I often typed “hipster coffee shop” into the search bar as a shorthand because Yelp’s search algorithm always knew exactly what I meant by the phrase.
“Why do I always find exactly what I self select for?”
I would argue the author is mostly finding the Insta spots because they are looking for them. Take Seattle, the epicenter of the hipster coffee shop stereotype. There are plenty of generic cafes, but for every Slate you can also find a fantastic hole in the wall like Monorail. Just because you went to places that have marketing managers does not mean that is the only thing out there.
The article seems to be arguing that globalisation is bad because of the homogenization of style, but then seeks out places that fit that aesthetic.
Wow, Slate and Monorail described perfectly.
As an aside I miss OG Slate from it’s Ballard days.
Never went to that one. I lived around the corner from the Vivace sidewalk cafe (RIP) for almost a decade, so that is my go to coffee nowadays
I do the same when traveling and looking for a bar. I search “dive bar” or “neighborhood bar” and it cuts through the noise. I still have to find a good one, but it narrows heavily.
I think a lot of people do, for sure. It is nice to have familiar spots. I just don’t think you need to write an article saying everything is concentrating to a single style when you didn’t seem to look for anything else.
