Jul 13, 2021

Nicolas Heller may never have become New York Nico if he didn’t move to L.A. To be sure, Heller’s bona fides are about as on point as it gets: The filmmaker, videographer and self-styled “unofficial talent scout of New York” grew up in Union Square and went to school in the West Village; his father a longtime art director at The New York Times, his mother a brand creative.

He moved to Los Angeles after obtaining a film degree to become a video music director. It didn’t pan out—and he found the city stifling. It’s when he moved back to New York that he appreciated what he had left, but still struggled to find real direction. Hanging out in Washington Square Park, he became fascinated by the local personalities in the area—people like Larry the Bird Man, street performer Matthew Silver and Wendell the Homeless Fashion Designer. Heller launched a YouTube series of five- or six-minute video documentaries about these characters called “No Your City,” which didn’t gain the traction he felt it deserved. That changed when Instagram began letting people upload minute-long videos to their feeds.

Over the past few years, Nico has become ubiquitous. He’s amassed some 678,000 (and counting) followers on Instagram through photos, videos and mini-interviews of the most offbeat and authentic of New Yorkers (some of whom he suggested for this list). As his platform grew—and especially when the pandemic hit—he began using it for good. Through his #MomNPopDrop series, he began highlighting beloved but struggling local businesses including Astor Place Hairstylists, Army & Navy Bag, Ray’s Candy Store and others. Heller also held a super-viral contest to find the “best New York accent” that would garner the participation of celebrities like Alec Baldwin and Michael Rappaport, Debi Mazar and Princess Nokia—and would be covered by national media outlets.

Last November, Heller announced a venture with the MTA to enlist celebrities and notable New Yorkers to record messages for use in public transit, recruiting iconic voices like Fran Lebowitz, Whoopi Goldberg, Jerry Seinfeld and many others. More recently, he teamed up with New York magazine to interview every mayoral candidate. Today he spends time at his day job creating content for hire (for brands including JetBlue, Facebook, the New York Knicks, Marc Jacobs and Red Bull), but still maintains his passion project, regularly checking in with—and documenting—friends like Tiger Hood, Big Mike and the Green Lady throughout the city.