If you ever wanted an insight into the life and times of New York City residents consider this fine multimedia collection by the New York Times. The “One in 8 Million Project” combines black and white images of local residents with a voice over of their life.

The goal was to profile a different individual from New York’s 8 million residents during each week of 2009. And the collection of stories representing all of New York’s five boroughs is an incredible and colourful array of lifestyles, interests and struggle.

There’s a story about Joseph Cotton, the grandfather who frequently minds his four grand kids taking them on walks to appreciate nature and cooking good meals together. Joe Manniello came from a town near Naples in Italy and has been cutting hair inside the Port Authority Bus terminal for 36 years. He describes the customers he’s had; crazy people, prostitutes, a woman who urinated on the floor and another that stole his chair. While Maggie Wirth is a waitress who has worked for three decades at Marie’s Crisis piano bar. There are no microphones or lights at Marie’s Crisis and the action starts when people get there. Maggie is known as the singing waitress.

To look and listen to the narratives click here.

The following images were taken by “One in 8″ photographer Todd Heisler and are all part of the collection.

Joel Karp opened Columbia Drugs store on the Lower East Side because he didn’t want to work for anyone else. That was 45 years ago. Now 71 years old he is still the general manager.

Freda Degannes,39, is considered a medical miracle. She was admitted to hospital in 2007 with a rare blood condition that hospitalized her for three months.

Mr Termitiere is a graphic designer who helped deliver their baby when his wife went into labour. They could not wait for the ambulance to arrive and delivered the baby in their house.

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