Even though we live in New York, we are smitten with Humans of New York, a blog which documents just that, that incredbly varied iterations of human-ness one finds on the streets of New York, all with a story.  It doesn’t stop at New York either. Photographer Brandon Stanton posts images of strangers he’s met elsewhere, all expressing themselves in an original and invariably big-hearted way.

Here are a few favorite humans:

I started a skipping club, and today is our first meeting! *

…We’ve been best friends since 1967.

 …It’s a fishing lure. I’m pretty sure it’s used for live bait. I found it on the beach.

…After they finished kissing, she took off her blue cape, and laid it over a woman sleeping on a nearby bench. It was such an unbelievably poetic moment, I actually chased them down to fact-check my own eyes.

“Excuse me. Was that your blue blanket?”
“Yes.”
“And you just gave it to her?”
“….Yes, why?”
“Oh nothing.”

…

Humans of New York is now in book form; it would make a swell holiday gift.

*Check out our post on the joys of skipping.