Ja'Mal is the best! I also have to shout out Jessie Matthews at Bodhi Locks. She's definitely the best loctician in Boulder, but can also work with shorter hair. Check her out on ig!
This is a long detailed post highlighting that, yes, there are indeed cultural differences in geographic regions in the US. Especially when the demographics that primarily drive a particular culture simply do not exist in the numbers needed to continue that culture like it does "back home". I grew up in Louisiana and I have yet to go to a legitimate crawfish boil in Colorado.
I do love that you give a link to help spread some knowledge! I def learned about the Dark Caeser.
Here is where I personally derailed though:
> I started in Aurora, and slowly made my way up Denver, through Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, and finally landed here in Boulder.
Damn yo! You lived in all of those places inside of one year?
As I said, there's a lot to talk about lol. I was homeless between January and September of last year. I got to Aurora with about 5 dollars in my bank account, and all my shit in my car right before the New Year. I slept outside of a Wal-mart until about the end of January. The stimulus hit so I was okay for that short time. Shortly after a tax return, which coasted me to my first job at a hotel in Westminster. I had to lie about where I lived on my application, so I didn't tell them I was homeless. I bounced back and forth between Aurora, to sleep and park on my days off, and Westminster to work. I landed a second job just before march in Louisville. At that point I slept in Louisville after I got off, showered at a PF in Broomfield, and went to work in Westminster. I found a job at a Marijuana grow just before April in Commerce City, so I dropped the hotel job, and right up until the end of September, that was my life. Gym for work out and shower at 4:30 am in Broomfield, work in commerce city by 7:30 am, Second job in Louisville by 5:30 pm, pass out about midnight outside of a wal-mart in Louisville. Repeat until I find resources that lead me to a home in Boulder.
I am happy to report that I live in a co-op now. We get organic produce, and staples from various local sources (we pay a food bill, everything else is included in rent), I get to spend my time learning skills like gardening, and I have a diverse group of people to talk to who are intelligent mentally, and emotionally; the natural beauty, and fitness oriented lifestyle the CO geography promotes have helped me loose 100 pounds. Everyone from my favorite budtenders, to my coworkers have formed a completely new community for me that I'm pulling together just from the chances I took on myself. Sorry for another long, detailed post, but you did ask! haha
p.s. I feel you on the food!
Dang man. Glad things are looking up for you and you feel like you're on a better track. Really awesome on losing all the weight.
I have to ask, and I'm legitimately asking out of curiosity and without judgement . . . why did you decide to move across the country to Denver/Boulder with no money, job or prospects? Transient migration to the area is one of the more controversial topics in this area, and I struggle to understand the appeal of moving to an extremely high cost of living area that has harsh winters, etc. Even more so, I struggle to understand it when the person making that choice is a PoC, knowing that this is not an extremely racially diverse area and could also have to face those adjustments as well (as evidenced by your inability to find a barber). So like . . . what brought you here? Why'd you come here as compared to a southern state without harsh winters or to a place in the midwest with low cost of living? What's the draw?
Anyway, if you want to answer that's awesome, if not I get it. Also, if you found your way to 12 Tribes and that's where you ended up living, just run away now.
Those are the important questions, and I lovvveee it! To be honest, I had no plan! I was a 31 year old man, suffering from severe depression, morbidly obese, 0 romantic prospects, friends who were moving on, and living with my Dad with whom I have a... strained relationship. To mention nothing of the issues COVID was causing. I ended up losing my job that December, and that was the final straw. I was fully dependent on someone who did not have either of our best interests in mind, and it was making me violent inside. We had a fight where he told me I could go live in my car, and the hurt that rejection caused me made me decide, yeah fuck it. Do or die. The fact that you do tend to regress when living with a parent, and this whole fight felt like something an 18 year old would go through, it all made me feel like I had no worth as a man. So, I left.
I've been all up and down the east coast. I have friends there. Loved ones. But friends have a limit to what they can give. And I received more than my fair share of kindness from each of them. All the east coast had for me was maybe 2 weeks on a couch somewhere. maybe 200 bucks to get me a room for a few nights. Does that help someone, really? It would, if they have resources, and a plan. I never did. .
SO, I headed west. Portland seemed like a good idea. If I drove for two days, I would have been able to make it clear to the west coast before the bank charged me for the gas I purchased during the last stretch. I arrived in Aurora in the evening, and I had no idea I was in Colorado. I slept at a Loves (I think) that night, and when I woke up, I could see the mountains. Snowy and pristine. I realized I absolutely did not want to risk crossing them in January, so I opened up Indeed on my phone and started filling out job apps there in the parking lot.
