As someone with 582 Instagram posts saved to a folder called “Hello Future Me”, I am no stranger to romanticizing the future. My digital vision board is filled to the brim with content produced to entice me about a life in New York City. I wanted to bring this inspiration to my fellow city dreamers so we all can collectively fall into the pits of what I like to call “healthy delusion”. Here are my favorite NYC-themed Instagram accounts to help kick start your manifestation.
@newyorkornowhere
Jumping off the popularity of her own instagram account @newyorkcity, Liz Eswein founded @newyorkornowhere as an emblem of the city lifestyle. The brand’s logo “New York Or Nowhere” might be as iconic as the “I Heart New York” shirt for a newer, fresher generation. The account is full of wallpaper-worthy photos and graphics that are just begging you to live and breathe the saying “New York Or Nowhere”.
@nybucketlist
If you live close to the city or are just a dreamer like me, @nybucketlist is full of inspiration for uniquely NYC experiences that you can live out in real life or in your head. From the perfect dessert place for a date night or for the hottest nightclub on the scene, this account provides enough fuel for bedtime scenarios to become the real thing.
@ethanbarber.co
There is nothing that does a better job at transporting Instagram users to their future city commutes than a hazy sunset video of NYC streets to the tune of swanky lofi beats. This photographer captures the spirit of the city landscape throughout all four seasons, each inspiring a different appreciation for the city’s endless potential.
@watchingnewyork
Self-described as “The People’s Photographer”, Johnny Cirillo shows the daily runway shows that take place on the New York sidewalks. The glamourous, glitzy, and grungy styles are all documented to the max with every gallery post. With this account you can see yourself walking in the city wearing anything and everything you have ever wanted to wear, but couldn’t where you live now. That will all change one day.
@ericj3ng
Eric Jeng is a street interviewer in the Big Apple, taking note of those that catch his eye and poking through any stereotype about New Yorkers in order to get a story. As a follower, you start to learn how your personality will change as you adopt the New Yorker identity, something you have always desired.
Whatever you call it – positive visualization, manifestation, or delusion– one thing remains true: you have to see it to believe it. Picture yourself styling a “New York Or Nowhere” sweatshirt with items from your eclectic closet and heading to the newest spot to be in the city just to be stopped to be interviewed because you are looked at as a native New Yorker. You are there. You are it. You are New York.