Over the last two decades, documentary photographer Joshua Lott has lived everywhere from New York City to Detroit to Phoenix. But Lott says that no matter where he landed, his childhood neighborhood of Rogers Park always felt like home. “It’s just comfortable here,” says Lott, who moved back in 2015. “My mom’s side of the family is from Belize, and that’s fitting because a lot of people who immigrate to this country end up establishing their lives in Rogers Park. The diversity is one of the big things that drew me back.”

That cultural stew—Orthodox Jews, African immigrants, Pakistani shop owners, aging Marxists—is at the heart of Lott’s ongoing project This Is Rogers Park. He has snapped hundreds of photos capturing residential life in the North Side neighborhood. The collection is a whimsical, affecting homage to the eclectic community. As Lott puts it: “Nothing compares to Rogers Park.”

Here, he shares the stories behind 11 of his favorite images.