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What is the hipster area of Houston?

What is the hipster area of Houston
| Last Updated: November 2022

The hipster area of Houston is Montrose. Since the 1960s, Houston’s hipster area Montrose has been home to a Bohemian mosh pit of hipsters and food lovers, artists and musicians, alternatives, and local creatives. 

What is Montrose, Houston known for? 

What is Montrose, Houston known for

Montrose, Houston is well-known for its hipster population, vibrant art community, exciting nightlife, and delicious cuisine. It’s an offbeat enclave, a colorfully angular puzzle piece that adds a splash of multicolored vigor to the bigger Houston picture. 

You’ll find everything from tattoo shops and vintage clothing boutiques to trendy eateries and hip art galleries. 

Montrose has been called many things since it was founded in 1910, including “the heart of Houston” and “the oddest neighborhood east of the Pecos,” but its genuine beauty resides in the fact that it has something to offer to everyone. 

Montrose, Houston, continues to maintain its traditional blend of innovation and skill that attracts hipsters nationwide. 

Where do most hipsters hang out in Montrose? 

Where do most hipsters hang out in Montrose

Most hipsters in Montrose hang out at the variety of art museums or at the eccentric hipster bars or cafes that are scattered throughout the Montrose neighborhood. 

Below is a list of the most known spots in Montrose where hipsters hang out at. 

Menil Collection

  • Address: 1533 Sul Ross St, Houston, TX 77006, United States

The Menil Collection is a must-see for art lovers in Houston, yet it doesn’t cost a thing to get in. There are a number of exhibition halls, a café, a park, and a gift shop spread over the museum’s expansive grounds. 

Exhibits in the main building cover a wide range of artistic disciplines and time periods. Additional gallery spaces regularly host both large-scale, annual exhibitions and permanent collections devoted to specific artists. 

The complex’s modern design is a work of art in itself, with every detail conceived with the aim of providing visitors with the best art experience possible.

Stages Repertory Theatre

  • Address:  800 Rosine St, Houston, TX 77019, United States

The inventive performances and daring reimaginings of classics are hallmarks of Stages Repertory Theatre, a Houston institution that has been around since 1978. 

Almost forty years ago, the company had its start in a basement. It may have moved to a new location, but the cozy vibe remains the same. 

The company has a permanent theater where plays and musicals are produced all year long by a team of directors, actors, and technicians. Most of the time, a live band is used to lend an extra special touch to the musical presentations. 

Art League Houston

  • Address: 1953 Montrose Blvd, Houston, TX 77006, United States

Art League Houston is a great place for both artists and art lovers. A number of ALH’s public artworks can be found in various locations throughout the city. 

The Inversion House, on the site of Art League Houston in Montrose, is one of their most well-known buildings. In ALH’s main gallery, visitors can see free, ever-changing exhibits from a variety of artists and organizations. 

There are over a hundred programs offered each year at ALH, covering topics like drawing, painting, jewelry making, mixed media, and more. 

Rudyard’s British Pub

  • Address:  2010 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77006, United States

Rudyard’s Pub is a dive bar in the neighborhood with cheap drinks, decent pub grub, and lots of room to kick back with friends. 

Rudyard’s also hosts a variety of exciting events that you won’t find at any other watering hole. Rudyard’s is known for its variety of entertainment options, including live music, stand-up comedy, and more.

Space Montrose

  • Address: 1706 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77098, United States

The unique store Space Montrose in Houston has an abundance of fun and unusual presents. Most of the products sold here were created right here in the store by local artists and designers. 

Everything from jewelry and accessories to handmade soaps and lotions, soaps, lotions, soaps, toys, t-shirts, and more can be found at Space Montrose.

Numerous interesting mementos of a visit to Houston can be found in the store’s many Houston-themed offerings. There are also screen prints by artists like Jermaine Rogers and Graham Francoise from Texas available to buyers. 

Houston Center for Photography

  • Address: 1441 W Alabama St, Houston, TX 77006, United States

Located in the heart of downtown Houston, Houston Center for Photography is a compact gallery that showcases modern photography in ever-changing shows. 

Work by some of the most significant contemporary local and international photographers is on display. The exhibition is housed in a single huge space, and viewing it typically takes approximately an hour. 

The facility also features an assortment of photographic equipment and literature for anyone interested in photography. 

There’s no excuse not to check out the gallery since admission is totally free.

AvantGarden

  • Address:  411 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006, United States

The bar and community venue known as AvantGarden is housed in a turn-of-the-century mansion that was once frequented by a young Howard Hughes. 

It is a popular meeting place for the city’s creative class, who use the space to enjoy poetry readings, live music, theater, the premiere of independent films, art exhibits, improv comedy, cabaret, and much more.

