New York City is an incredible place. There is no denying that a city with over eight million people in it is filled with some unbelievable stories, and even more so, some unbelievable people. It is a city where people are genuinely able to express themselves, whether that be through style, attitude or actions. “Humans of New York” is a blog, Instagram account, Facebook page and book that captures photos of individuals on the streets of New York City and asks questions about their lives, sometimes extremely personal, and other times they merely scratch the surface.

Humans of New York allows both New Yorkers and non-New Yorkers to be entertained by photographs of young children with hysterical captions, but also to learn from dark, personal stories that people so courageously share publicly. Humans of New York has made a city that feels vast and neverending feel more intimate and small. The followers of this author and photographer, Brandon Stanton, are able to take a microscope to a place full of many interesting people and hear each individual’s story.

When scrolling through my Instagram feed, it's genuinely refreshing to see a post that is not a picture of someone’s breakfast; it’s nice to actually read something that gives insight into the life of someone whom I may never meet or get to know, but to feel as though I already know them. By following Humans of New York, it is also evident that anyone can simply introduce his or herself to a complete stranger, and find out about who they are as a person in minutes. Humans of New York accomplishes this regularly, posting about individuals with backgrounds anywhere from completely the same to polar opposite of this blogger, with the voice of a best friend. It is truly admirable just how close a person can become with what feels like an entire city. If you have not yet followed Humans of New York, I highly suggest you change that.