NEW YORK -- Born and raised in New York City, Nicolas Heller, aka New York Nico, grew up among the many small businesses that make NYC one of the most unique and diverse economic centers in the world.
Nico started documenting his love for these small businesses and their owners on his Instagram account, @NewYorkNico, and quickly went viral for his slice-of-life encounters and the many unique characters he featured on it.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit New York, it hit hard. Small businesses that had been around for generations shuttered their doors and many business owners who managed to stay open struggled to make ends meet. That's when Nico knew he had to do something to help.
Using his audience of over 500k+ followers on Instagram, Nico was able to save historic businesses like Astor Place Barbershop from closing down and he doesn't plan on stopping any time soon.
In this episode, we're highlighting just a few of the many small businesses Nico has been able to help and why he is unequivocally a Localish Legend.
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