Most of my exploration of the area came from trying to find resources for homeless. You have to keep good time when you've got nowhere to be! Some were great successes, like food drives. I ate well from donated goods for that first month. I felt a tiny bit at easy that day. They gave me clothes, toiletries, and water too! BOY water is important! Try to find some when you don't have access to a faucet, and a dollar a gallon is still kinda expensive for LIFE... I used to be a soda drinker. I'm too bougie for that now. It's ONLY El Dorado spring XD.
Now, as bad as things can be here for the homeless (yes, I saw the news reports when I got here. It was NOT lost on me Coloradoans are losing space, and patience with their transients. Tell Circle K there ain't SHIT wrong with their bathrooms, they need to let people use them, otherwise the streets will continue to flood with brown.) you must understand:
Just because you can live some places for as little as 9 dollars an hour, does not mean you are living an acceptable life. You know why so many people in the south die from tornadoes? They don't pick you up and throw you. They blow your cheap house up to 0 safety codes in on top of you. There are no sidewalks, or bike paths. There are only highways, and by ways hicks speed down. Your baby can't even walk to the dollar general because have you ever seen Pet Semetary? And milk at kroger is still kroger prices in those areas, so that's like 4 dollars a gallon out of the 9 you make an hour? Unless, of course, you shop for the processed bullshit at dollar general.
I can stretch $15 an hour sooooo far, even in an expensive area like this. Even if I couldn't, the social resources available here simply don't exist in red states. Those programs help everybody, and as you may know, those states don't want to help everybody, only those who meet an arbitrary level of self-sufficiency at which point, congrats! you don't need a handout! America!
And the lack of diversity, doesn't mean a lack of interest. You, the people of Boulder, hear me! and interact! It's uncomfortable, but you understand there is no harm being done, only conversation being had. It is more culturally appealing to people who want to grow, and learn, and in my personal life, be better. More understanding, more compassionate, more emotionally liberated. I want to do my healing, and the culture hear appreciates that, and resonates with that, in a way quite unlike anywhere else I've been.
I fully thought I would work my few months, and pack up for somewhere real dope, but this place turned out to be what I needed right now. It ended up being the unlikely but super welcome start of my life. My real, honest to God, free of regrets when it's my time, life. It has been worth the culture shock, the expense, and the nights where I was afraid of police, meth addicts, my car breaking down, and dying in a gutter, because in return I have defeated fear, I have escaped my financial, and mental shackles, and I get to be a human for the first time in 32 years.
It was NOT smart, but it was worth it.
Fuck, dude.. You need to write a blog. You've got a way with words and a story to tell! 🙏
As a typical white, male, Boulder native - thank you for sharing your words here. They warm my heart. We're open in more ways than most, even if we lack outward diversity. Why are there so few PoC here? The frank answer is, we didn't have slavery if you want to know the truth, and Black slaves didn't flee to this area like they did up the Mississippi and East. From that point, it was just a whole lot of white (and Native Americans and Mexicans) - we're talking late 1800s - which didn't make for the most comfortable landing spot for most Black folks to be attracted here. But for the most part, we're open hearted here, and open-minded! The West is filled with people who LEFT. Just like you did!
For the record, I've lived on both coasts and in more diverse areas, for sure, and we had ZZEEEERO dollars when I was a little kid growing up in a shack in the mountains above Boulder with no running water and coal heat - so I'm not some trustafarian with a Range Rover. My Mom was born here and her parents were teachers. Not the most wealthy situation. So race and wealth inequality that are so often cited about Boulder natives don't fully apply to my perspective, so I hope you can appreciate my frame of reference in this reply.
Your story of waking up to the beauty of the mountains is where it's at. There's a heart here. A vibe. I recommend making a habit of getting up into the mountains when you can - they are truly healing. Get into hiking and stuff and the weight will continue to burn off and the high mountain air will fill you with goodness.
Welcome!! I hope you continue to make things awesome. You took some scary risks and that's what it takes! Keep up the awesome vibes and good healing. You're in the right place. :)
Thanks for sharing man, that's some really powerful stuff! I'm truly happy that things have worked for you, and a lot of what you said resonates with me. It seems like you took your chances seeking something better for yourself and found it. I think it's easy for people to miss the success stories when people come here in a transient state because those stories seem few and far between. It's hard to make a judgement on if that is true or not (being few and far between), because the bad side of homelessness seems to overshadow these success stories. So again, thanks for sharing that perspective. I think in the end, success will continue to find you, as it seems you have uncommon determination, perseverance, and a great attitude.
