Interview with Current Resident

Jessica Kiska, a resident of Norwalk, Connecticut for her entire life has directly seen the affects of gentrification in the South Norwalk (SoNo) area in recent years. We both sat down in my dorm room and discussed the changes that have occurred over the years. Since the police station move, and the addition of the luxury loft apartments in the SoNo area, Jessica said with a smile on her face, “I feel safer walking downtown knowing that the police station is down the street. In addition, they added luxury apartments, which I feel made it an environment that deters crime.” When we talked about other projects in Norwalk, like the 95/7 project, Jessica wasn’t so enthusiastic. “I would love to see what they plan on doing, but right now the empty space is a eyesore. I really hope they turn that lot into something grand. It has so much potential to positively impact the area.” She sat on my bed for a second, imaging what could be done. When asked why she thought that Norwalk was a good candidate for gentrification, she replied, “Norwalk is like a melting pot. It has many people of diverse backgrounds, yet wealthy areas surround it.” Jessica also commented on the fact that Norwalk is a waterfront community, which leads to a lot of potential. Jessica was very happy to talk to me about her personal experience with gentrification and concluded with, “Gentrification of an urban town like Norwalk can never go wrong.”