23 stories of strangers on the streets of New York

After losing his job in sales, Chicago resident Brandon Stanton moved to the Big Apple and started a blog in the summer of 2010 called Humans of New York, or HONY for short.

The author says: “HONY was the result of an idea to make a photographic census of New York. I thought it would be nice to create an extensive catalog of the city's residents, so I went out into the streets to take pictures of 10,000 New Yorkers and mark these pictures on the map. I worked for several months, but during this time HONY began to take on a slightly different character. I started collecting sayings and short stories from these people and pinning them to photographs. Together, these portraits and stories have become the main theme of my blog.” The blog led to the creation of a Facebook page, which has already acquired 4 million subscribers. The blog's success led me to publish a book that immediately became a #1 New York Times bestseller."

Below you will see some portraits of people and their stories taken from this interesting blog.

(Total 23 photos)

1. I asked: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” He yelled back, "Benny!" "What is benny?" I asked. "That's his name," his mother replied.

2. - I was 35 when I met her. I have already begun to think that in this city I will never find my soul mate.

3. - My colleague once asked me for a phone number. My friends heard and said, "He must like Indian women." And I said, "Maybe I'm just really cool."

4. Do you remember the saddest moment in your life?

- When my grandmother died, I was 9. Besides my father, she was the only one in the family who looked like this. And she was the only one who could tell me what was going to happen next and how to deal with it.

5. - I want to be a singer, president and tennis player.

“I want to be a president, a teacher, a doctor and a policewoman.

6. - If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?

“I would say the same thing to them as to one person. If you understand what failure is, you will not be afraid of it. Failure is not falling face down or to the bottom. It means just being human. You fail when you decide not to try at all. Everything is in your power. Once you understand what failure is, you can't take it anymore.

7. - Had cancer six times. Defeated cancer six times.

8. - I told her that if she wants to start all over again, let her come to the place where we first kissed. She should have been here 15 minutes ago.

9. If you could give one piece of advice to a large group of people, what would it be?

In any situation, choose love.

When is it hardest to choose love?

When it comes to someone very close to you.

10. Usually I approach people with questions, but this girl herself came up to me, raised this certificate in the air and shouted: “I played at Carnegie Hall!”

11. "If my battery hadn't died, I'd be lifting this thing on two wheels right now."

12. - When he was dying, I said: “Mo, how will I live without you?” He replied, "Take love for me and spread it to those around you."

13. - I'm 86. That's enough. I'm ready to leave.

"Aren't you afraid of death?" Isn't this the natural state of life?

“No, when you miss your husband the way I do.

14. - I want to save animals.

- Why?

Because they are soft and fluffy.

15. - We are friends with one girl, and, well, I like her, but I don’t know if she likes me ...

Do you mind if I post this?

I don't know, she can guess.

“She will definitely guess.

- … do it.

16. - When I was five, I lost the phalanx on my thumb in an accident on the playground. For a long time I was very embarrassed about my injury, but eventually I learned to laugh about it. By the way, you have a great blog. I would raise two thumbs, but I can only lift one and a half.

17. - What is the secret of a successful cookie sale?

- You have to smile.

18. - I want to be a hairdresser for princesses.

What will be the most difficult part of this job?

Cut off Rapunzel's hair.

19. – I wish I could party a little less. People always say, "Be yourself." But this is not quite right, because there are always two you. There is a short-term you and a long-term you. And if you play the short-term self, then the long-term self can slowly begin to fade.

20. - I'm not the most emotional gay. People say I have a good heart, but I don't. I have principles. The heart is a very fragile thing. You can't love everyone. So I don't even try. But I can respect everyone, whether I like them or not. And that's what I'm trying to do.

21. - I have been working for 45 years, like my wife. But we don't have money. Do you know why? Because we have five children and they have two bachelor's degrees, a master's degree and two doctoral degrees. They are my wealth.

22 – He is wonderful in bed.

23. She was collecting pebbles.