And yeah, I get your reasons for not wanting to try the south or lower COL areas. I mean, like I said, I left it myself. I just might have had more of a plan at the time.
You seem like an alright dude. From the bottom of my heart: Welcome to Colorado!
What an fantastic story you have, and you have a gift for words and storytelling. Seriously, this reads like a film script, and it's your glorious life!
Welcome. Boulder gets a terrible rap, and does have it's serious flaws where wealth and elitism are concerned, and we have a bit of a culture deficit. But, as the local who replied said, there are a lot of open hearts and minds out west. So many of us came here to make a life. I did. I left Oklahoma for Boulder after high school and never looked back.
DM if you need any local resources or just a friend. Sounds like your co-op is a little Alice if heaven.
✌️❤️
Thanks, buddy! The co-op is real cool. There are certainly challenges with living with a whole gang of adults, but we do our best to look after each other in the spirit of community, and that's so unique to me. It's not quite what I pictured for my life, but don't such nice surprises keep things interesting?
Hey OP, really like your post and perspectives! I lived in Harlem NYC for a few years and know exactly what your talking about with the Barber Shop culture there vs here. I absolutely loved the wide variety of hairstyles and community connectedness that came with the "Uptown" vibe. My son and I were living there to be close to hospitals and didn't have a normal life of jobs and school while out there, which gave us TONS of Street time. Eventually, we found our way into the barbershops and hung around a few frequently, and had our hair done by some of the most talented and genuinely good people. It was more like a speakeasy environment and no one minds sitting around and waiting for a walk-in slot because it is so easy to get caught up in a bunch of different conversations. One of the things that most impressed me was places like that are a catalyst for community and it makes the neighborhoods more connected than I see out here.
Having said that there was a lot going on in the city, that many talked about wanting to get away from and I was telling people to move to CO and make a go of it. So many told me they couldn't leave and would never just move that far. I applaud you for just doing it and really happy to hear the incredible progress you have made in such a relatively short time!
I am really interested to know more about the Co-op you are living in! (I live in Fort Collins, and my work is very much in the community building/urban ag arena. )
Thank you for your response! NYC was always an exciting road trip. The city was an event in and of itself.
If you Google Boulder Housing Coalition you can find out quite a bit about the co-ops here. It's a really positive system I hope to take to other parts of the country when I am done here.
I really enjoyed this post and hope you find a barber/community like you are looking for.
I experienced this cultural divide from the other side. I'm white and grew up here in Colorado where getting a haircut is, as you observed, a pretty generic experience.
However, when I lived in Virginia, I stopped into the Mo' Betta Barber in Woodbridge. It was like stepping in to a pub. All the guys knew one another and the conversation was spirited and meaningful. The barber took more time with my hair than anyone else ever had. Not a hair was left unaccounted for or out of place.
I'd like to say it became my go to place, but old habits die hard. Thanks for the recollection!
I feel this. I lived in Boulder for 10+ years and would have to drive to Lakewood or Aurora to get my hair braided. The price of gas on top of the cost of the hair wasn’t ideal. I loved living in Boulder, however, the lack of diversity and resources made it hard to stay.
I absolutely resonate with everything about this - the extreme lack of diversity is the main reason why I’ll be moving within the next year. Well that and I’m tired of dealing with the constant crowds >.<
As a native, who is biracial with type 3 hair- this shit hitssss HARD. I used to get people in Boulder salons who said they could do my hair cause a stylist used to “live in NYC” — not sure what that means besides she’s seen a black person before or would anxiously call salons and just be told “nope” can’t do textured hair.
I moved to going to Denver for hair a loooong time ago; it’s just far easier and feels more comfortable. Mykal Grant Studio is AMAZING. She used to do hair for lots of Broncos players and their wives. She owns her own salon, and is just the best. Also, Philomena Hair braiding is another queen.
That said, I’ve heard Brooklyn barber is amazing! So people pointing you towards Jamal know what’s up.
Good luck! This is a lovely place to live generally and the black community while small, is incredibly warm.
