“As long as you’re doing something great for the community, I don’t care if you’ve been here for one day or a hundred years. The point is to highlight people living here and doing good,” says Allan Escoto, founder of the Instagram page People of Ridgewood. We’re standing outside his second anniversary show on a warm spring afternoon, just a few hours before locals would start crowding into bars for the 3 PM Knicks playoff game.

Allan was born in Honduras and moved to Ridgewood with his family when he was 10. The neighborhood shaped his life and he feels he owes it a sentimental debt. “I feel like the neighborhood gave me a lot. It’s where I learned English. It’s where I met amazing people, basically, all of my best friends are from here.”

One of those people is Eleanor Petry, a multidisciplinary artist and fellow Ridgewood resident. She first reached out to Allan through a DM. “She realized my photos sucked, she didn’t say that, but I was just taking them on my phone,” he laughs. Now, the two collaborate: Allan writes, and Eleanor takes the photos.

The images featured at the anniversary show are by Petry. They capture Ridgewood in its everyday magic: local businesses, familiar faces, and fleeting moments of community, like a quiet line outside the Fenix Community Fridge. One photo that stood out to me was a black-and-white portrait of Father Mike Lopez inside Covenant Lutheran Church. The image, rich in contrast and symmetry, feels both intimate and grand. Father Mike is one of the many people featured on People of Ridgewood, recognized for his work feeding and sheltering Ridgewood’s unhoused neighbors.

The show was held at 325 Project Space, a gallery owned by visual artist Jeff Feld. Guests sipped on cold Budweisers, snacked on plates from Super Pollo, and nibbled sweet treats from Ridgewood staple Rudy’s Bakery. The gallery itself was minimalist; a wide, white-walled room where the portraits took center stage. The People of Ridgewood series will remain on display until May 25, with prints available for purchase online, priced between $35 and $90, with the intentionality of bringing a piece of Ridgewood into your home.

Having spent most of his life in the neighborhood, Escoto reflected on Ridgewood’s evolution with a clear affection. “I love it. I’ve never had any issues here,” he says. “It’s changed over the years, sure, but in good ways, too. There are more businesses now, more coffee shops than we used to have. People are recognizing that Ridgewood has this strong, residential, community feel, and they see opportunity here. I don’t know the exact reason, but people just love the vibes.”

Catch the People of Ridgewood portrait show at 325 Project Space until May 25th.

Find their work on @peopleofridgewood