Kim Coddington, 42, is a Kingston native who works in general construction. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Kingston Wire: How did you or your family come to Kingston?

Kim Coddington: My family are from here. They go way back; down in the Kerhonkson area is where the ancestral Indians were from. My part of the family is from here. My Uncle Duffy was with the city for years in Parks and Recreation.

KW: What do you like about Kingston?

KC: It’s quiet, but it’s changed so much that I can’t really give anything that I really like about it. When I was young there was more to do for the kids, now they’re just kind of out in the street. When my kids were young there were a lot of things that the community did. They don’t happen anymore — block parties, back to school stuff, just innocent stuff. When I was a kid, the elders used to say “it takes a village” and back then, there was that village. Now, there is none.

KW: What would you like to change about the city?

KC: I’m still stuck on something for the kids. Maybe if there was something for them to do, they wouldn’t be out here doing stupid stuff, they wouldn’t be out there playing with the guns or the drugs. The streets are really congested now. They made a lot of changes and they seem to be coming along, but I don’t see how it helped. Certain areas are congested more than they were. Down by [the intersection of Broadway and Grand Street], it doesn’t move along Broadway.

KW: How do you think the city will be different in 10 years?

KC: I don’t think it will get better at all. I think they’re trying to move us out to make room for some pricy people. I’m doing apartments right now and I find it very disturbing that even a one bedroom is $1,900. I stay where I’m at because I’m grandfathered in. They can’t bring my rent up more but if I left, I’d be paying $2,200 and who can afford that? So where are people supposed to go, the bench out on Broadway? Now the warming center is closed, I don’t see them even trying to clear that up.