to make friends in Berlin. 

Regarding North America, I've heard that Portland, Oregon is very bohemian and alternative.; dunno if its true.


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## hmueller2 (Feb 3, 2009)

hamburg has a large start-up, media and it community like berlin, but it's just to expensive to be "real" bohemian.
despite alternative areas like st. pauli and schanzenviertel, hamburg still has a large upper class.

most beautiful city in germany imo, btw.


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

How about Duisberg?


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## Jonesy55 (Jul 30, 2004)

Of course small villages can be Bohemian centres too, until the developers find them....












> Where there's brown rice, there's brass By Paul Wilkinson Last Updated: 3:29PM BST 29/07/2004
> 
> Developers and speculators have a quiet mill town in their sights. Now, its radical community is up in arms, reports Paul Wilkinson
> 
> ...


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## Letniczka (Feb 4, 2007)

hmueller2 said:


> hamburg has a large start-up, media and it community like berlin, but it's just to expensive to be "real" bohemian.
> despite alternative areas like st. pauli and schanzenviertel, hamburg still has a large upper class.
> 
> most beautiful city in germany imo, btw.


Agree.

As music insider I'd say, the quality of Hamburg's music scene is here much higher than in Berlin. Too many full professionals comparing to amateurish Berlin - now and then thanks to the sixties, The Beatles and the Star-Club. Hamburg is after London the second music city in Europe today; people in Hamburg make even big money with music.
After Hamburg's fourth big musical theatre will open this year, only our seven biggest music halls/venues will pull 9500 audience every day, and 2000 more when the Elbphilharmonie is finished in two years.
Round 150 music clubs and up to 180 events a day complete this.


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## city_thing (May 25, 2006)

Sydney's gay scene is probably the most bohemian thing about the place. It's a huge scene. Other than that, the city is largely quite mainstream.


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