New York Nico on his favorite places in NYC and what not to do on the subway

Disney World has Mickey Mouse and New York City has Nicolas Heller.

Better known as New York Nico to his avid following, Heller, 35, has built a viral career chronicling the glorious nooks and crannies of life in the Big Apple.

But he has trouble answering the most common question people ask.

I can’t tell you my favorite business here, ’cause that’s like picking your favorite child, he told The Post. Case in point: For his new book New York Nicos Guide to NYC, Heller managed to whittle it down to just 100 of them.

Billing itself as an authentic, locals-only tour of the city, don’t expect to find Times Square’s Olive Garden within its pages. Emulating Hellers’ social media, he turns his lens on the mom-and-pop and old-school shops that make up the metropolitan landscape.

That includes the 70-year-old Peter Pan Donuts in Greenpoint, where Heller ordered an eyebrow-raising selection: a bacon, egg and cheese on a coconut donut glazed with hot sauce.

The first waitress was not bothered by the off-menu request. That’s the least weird I’ve seen, she said, to which Heller naturally replied, What’s the weirdest order? Salmon with peanut butter and bacon jelly, sausage on a donut. This was wild.

While Heller doesn’t consider himself a foodie, he has an appetite for many of the city’s characters. After growing up in Union Square, a miserable post-college stint in Los Angeles led the young director to his hometown for some soul-searching.

I was sitting in the park thinking about my next move when out of the corner of my eye I spotted this street character I had seen all through high school but never talked to, Heller recalled the terrifying personality holding a sign which read: 6’7″ Jude Who Will Rap For You. He was like a celebrity to me.

After befriending the street performer, Heller was inspired to tell his story. I had never made a documentary before, but I thought, why not? he said of what became the 2014 viral series “No Your City.” I thought I might do this for other New York characters I’ve been curious about.

From there, he’s scoured the city ever since, helping save struggling businesses along the way, including East Houston Street, Army & Navy Bags (his post around the store helped raise $50,000 for them during the pandemic) and lighting up frequent lights at favorites including West Village literary hub Magazine Casa and Lower East Side landmark Katzs Deli, for which he recently directed the restaurant’s first commercial.

He also has a knack for finding the most unique sights at major Big Apple events, including the recent New York City Marathon.

Many of his best-known characters came out in force for his book launch in October at Astor Place Hairstyles, including personality known as the Green Lady of Brooklyn and New York icons like NY1 anchor Pat Kiernan and comedian Jeff Garlin .

The idea of ​​making a book was not something I was interested in initially because I like things with instant gratification, he said, alluding to social media. But then I remembered that everyone always asks for recommendations. So I thought, okay, a guide would make sense.

Eventually, the wild creation came out with the donut we ordered; with the sweet dessert of lips filled with breakfast foods. Peter Pan owner Demtri Siafakas stood by, thinking about the store’s virality thanks to the likes of Nico and Tina Fey.

We get famous people in here from time to time, Siafakas said. And that includes Nikon.

New York Nicos MTA Guide

As the unofficial chronicler of the Big Apple, Heller can usually be found roaming the underground. Here are his top tips the next time you use the MTA.

1. Avert your eyes! Don’t make direct eye contact with people, he said. It is in mind the type of your business s – – t. This has gotten me out of trouble many times in my life.
2. Under no circumstances should you eat on the train, he pleaded with the riders. I mean, candy is fine, but anything that’s cooked with smell, just don’t do it.
3. While you’re at it, keep it down. I’m not a big fan of people playing music on the train, but you don’t really see that much anymore, he explained. When I was a kid, all my friends did this and it would always annoy me.
4. When the train doors open and people get off, you make room for them to leave, wait and then get on, Heller explained of the common courtesy often lost. I think it’s obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people ignore it.
5. Quit spreading people, guys. Avoid taking more than one seat if you don’t need it, Heller stated. And that includes bags.
6. As soon as you get off the train, there is an order for the stairs. Whether you go up or down, you walk on the right side, not the left side, Heller said. Then again, New Yorkers will walk any way they want.