"New York Nico" highlights hidden gems of New York with new guidebook
NEW YORK (WABC) -- In a city of 8 million characters, one New Yorker has made it his mission to document as many as possible.
Nicolas Heller, better known as 'New York Nico,' has captured the heart and soul of the Big Apple through his lens, one character at a time.
Now, he's turning his viral social media success into a different kind of story.
Heller made a guidebook to the city that he calls home.
In the book, Heller captures what locals have always known: it's not just the skyline that makes New York special, it's the stories behind every storefront and the characters on every corner.
If you know New York, you likely know New York Nico.
For the past decade he's roamed the city in search of its quirks and characters, reminding his millions of followers what makes New York -- New York.
"Most of these businesses have been around forever, but it really is about the people who make these businesses," Heller said.
Born and bred in the Big Apple, Heller saw the city through a unique lens early on.
"I know when you were a little kid, your parents said that you were dubbed the mayor of 16th Street," Joelle Garguilo said.
"There was just this one stretch where I would just like walk down the street and like the vendors would all say, 'Hey what's up Nick.' I was friends with all the security guards," Heller said.
From Union Square to becoming the "unofficial talent scout of New York," his journey is as colorful as the characters he documents.
"In 2013 I was like, I'm gonna start posting the same people that I've been documenting for Know Your City, but I'm just gonna do it on my phone," Heller said.
His social media blew up, and then the pandemic hit.
"So I was like, what can I do in the confines of my own home?" Heller said.
As his platform grew, so did he. Heller's page became a digital lifeline for struggling small businesses.
"Yeah. I mean the first instance was with Henry from Army Navy Bag," Heller said.
"We raised all this money and I was like, well I want to like, keep trying to do this. So I think the next one I did was for Punjabi Deli, which was down the street. And then you know, I did one for Village Revival. If I have the power to help, I'm gonna do the best I can," Heller said.
John Stratidis, owner of Cozy Soup 'N' Burger said, "He has helped me during my difficult struggles during COVID and still today going on. And he's an amazing person. He is a true New Yorker."
Now, he has distilled his love for the city into a new book -- "New York Nico''s Guide To NYC."
From the last Kosher deli in the Bronx to a barbershop that doubles as an art gallery, his guide is more than just a list of places to visit. It's an ode to the local flavor, but also a way to preserve it.
In a city that's forever changing, New York Nico is a reminder of what remains constant: the spirit of its people.
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