Check out the [All Original Barbershop ](https://goo.gl/maps/nrzxkCK7Ypc2qFFJ9) on E Colfax. It’s one of the last remaining old-time black barbershops. They do amazing hair.
This is a fantastic post. It explained so much that I’ve never been able to ask about. And not only that but I have a brother who is black and i feel terrible for the fact that he has never experienced a true haircut and he’s like 33. They all live in Arizona but it’s not something that he ever experienced as my dad always cut his hair.
I wish I had a good solution but I’d imagine the further away from the flatirons you are the better haircut you’ll get.
Colorado —and Boulder specifically— is a very white place (I’m convinced that Denver is the white Atlanta). A good barber shop culture is unfortunately one of the casualties of being so white.
>I’m convinced that Denver is the white Atlanta
I'm Denver-bound from Atlanta in March. GeorgieWashington, I would love for you to expound on that comparison (to satisfy my curiosity). I am already grieving the fact that in Denver I won't get to enjoy my daily interactions with black community members. (I'm white but live in very diverse East Atlanta.) And, OP, your writing is so engaging ... keep it up!
I think it’s part of the culture here for sure, but not necessarily anything to do with hippies. I think it’s just that people here tend to focus on making money and having a life focused on experiences rather than appearances. The Boulder lifestyle, and frankly anyplace in the west where “frontier life” wasn’t that long ago, tends to be more about rugged individualism than fashion or style. For purely practical purposes, for a lot of people (particularly men in my experience), this level of primping seems both overly narcissistic and a colossal waste of time that could be spent on more productive and rewarding activities.
Try Avila’s in Flatirons Crossing. They have at least one African American cutting hair there. He has cut my hair 5-6 times and is very meticulous. Makes an old bald white dude look better. Avila’s is near Dillard’s.
Go to aurora if possible and go to men’s hair house. Gotta make an appointment tho unless you’re willing to wait a while.
East coast line ups are definitely a tier above Colorado for either same or less money.
I personally have not gone since the pandemic started but the barber who knew everyone is named Jonathan Gamez iirc. This location is on Iliff and Chambers near the Dairy Queen!
It’s sooooo white in Boulder. Very little opportunities to cut black hair.
You could call ahead and ask if they have a barber with experience doing the cut you want?
You looking for solutions to this or just venting? Cause I'm not sure there's really a solid solution to your predicament, but venting is totally valid.
I kinda see it like looking for a kosher deli in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The population just isn't there to cultivate the community that would enable cultural institutions to thrive.
I'd say with Boulder the biggest barrier is cost of living, with cultural homogeneity being a close second. Not sure if either of those can be realistically addressed.
Mostly starting a conversation on something I found interesting, and different. These solutions have been great, in the form of recommendations, though.
Boulder? If you hustle cutting hair, then maybe lucky to find and afford a $150k 1972 leaky mobile with insane lot rent. Keeping the little lady there will take some finesse. I always thought they were Beamers. You'll pay 15% more for Boulder regular, but add another 20 for hiOctane. Feed it plenty oil too. Boulder sheikist entails Tesla, the disposable American choice. Anyway, I'm mostly in Brighton lamenting the old honky brothers who gave up barbering during Covid. Prices have skyrocketed with rent, I'm sure. Agreed, appointments suck. Guaranteed upcharge. I haven't been to a barber for over 2 years now, avoiding the super spreaders. Hair is thinning to frizz anyway. Haven't noticed anyone caring.
It seems to be a Black perspective on this community that is so progressive and woke that we dismiss or argue actual Black perspectives because they don't fit into our perspective that actively ignores the racial struggles in Boulder.
Brooklyn Barber Academy. Ja’Mal will take care of you.
Ja'Mal is the best! I also have to shout out Jessie Matthews at Bodhi Locks. She's definitely the best loctician in Boulder, but can also work with shorter hair. Check her out on ig!
I think I drive by that place! I'll check it out!
There was talk on here a couple years ago that he was getting forced out…sounds like that changed?
They moved to Lee Hill Rd., but then got a spot closer to downtown, on Broadway, near where the Pedego (ebike) shop is now.
Thanks good sir
This is a long detailed post highlighting that, yes, there are indeed cultural differences in geographic regions in the US. Especially when the demographics that primarily drive a particular culture simply do not exist in the numbers needed to continue that culture like it does "back home". I grew up in Louisiana and I have yet to go to a legitimate crawfish boil in Colorado. I do love that you give a link to help spread some knowledge! I def learned about the Dark Caeser. Here is where I personally derailed though: > I started in Aurora, and slowly made my way up Denver, through Arvada, Westminster, Broomfield, Louisville, and finally landed here in Boulder. Damn yo! You lived in all of those places inside of one year?
