The Roasterie and Urban Shave

Living your best life in the inner-city.

Last week I ventured back down into Calgary's urban village of Kensington for some normalcy—call it a much needed inner-city recharge. I grabbed a table at The Roasterie, a couple of lattes, and hung out with Keegan to discuss some business ideas. While we were there, I also grabbed a few pounds of Guatemalan Dark Roast to spoil Estevan a little.

I’ve mentioned this before, but before the pandemic, I would walk to The Roasterie every morning to get a latte, write notes in my notebook, and plan my day, week, month and life. When the pandemic came, they were no longer open for walk-in business, so that changed. This was the first time in two years I could actually grab a table, sit down and write in my notebook.

These moments are crucial to a well-balanced life.

We drank our lattes and chatted about life and business and what we’d do next. People came in and out. They brought their dogs in to say “hi!”. And all the while, a small team of Roasters was roasting up coffee beans right before our eyes.

I don’t like a lot of stimuli, but I love the ebb and flow of Kensington.

Keegan and I were looking a little shaggy and decided to try our luck walking into The Urban Shave for some coiffuring. The owner, Fadi, was delighted to see us and went to work tidying up the Fuzzy Dargies.

I hadn’t been down to see Fadi in a few months, so it was great to catch up. During the pandemic (when we were allowed), he would be in charge of tidying up my mohawk. Now that my hair was growing in, he did a light touch-up, added a straight razor shave, and finished with a splash of aftershave.

In the suburbs, everything is BIG BOX this, and BIG BRAND that, and getting to and from requires you to drive everywhere. Down here in the inner city, everything good is Mom and Pop Shops, fierce and earnest one-man (or woman) brands, you walk everywhere, and there is a real connection to the community.

Calgary really needs more Urban Villages.

I know I’ve said this before, but these communities where you can walk in and out and know the people by name who work there or own the business themselves are the best.

Keegan and I walked out of the Urban Shave looking good, feeling good, and ready to take on the world.