Big wave surfers on their jet skis in front of a surf of a huge wave on the rock of Sao Miguel Arcanjo fort and Nazare lighthouse during a surfing session at Praia do Norte on January 27, 2025 in Nazare, Portugal. (Photo by Stefan Matzke - sampics/Corbis via Getty Images)

New York City is populated with millions of people that each serve as an essential piece of the city's eclectic pie. The Big Apple's offering of unique and diverse individuals is arguably unmatched. We always hear about what a melting pot this immense metropolis is with its endless supply of quirky characters and the ongoing photo series known as Humans of New York proves it.

In the 1970′s, actress and model Tippi Hedren (mother of actress Melanie Griffith) created the Shambala Preserve after producing the film Roar. The preserve rescued exotic big cats living in captivity that had been abused or were in need of help, one of which the family created a close bond with. Neil the lion lived with the family in their home, and played an active role in the day to day activities of the preserve.

Pedra da Gavea highline, 850 meters above the city, 100 meters direct exposure, March 24, 2013. Brian Mosbaugh on the line. Carefully tiptoeing almost 3000 metres above Rio de Janeiro on a thin wire got a bit too much for this adrenaline junkie – so he decided to have a LIE DOWN. Fearless Brian Mosbaugh is so used to the perilous heights he decided he deserved a short break and proceeded to kick back and relax over the famous Brazilian city. (Photo by Scott Rogers/Caters)

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Barcelona-based visual effects/3D animation company Big Lazy Robot brings us a beautiful animated video that uses an alternate robotic world to satirize our dependence on technology.

A Turkana boy herds cows as he carries a rifle in north western Kenya near the town of Kibish inside the Turkana region of the Ilemy Triangle September 26, 2014. The Turkana people have historically clashed over ethnic differences and precious resources such as fishing, pasture and fresh water with other tribes bordering their territory, such as the Dassanach from southern Ethiopia. (Photo by Goran Tomasevic/Reuters)

A young Emirati boy looks on as his falcon flies at the Liwa desert, 220 kms west of Abu Dhabi, on the sidelines of the Mazayin Dhafra Camel Festival on December 21, 2013. The festival, which attracts participants from around the Gulf region, includes a camel beauty contest, a display of UAE handcrafts and other activities aimed at promoting the country's folklore. (Photo by Karim Sahib/AFP Photo)

In this March 18, 2015 photo, a boy rides a mechanical bull for children at the Texcoco Fair on the outskirts of Mexico City. In Mexico, these types of fairs date back to Spanish colonial times, and in some smaller communities they are organized around the feast days of Roman Catholic saints. (Photo by Eduardo Verdugo/AP Photo)