What Are The Top 6 Hippie Towns In Ohio?

1969 was one of the most iconic years in American history, not just because of the end of the war, either. The end of this decade allegedly ended the wave of hippie life that was slowly making its way through the states. Most people already know that California still retains a lot of its hippie roots today, but did you know that there are still hippie towns in Ohio, too?

Although Ohio is far from what people would expect to see as a hippie state, it still boasts several hippie towns. The towns with the most “flower power” include:

“Hippie” is a term that can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. It can mean being a crunchy vegan person who loves Kombucha. Or, it can mean that you actually are a bohemian artist. Or, it could mean that you’re an EDM-loving raver. We tried to find cities that fit the bill in each way.

There are a lot of different ways to be a hippie. As long as you are promoting peace, earth-friendly practices, and showing off your artistic side, it’s safe to say that you’re doing the hippie thing in your own way. In other words, you generally know a hippie town when you see it. Dig?

Without a doubt, the most hippie town in the state of Ohio is Yellow Springs. This is a place that is almost entirely devoted to quirky hippie lifestyles. They have vintage bookstores, art installations throughout the town, alternative health options galore, as well as tons of cool artsy cafes too. It’s basically everything that you would imagine a town settled by artists would look like.

Yellow Springs is most famous for having a very artsy vibe—to the point of it being a tourist attraction throughout the state. There are articles entirely devoted to people peeping into what hippie life is like here, which just goes to show you how much of a hippie place it is. For the record, it seems to be doing people good.

We’re going to be honest. We have done quite a bit of research about hippie towns in Ohio. While many have EDM hotspots and the like, few are as “in your face” about their hippiedom as this one.

Did you ever wonder what a world filled with hippies who have a lot of money would look like? Honestly, it probably would look a lot like Pepper Pike. At first glance, this place is the antithesis of hippie. It’s filled to the brim with million-dollar mansions. But, not so fast! Don’t judge a book by its cover.

This town has an unusually high number of yoga studios, vegan eateries, and art galleries. The number of public parks and outdoor hotspots make this a good place to go if you are the type of hippie who keeps things clean and healthy. You’re bound to find similarly eco-minded people throughout Pepper Pike. Surprised? Most people are.

Brooklyn, Ohio, is a city that is currently in flux. On one hand, it definitely has the ambiance of a working-class suburban lifestyle. You’ll see a local gym with open pool here. You’ll see kids who are deep into sports and the pep-pep, rah-rah side of life. On the other hand, this area has a lot of elements that show an undercurrent of health consciousness and a concern for the environment.

The area does have a yoga studio (then again, which town doesn’t?!) but the big draw here are all the thrift stores. This has the highest number of thrift shops in the state, not to mention tons of vegan restaurants too. So, if you like the idea of being near hippies without going full crunch, this is a good place to consider.

If there is one thing that Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young taught us, it’s that school protests against war are a major cornerstone of hippie life. Though their iconic song was about events that took place in Kent State, the truth is that University Heights tends to have more areas that keep that fighting spirit alive. This area is famous for having college students who are working to make the world a better place.

Hippie culture is youthful, artsy, and extremely idealistic. University Heights is filled to the brim with students who want to make the world better for the future. Many of them also happen to do impromptu art projects to brighten up local campus areas and the streets nearby. If you can think of anything more flowerchild than that, please tell me. Because I am at a loss.

Yes, Cleveland is a city. Yes, it also happens to be one of the most diverse cities in Ohio. As the largest city in Ohio, Cleveland boasts a lot of venues and cliques that are hippie to an extreme. Ravers and EDM fans in Ohio tend to get their concert and festival fixes all head to Cleveland to do so. Artists who want to make a name for themselves go here to get a footing in their first galleries. Crust punks, too, have a place for their anarcho-communist goodies.

Along with an incredibly healthy EDM scene, punk music scene, and art scene, Cleveland also has a pretty decent vegan scene too. Fans of yoga, crunchy living, veganism, and pagan spirituality will all find the amenities that they have here. The diversity that this city offers up is definitely (vegan) icing on the granola cake!

While Cleveland is definitely the number one destination for music acts that fit under the “neo hippie” bill, Columbus isn’t too far behind, really. This city is home to several major festivals, not to mention a ton of top-rated music venues. If you want to enjoy electronica, psychedelic music, or even a burner party, this is the place to go. The same can be said of a fairly decent crust punk scene, too.

Much like Cleveland, a major draw to the Columbus area is that it is a city that is large enough to have venues that work with every type of hippie. Vegetarian and vegan restaurants are in vogue here. So are yoga groups, walks in the park, hacky sack competitions, and fighting for a living wage.

What we’re saying is that Columbus is inclusive enough to be a regular hippie Shangri-La if you want it to be. Not only is Columbus, Ohio a great place to live, but it is a major hippie town.

Related Questions

Which state has the most hippies?

It comes as no surprise to anyone that California is currently the state with the highest number of hippie cities in the world. San Francisco is regularly credited with being the birthplace of the hippie movement as well as being the place where much of hippie cultural cornerstones were established.Though many of the hippies of yore have already passed on, the vast majority of youth who love the hippie vibe would never turn down a trip to Cali. So, if you want to make sure that you get a slice of the 60s, moving to Cali is the way to do it. If you can’t make it all the way West, then you can also give Colorado a try.

Does Ohio lean conservative or liberal?

In the recent past, Ohio was considered to be a swing state. This means that it could be Democrat or it could be a Republican state. However, since 2012, Ohio has been leaning increasingly more conservative. This can always change since the trend is to lean blue, but at this current time, political analysts consider Ohio to be a lightly conservative state. Strange, considering that it has so many hippie towns. Right?

Is Ohio a vegetarian and vegan-friendly state?

Both vegetarianism and veganism are growing in popularity worldwide. This means that most parts of America will have vegetarian and vegan options available at restaurants, bars, and pubs. Though Ohio might not be as vegan-friendly as California or New Jersey, the truth is that you will not be stigmatized for refusing to eat meat here.Ohioans do not feel the need to mention their steak or pork products in every breath. While some might make snarky comments, the truth is that it’s not something that will greatly change the way people treat you.