as time passes, i see it as much more. the surface impression is bumpy cobbled roads, a greening gassy jack statue and a fussy steam clock: gastown may be known as a historic neighbourhood, even the birthplace of vancouver. to me, it’s a place that represents a crossroads of our residents, like a rolling filmstrip flickering with light at each frame.watch our city’s world pass by: a family riding on their bikes, an elderly asian grandma wheeling her grocery cart to chinatown, a homeless man hunting for discarded cigarette butts, purebred dogs trotting with their owners to yoga class, a tourist group, hipsters searching for breakfast, ladies that will lunch.we’re in one of our favourite neighbourhoods visiting milano coffee – stop 28 in our weekly search for vancouver’s best coffee. i’ve dropped by here many times to buy some of mike’s favourite beans by brian turko: the international award-winning la futura, butter or velvet. what all of those decadent blends have in common: mike enjoys making them into coffees at home. (milano also has two other vancouver locations on denman st. and west 8th, plus a new toronto café.)