Dear New York

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

The inspiration for the groundbreaking Grand Central Station installation, Dear New York is a love letter to the streets, stories, and souls that define the heart of the city and its people―from the #1 bestselling author of Humans of New York and one of the great storytellers of our time.

Creator of the global sensation “Humans of New York” and author of four #1 New York Times bestsellers, Brandon Stanton has shown us a unique side of our communities, our neighbors, and ourselves. Now, he takes us further and deeper than he’s ever gone before.

Beginning with a deeply moving prologue that reads like a train ride through the city, the book opens up into a sweeping view of the city with hundreds of portraits and stories from every corner of the city, a new discovery on every page.

Embracing all five boroughs, Dear New York is a book filled with contradictions, yet brimming with life. It is an unprecedented portrait of the world’s greatest city, and a personal tribute to the people who provide its soul.

Dear New York

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Dear New York

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Dear New York

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Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The creator of Humans of New York shares the real, raw, funny, heartbreaking and human stories that make up every corner of the city. This new collection features vibrant, never-before-seen photographs and anecdotes from real New Yorkers.

Product Details
About the Author

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250277589
Publisher:	St. Martin's Publishing Group
Publication date:	10/07/2025
Pages:	480
Product dimensions:	8.10(w) x 10.00(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

BRANDON STANTON is the writer and photographer behind Humans of New York, a storytelling platform with over thirty-million followers. He has photographed and interviewed over ten thousand people in forty different countries around the world, including extensive series in Iran, Iraq, and Pakistan. During this time he has helped raise over $20 million in support of various causes and individuals that have been featured in his work. In 2013 Time Magazine named him one of 30 under 30 Changing The World. In 2015, he became the first social media creator to be granted an interview in the Oval Office, with then President Barack Obama. He is also the author of four #1 NYT bestselling books, which have sold millions of copies around the world: Humans of New York (2013) Humans of New York: Stories (2015), Humans (2020), and Tanqueray (2022). He grew up in Atlanta and is a proud graduate of the University of Georgia. He currently lives with his wife and three children in New York City.

From the B&N Reads Blog

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Editorial Reviews

Praise for Dear New York:

"Humans of New York creator Stanton (Humans) captures the beating heart of New York City—its people—in this vibrant love letter to the metropolis... Stanton’s knack for capturing his subjects’ voices is on full display, making for a collection that easily ranges from heartbreaking to bizarre to humorous." —Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"The book’s optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope. A timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories." —Kirkus Reviews

On Humans of New York and Humans of New York: Stories:

“Some street photographers hide behind phone booths like paparazzi so their subject won't be aware of their presence, but for Stanton it's precisely that awkward interaction, the tearing down of the wall between strangers, that he covets.” —The Huffington Post

“There's no judgment, just observation and in many cases reverence, making for an inspiring reading and visual experience.” —Publishers Weekly

“As the quotes grew longer, and the interviews deeper, Stanton developed a signature storytelling style—one that blends the lure of urban voyeurism with an eye for the extraordinary detail in seemingly ordinary subjects. What makes these photographs compelling is their sincerity, their air of authenticity. All are taken on the spot of first contact. Some people are caught mid-sentence. Even those who pose are free of the sterile stiffness of staged portraits.” —The Economist

“A wondrous mix of races, ages, genders, and social classes, and on virtually every page is a surprise.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

From the Publisher

2025-08-01
Portraits in a post-pandemic world.
After the Covid-19 lockdowns left New York City’s streets empty, many claimed that the city was “gone forever.” It was those words that inspired Stanton, whose previous collections includeHumans of New York (2013),Humans of New York: Stories (2015), andHumans (2020), to return to the well once more for a new love letter to the city’s humanity and diversity. Beautifully laid out in hardcover with crisp, bright images, each portrait of a New Yorker is accompanied by sparse but potent quotes from Stanton’s interviews with his subjects. Early in the book, the author sequences three portraits—a couple laughing, then looking serious, then the woman with tears in her eyes—as they recount the arc of their relationship, transforming each emotional beat of their story into an affecting visual narrative. In another, an unhoused man sits on the street, his husky eating out of his hand. The caption: “I’m a late bloomer.” Though the pandemic isn’t mentioned often, Stanton focuses much of the book on optimistic stories of the post-pandemic era. Among the most notable profiles is Myles Smutney, founder of the Free Store Project, whose story of reclaiming boarded‑up buildings during the lockdowns speaks to the city’s resilience. In reusing the same formula from his previous books, the author confirms his thesis: New York isn’t going anywhere. As he writes in his lyrical prologue, “Just as one might dive among coral reefs to marvel at nature, one can come to New York City to marvel at humanity.” The book’s optimism paints New York as a city where diverse lives converge in moments of beauty, joy, and collective hope.
A familiar format, but a timely reminder that cities are made up of individuals, each with their own stories.

Kirkus Reviews

2025 Barnes and Noble Best New Books of the Year, Long-listed

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