New York Nico's Guide to NYC: A Must-Have City Guide to 100 Beloved Characters, Institutions, and the Heart and Soul of Five Boroughs

“The city is only as strong as its weirdest people.”

Every neighborhood has a person everyone knows but nobody really talks about. These legends keep the city from feeling like a giant mall.

Old school shops like Casa Amadeo aren't just selling records. They hold the collective memory of an entire community inside their walls.

“The bodega is the heartbeat of the block.”

A bodega is a community center if you look close enough. It is where news travels faster than the internet.

True New Yorkers don't just endure the chaos. They find a way to make it their own unique performance.