"Humans of New York" began as a way for Brandon Stanton to structure his life around something that was nourishing and enjoyable for him; he wanted to create enough time in his life to focus on photography, paying the minimum amount needed to sustain himself. Starting in 2008, his unemployment benefits allowed him to afford a sublease in Bedford-Stuyvesant and live off of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches while he pursued photography full-time.