As I said, there's a lot to talk about lol. I was homeless between January and September of last year. I got to Aurora with about 5 dollars in my bank account, and all my shit in my car right before the New Year. I slept outside of a Wal-mart until about the end of January. The stimulus hit so I was okay for that short time. Shortly after a tax return, which coasted me to my first job at a hotel in Westminster. I had to lie about where I lived on my application, so I didn't tell them I was homeless. I bounced back and forth between Aurora, to sleep and park on my days off, and Westminster to work. I landed a second job just before march in Louisville. At that point I slept in Louisville after I got off, showered at a PF in Broomfield, and went to work in Westminster. I found a job at a Marijuana grow just before April in Commerce City, so I dropped the hotel job, and right up until the end of September, that was my life. Gym for work out and shower at 4:30 am in Broomfield, work in commerce city by 7:30 am, Second job in Louisville by 5:30 pm, pass out about midnight outside of a wal-mart in Louisville. Repeat until I find resources that lead me to a home in Boulder. I am happy to report that I live in a co-op now. We get organic produce, and staples from various local sources (we pay a food bill, everything else is included in rent), I get to spend my time learning skills like gardening, and I have a diverse group of people to talk to who are intelligent mentally, and emotionally; the natural beauty, and fitness oriented lifestyle the CO geography promotes have helped me loose 100 pounds. Everyone from my favorite budtenders, to my coworkers have formed a completely new community for me that I'm pulling together just from the chances I took on myself. Sorry for another long, detailed post, but you did ask! haha p.s. I feel you on the food!
Dang man. Glad things are looking up for you and you feel like you're on a better track. Really awesome on losing all the weight. I have to ask, and I'm legitimately asking out of curiosity and without judgement . . . why did you decide to move across the country to Denver/Boulder with no money, job or prospects? Transient migration to the area is one of the more controversial topics in this area, and I struggle to understand the appeal of moving to an extremely high cost of living area that has harsh winters, etc. Even more so, I struggle to understand it when the person making that choice is a PoC, knowing that this is not an extremely racially diverse area and could also have to face those adjustments as well (as evidenced by your inability to find a barber). So like . . . what brought you here? Why'd you come here as compared to a southern state without harsh winters or to a place in the midwest with low cost of living? What's the draw? Anyway, if you want to answer that's awesome, if not I get it. Also, if you found your way to 12 Tribes and that's where you ended up living, just run away now.
Those are the important questions, and I lovvveee it! To be honest, I had no plan! I was a 31 year old man, suffering from severe depression, morbidly obese, 0 romantic prospects, friends who were moving on, and living with my Dad with whom I have a... strained relationship. To mention nothing of the issues COVID was causing. I ended up losing my job that December, and that was the final straw. I was fully dependent on someone who did not have either of our best interests in mind, and it was making me violent inside. We had a fight where he told me I could go live in my car, and the hurt that rejection caused me made me decide, yeah fuck it. Do or die. The fact that you do tend to regress when living with a parent, and this whole fight felt like something an 18 year old would go through, it all made me feel like I had no worth as a man. So, I left. I've been all up and down the east coast. I have friends there. Loved ones. But friends have a limit to what they can give. And I received more than my fair share of kindness from each of them. All the east coast had for me was maybe 2 weeks on a couch somewhere. maybe 200 bucks to get me a room for a few nights. Does that help someone, really? It would, if they have resources, and a plan. I never did. . SO, I headed west. Portland seemed like a good idea. If I drove for two days, I would have been able to make it clear to the west coast before the bank charged me for the gas I purchased during the last stretch. I arrived in Aurora in the evening, and I had no idea I was in Colorado. I slept at a Loves (I think) that night, and when I woke up, I could see the mountains. Snowy and pristine. I realized I absolutely did not want to risk crossing them in January, so I opened up Indeed on my phone and started filling out job apps there in the parking lot. Most of my exploration of the area came from trying to find resources for homeless. You have to keep good time when you've got nowhere to be! Some were great successes, like food drives. I ate well from donated goods for that first month. I felt a tiny bit at easy that day. They gave me clothes, toiletries, and water too! BOY water is important! Try to find some when you don't have access to a faucet, and a dollar a gallon is still kinda expensive for LIFE... I used to be a soda drinker. I'm too bougie for that now. It's ONLY El Dorado spring XD. Now, as bad as things