When night falls, the shimmering lights over the large patio/courtyard in the back of AvantGarden give off a festival atmosphere. 

Boondock’s

  • Address: 1417 Westheimer Rd unit b, Houston, TX 77006, United States

On calm nights, Boondock’s is a laid-back neighborhood dive pub. On other nights, the upstairs dance floor is packed to the rafters with partygoers enjoying DJ sets of hip-hop, house, EDM, techno, disco, and more. 

Drinks are cheap and strong, and the crowd can get raucous at times, but the bar also has live music and open-mic comedy evenings. 

Don’t go into Boons expecting a country club atmosphere, and you’ll have a great time. The jukebox has a solid selection of songs, and the floors and toilets can appear a bit unclean, but that’s to be expected from a dive bar.

Catbirds

  • Address: 1336 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006, United States

Catbirds is a dive pub frequented by hipsters. The regulars are usually covered in tattoos, and the men have full, bushy beards. 

Strangely, a sign on the door states that no sleeveless tops are permitted inside. 

Catbirds is unlike other dive bars since it plays only jazz and occasionally slow swing and it is also a full-time trivia bar. 

There is a long, narrow terrace where you may sit and watch the world go by, despite the space’s modest size. 

The bartender here will throw in a complimentary bag of popcorn if you stay for a while and down a few craft brews.

Etro Lounge

  • Address: 114 Main St, Houston, TX 77002, United States

Though it’s an ’80s-themed bar, Etro Lounge never feels cheesy or like it’s trying too hard to attract customers. The music from the 1980s is the main draw for ’80s enthusiasts, with bands like The Cure, Depeche Mode, and Erasure frequently playing. 

The upstairs lounge plays music videos from the golden age of MTV to go along with the tunes, creating a nostalgic atmosphere reminiscent of an episode of Miami Vice from the 1980s. 

Everyone is in such a good mood that it’s nearly impossible to avoid being pulled out onto the dance floor. If you absolutely despise dancing, you can always play some games on the old Atari console instead.

JR’s Bar & Grill

  • Address:  808 Pacific St, Houston, TX 77006, United States

For many years, JR’s Bar & Grill in Houston’s historic Montrose neighborhood has been at the forefront of the city’s vibrant gay nightlife. 

There is no dance floor here since it is a bar, but the dance and pop music is loud, and scantily clad male dancers sway back and forth to it while standing on elevated platforms on both sides of the bar in exchange for dollar bills. 

JR’s is famous for its impressive karaoke night, as well as drag shows and amateur male strip contests throughout the week. 

Lola’s Depot

Lola’s Depot
  • Address: 2327 Grant St, Houston, TX 77006, United States

Lola’s seems like a rundown purple home from the outside, and there’s no sign, but once inside, you’ll find that it’s Houston’s ultimate indie dive bar, famous for its cheap, stiff drinks and free-spirited, unpretentious regular clients. 

Throughout the years, the walls and ceiling have been painted with groovy artwork. 

Stickers with band names and hilarious phrases cover up several mirrors, and interesting trinkets may be found behind and above the bar—all of which are worth exploring if you have the time. 

Any true fan of dive bars must visit Lola’s, as the atmosphere and the regulars cannot be replicated and are as genuine as it gets.

Numbers

  • Address: 300 Westheimer Rd, Houston, TX 77006, United States

Houston’s longest-running dance club, Numbers DJ Wes Wallace, spins music and videos from the ’80s with some modern goth, techno, electronica, and more mixed in.

Numbers has hosted an impressive list of alternative, industrial, and punk acts throughout the years. 

Every week, the enormous dance floor is crowded with the same eclectic assortment of individuals.

Scenesters from various subcultures, some people in their forties who never left the ’80s, curious suburbanites, fabulous drag queens, and chatty inebriated people. 

Poison Girl

  • Address: 1641 Westheimer Rd suite B, Houston, TX 77006, United States

While a visit to Poison Girl on a weekend night can be entertaining, you’d do yourself a favor by visiting during the week, when the crowds thin out and you have more opportunity to take in the bar’s atmosphere. 

Poison Girl attracts many because of its unique atmosphere. They have an enormous Kool-Aid Man and R-rated velvet murals all across their walls. 

The row of pinball machines along the back wall gives Poison Girl a one-of-a-kind ambiance. 

Rudyard’s

  • Address: 2010 Waugh Dr, Houston, TX 77006, United States

Every night of the week, the upstairs at Rudyard’s features live music, comedy shows, and other forms of entertainment. 

In addition to watching a live show, you may also play a few games of pool or darts here. Unlike many modern bars, this one actually has real steel-tipped darts and an old-fashioned dartboard.

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