Instagram's Nico Heller is proof that New York City isn't dead

As a native New Yorker, Nico Heller has watched the city change dramatically over the years. When the pandemic hit in March 2020, it became hard for him to witness small business owners and New York City establishments suffer. “Businesses are really, really struggling,” Heller told In The Know. “I felt that now was the time to go super hard on profiles and shine a light on these businesses”. Heller’s mention of profiles is in reference to his Instagram coverage of independent New York businesses — aptly under the hashtag #MomNPopDrop. He started it in 2018. The initial process was having small businesses film themselves and submit footage for Heller to post to his 434,000 followers. When he realized business owners lacked the time to take photos or film footage he started visiting the establishments himself. The business owners that Heller’s been helping couldn’t be more thankful for him. “It makes me so happy to hear about my followers and other New Yorkers who caught wind of it and started flocking to these businesses,” Heller said of his page’s success