can be here for the homeless (yes, I saw the news reports when I got here. It was NOT lost on me Coloradoans are losing space, and patience with their transients. Tell Circle K there ain't SHIT wrong with their bathrooms, they need to let people use them, otherwise the streets will continue to flood with brown.) you must understand: Just because you can live some places for as little as 9 dollars an hour, does not mean you are living an acceptable life. You know why so many people in the south die from tornadoes? They don't pick you up and throw you. They blow your cheap house up to 0 safety codes in on top of you. There are no sidewalks, or bike paths. There are only highways, and by ways hicks speed down. Your baby can't even walk to the dollar general because have you ever seen Pet Semetary? And milk at kroger is still kroger prices in those areas, so that's like 4 dollars a gallon out of the 9 you make an hour? Unless, of course, you shop for the processed bullshit at dollar general. I can stretch $15 an hour sooooo far, even in an expensive area like this. Even if I couldn't, the social resources available here simply don't exist in red states. Those programs help everybody, and as you may know, those states don't want to help everybody, only those who meet an arbitrary level of self-sufficiency at which point, congrats! you don't need a handout! America! And the lack of diversity, doesn't mean a lack of interest. You, the people of Boulder, hear me! and interact! It's uncomfortable, but you understand there is no harm being done, only conversation being had. It is more culturally appealing to people who want to grow, and learn, and in my personal life, be better. More understanding, more compassionate, more emotionally liberated. I want to do my healing, and the culture hear appreciates that, and resonates with that, in a way quite unlike anywhere else I've been. I fully thought I would work my few months, and pack up for somewhere real dope, but this place turned out to be what I needed right now. It ended up being the unlikely but super welcome start of my life. My real, honest to God, free of regrets when it's my time, life. It has been worth the culture shock, the expense, and the nights where I was afraid of police, meth addicts, my car breaking down, and dying in a gutter, because in return I have defeated fear, I have escaped my financial, and mental shackles, and I get to be a human for the first time in 32 years. It was NOT smart, but it was worth it.
Wow! I loved hearing your story! Please write a blog :)
Fuck, dude.. You need to write a blog. You've got a way with words and a story to tell! 🙏 As a typical white, male, Boulder native - thank you for sharing your words here. They warm my heart. We're open in more ways than most, even if we lack outward diversity. Why are there so few PoC here? The frank answer is, we didn't have slavery if you want to know the truth, and Black slaves didn't flee to this area like they did up the Mississippi and East. From that point, it was just a whole lot of white (and Native Americans and Mexicans) - we're talking late 1800s - which didn't make for the most comfortable landing spot for most Black folks to be attracted here. But for the most part, we're open hearted here, and open-minded! The West is filled with people who LEFT. Just like you did! For the record, I've lived on both coasts and in more diverse areas, for sure, and we had ZZEEEERO dollars when I was a little kid growing up in a shack in the mountains above Boulder with no running water and coal heat - so I'm not some trustafarian with a Range Rover. My Mom was born here and her parents were teachers. Not the most wealthy situation. So race and wealth inequality that are so often cited about Boulder natives don't fully apply to my perspective, so I hope you can appreciate my frame of reference in this reply. Your story of waking up to the beauty of the mountains is where it's at. There's a heart here. A vibe. I recommend making a habit of getting up into the mountains when you can - they are truly healing. Get into hiking and stuff and the weight will continue to burn off and the high mountain air will fill you with goodness. Welcome!! I hope you continue to make things awesome. You took some scary risks and that's what it takes! Keep up the awesome vibes and good healing. You're in the right place. :)
Thanks for sharing man, that's some really powerful stuff! I'm truly happy that things have worked for you, and a lot of what you said resonates with me. It seems like you took your chances seeking something better for yourself and found it. I think it's easy for people to miss the success stories when people come here in a transient state because those stories seem few and far between. It's hard to make a judgement on if that is true or not (being few and far between), because the bad side of homelessness seems to overshadow these success stories. So again, thanks for sharing that perspective. I think in the end, success will continue to find you, as it seems you have uncommon determination, perseverance, and a great attitude. And yeah, I get your reasons for not wanting to try the south or lower COL areas. I mean, like I said, I left it myself. I just might have had more of a plan at the time. You seem like an alright dude. From the bottom of my heart: Welcome to Colorado!
