For Joe Abate, a photographer who works on Austin Street in Forest Hills, Kew Gardens has long beckoned to him because of its “beauty and design of urban space for a community.”
Recently trekking around the neighborhood, the visual artist said he was enthralled by the area’s abundant greenery, English Tutor homes, and “lovely apartments and condos up and down its streets.”
Traversing both commercial and residential areas to find the perfect photo, Abate noted that he saw much and laughter and residents greeting one another as he walked through the streets of a place many deem a small town in a big city.
“Many age groups and ethnic groups call Kew Gardens home,” he said. “The local eateries and coffee shops bring people together to talk about current events and to do school work together. These things made me feel happiness to be around the human race.”
With his photos, the artist said he was not attempting to document a community, “but rather express my own joy and heartfelt curiosity to learn more of how a community expresses connection and respect for each other with nature all around them.”
Abate said he hopes to return to the neighborhood in the spring and summer to witness the gardens that explode with color in the area.
“Kew Gardens, to me, suggests life,” he said.
