The photographer Richard Koek is a visual storyteller with a gift for being in the right place at the right time. For this book, he turns his gaze to the people and streetscapes of New York, capturing the diversity and energy of the city that inspires so many to come here to realise their dreams. These are photos of real New Yorkers, night and day, at work and at play, in their neighbourhoods, at their jobs, and on the street. The city itself, from glass fronted buildings to sidewalk food stands, reflects the tenacity and spirit of the people who call the Big Apple home.

Richard has a unique eye for the still astonishing diversity of New Yorkers, natives or transplants. A transplant himself, there's no denying the power of Richard's personal vision of the city he has made his home. His evident talent and the works' singularity speak for themselves. - Julia Gruen, Executive Director, Keith Haring Foundation, New York