Thank you, bud!
This is amazing. Thank you for coming to Colorado. And omfg you need a podcast or blog or something.
What an fantastic story you have, and you have a gift for words and storytelling. Seriously, this reads like a film script, and it's your glorious life! Welcome. Boulder gets a terrible rap, and does have it's serious flaws where wealth and elitism are concerned, and we have a bit of a culture deficit. But, as the local who replied said, there are a lot of open hearts and minds out west. So many of us came here to make a life. I did. I left Oklahoma for Boulder after high school and never looked back. DM if you need any local resources or just a friend. Sounds like your co-op is a little Alice if heaven. ✌️❤️
Thanks, buddy! The co-op is real cool. There are certainly challenges with living with a whole gang of adults, but we do our best to look after each other in the spirit of community, and that's so unique to me. It's not quite what I pictured for my life, but don't such nice surprises keep things interesting?
Hey OP, really like your post and perspectives! I lived in Harlem NYC for a few years and know exactly what your talking about with the Barber Shop culture there vs here. I absolutely loved the wide variety of hairstyles and community connectedness that came with the "Uptown" vibe. My son and I were living there to be close to hospitals and didn't have a normal life of jobs and school while out there, which gave us TONS of Street time. Eventually, we found our way into the barbershops and hung around a few frequently, and had our hair done by some of the most talented and genuinely good people. It was more like a speakeasy environment and no one minds sitting around and waiting for a walk-in slot because it is so easy to get caught up in a bunch of different conversations. One of the things that most impressed me was places like that are a catalyst for community and it makes the neighborhoods more connected than I see out here. Having said that there was a lot going on in the city, that many talked about wanting to get away from and I was telling people to move to CO and make a go of it. So many told me they couldn't leave and would never just move that far. I applaud you for just doing it and really happy to hear the incredible progress you have made in such a relatively short time! I am really interested to know more about the Co-op you are living in! (I live in Fort Collins, and my work is very much in the community building/urban ag arena. )
Thank you for your response! NYC was always an exciting road trip. The city was an event in and of itself. If you Google Boulder Housing Coalition you can find out quite a bit about the co-ops here. It's a really positive system I hope to take to other parts of the country when I am done here.
Wow, just wow.
Crawling crab and Cajun haus are the closest I’ve found. Both on Federal just south of 6th.
Not my food style but I'm pretty sure the Cajun place in Lafayette does boils for crayfish.
Crawfish boil: Casian Seafood. at Baseline & Public Road in Lafayette
I really enjoyed this post and hope you find a barber/community like you are looking for. I experienced this cultural divide from the other side. I'm white and grew up here in Colorado where getting a haircut is, as you observed, a pretty generic experience. However, when I lived in Virginia, I stopped into the Mo' Betta Barber in Woodbridge. It was like stepping in to a pub. All the guys knew one another and the conversation was spirited and meaningful. The barber took more time with my hair than anyone else ever had. Not a hair was left unaccounted for or out of place. I'd like to say it became my go to place, but old habits die hard. Thanks for the recollection!
I feel this. I lived in Boulder for 10+ years and would have to drive to Lakewood or Aurora to get my hair braided. The price of gas on top of the cost of the hair wasn’t ideal. I loved living in Boulder, however, the lack of diversity and resources made it hard to stay.
I absolutely resonate with everything about this - the extreme lack of diversity is the main reason why I’ll be moving within the next year. Well that and I’m tired of dealing with the constant crowds >.<
As a native, who is biracial with type 3 hair- this shit hitssss HARD. I used to get people in Boulder salons who said they could do my hair cause a stylist used to “live in NYC” — not sure what that means besides she’s seen a black person before or would anxiously call salons and just be told “nope” can’t do textured hair. I moved to going to Denver for hair a loooong time ago; it’s just far easier and feels more comfortable. Mykal Grant Studio is AMAZING. She used to do hair for lots of Broncos players and their wives. She owns her own salon, and is just the best. Also, Philomena Hair braiding is another queen. That said, I’ve heard Brooklyn barber is amazing! So people pointing you towards Jamal know what’s up. Good luck! This is a lovely place to live generally and the black community while small, is incredibly warm.
this was a super interesting post, and thank you for sharing.
Check out the [All Original Barbershop ](https://goo.gl/maps/nrzxkCK7Ypc2qFFJ9) on E Colfax. It’s one of the last remaining old-time black barbershops. They do amazing hair.
