I started the #Queenscapes hashtag as a response to an Instagram Weekend Hashtag Project on January 1st 2014. If I remember correctly it was #WHPResolution and my resolution was to visit every single Queens neighborhood and sub-neighborhood and feature each one on the Instagram social media feed.
As a proud lifelong Queens resident the idea was to capture all of Queens' various landscapes in hopes of learning more about the terrain I was so innately connected to, hence the name Queenscapes. With no photography experience, I grabbed my IPhone 4S and ventured out and captured a different Queens landmark every day for 30 days straight.
Eventually, as folks starting noticing, I slowed down and started noticing some things myself. I noticed after living in Queens for 35 years that this borough was more than just its varying landscapes, more than just being the borough with the distinction of having the most neighborhoods in all of New York City. I noticed that what makes Queens special was and still is the story of the diverse people and cultures that occupy these 109 square miles.
So today with a strong sense of reminiscence after the completion of OUR 1718th post dedicated solely to the borough of Queens on 07/18, I am grateful. Grateful for all the folks who have followed and validated this Queens kid's journey and exploration of his hometown. Click on our logo on the Queenscapes instagram page for today's special photo story commemorating the day that matches our zip code - #718.
Words and photo by Adolfo Steve Vazquez