Mike Locasio is an artist and longtime proprietor of the Ink Inc. tattoo shop at 327 Wall St. in Uptown Kingston. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

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

Mike Locasio: I came up here to go to rehab and I never left. I started alcohol day treatment in Kingston then I was at the Abel House in Saugerties. There’s a strong recovery community up here, so I was able to get my son and his mom up here and I just stayed.

KW: What do you like about Kingston?

ML: I like my church and our mission field, I’ve been involved in that for 22 years. I love the history and creativity of Uptown and I love my neighbors up here. They’ve been super supportive and loving through the years. I love how close it is to everything else, like to the mountains and even to go back to Long Island is not that far.

KW: What would you change about Kingston?

ML: I used to feel like I would make a whole bunch of changes, but I’ve come to a place where I’m excited about what’s going on now. I like the growth, I like the [Pike Plan] canopies down, which I never thought I’d say, I’m looking forward to each building being unique and I hope every building owner feels the same way and actually gets theirs done. I’m digging the tourism and the cultural differences that are going with people coming up since the pandemic.

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

ML: Prospering and thriving. I absolutely love it here. It’s been good to me.