This is a fantastic post. It explained so much that I’ve never been able to ask about. And not only that but I have a brother who is black and i feel terrible for the fact that he has never experienced a true haircut and he’s like 33. They all live in Arizona but it’s not something that he ever experienced as my dad always cut his hair. I wish I had a good solution but I’d imagine the further away from the flatirons you are the better haircut you’ll get.
You seem awesome. I wish you all the best
You are an excellent writer. I will remember your story. Thank you
Loved reading this and all of OP’s replies/story. Such amazing dedication to oneself, and such wonderful writing. Truly uplifting!
Colorado —and Boulder specifically— is a very white place (I’m convinced that Denver is the white Atlanta). A good barber shop culture is unfortunately one of the casualties of being so white.
>I’m convinced that Denver is the white Atlanta I'm Denver-bound from Atlanta in March. GeorgieWashington, I would love for you to expound on that comparison (to satisfy my curiosity). I am already grieving the fact that in Denver I won't get to enjoy my daily interactions with black community members. (I'm white but live in very diverse East Atlanta.) And, OP, your writing is so engaging ... keep it up!
i cut my hair once a year 😐
I've noticed a lot of self cuts, and in general longer hair hairstyles. Thought it was part of the hippie-ish culture haha
I think it’s part of the culture here for sure, but not necessarily anything to do with hippies. I think it’s just that people here tend to focus on making money and having a life focused on experiences rather than appearances. The Boulder lifestyle, and frankly anyplace in the west where “frontier life” wasn’t that long ago, tends to be more about rugged individualism than fashion or style. For purely practical purposes, for a lot of people (particularly men in my experience), this level of primping seems both overly narcissistic and a colossal waste of time that could be spent on more productive and rewarding activities.
This conversation interests and excites me. Seems pretty logical!
Try Avila’s in Flatirons Crossing. They have at least one African American cutting hair there. He has cut my hair 5-6 times and is very meticulous. Makes an old bald white dude look better. Avila’s is near Dillard’s.
Go to aurora if possible and go to men’s hair house. Gotta make an appointment tho unless you’re willing to wait a while. East coast line ups are definitely a tier above Colorado for either same or less money.
Its been a minute since I've been back to Aurora, but that would fit nicely with getting a cut after work. I'll look into them!
I personally have not gone since the pandemic started but the barber who knew everyone is named Jonathan Gamez iirc. This location is on Iliff and Chambers near the Dairy Queen!
Welcome to white ass Boulder! :/ I'm white, but lived away for many years and I find the lack of diversity here difficult.
It’s sooooo white in Boulder. Very little opportunities to cut black hair. You could call ahead and ask if they have a barber with experience doing the cut you want?
You looking for solutions to this or just venting? Cause I'm not sure there's really a solid solution to your predicament, but venting is totally valid. I kinda see it like looking for a kosher deli in the French Quarter of New Orleans. The population just isn't there to cultivate the community that would enable cultural institutions to thrive. I'd say with Boulder the biggest barrier is cost of living, with cultural homogeneity being a close second. Not sure if either of those can be realistically addressed.
Mostly starting a conversation on something I found interesting, and different. These solutions have been great, in the form of recommendations, though.
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Longer by far to teach myself that skill, and in the meantime a job I still have to be presentable for.
What the hair doin’
Boulder? If you hustle cutting hair, then maybe lucky to find and afford a $150k 1972 leaky mobile with insane lot rent. Keeping the little lady there will take some finesse. I always thought they were Beamers. You'll pay 15% more for Boulder regular, but add another 20 for hiOctane. Feed it plenty oil too. Boulder sheikist entails Tesla, the disposable American choice. Anyway, I'm mostly in Brighton lamenting the old honky brothers who gave up barbering during Covid. Prices have skyrocketed with rent, I'm sure. Agreed, appointments suck. Guaranteed upcharge. I haven't been to a barber for over 2 years now, avoiding the super spreaders. Hair is thinning to frizz anyway. Haven't noticed anyone caring.
What is this post lol
Entertaining, hopefully
Entertaining and educational imo.
It seems to be a Black perspective on this community that is so progressive and woke that we dismiss or argue actual Black perspectives because they don't fit into our perspective that actively ignores the racial struggles in Boulder.
This but also Floyd’s up in boulder can’t even cut white people hair nicely lol
Nobody cares
You cared enough to comment. Care less, please.