Story and photos by Selah Maya Zighelboim
Sixth Street fills with a colorful myriad of characters, faces painted with bright red scars or hidden behind Scream masks. During Halloween, we hide our identities underneath wigs and costumes, but behind each disguise is a human being. Inspired by photographer Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, these are the humans of Sixth Street on Halloween.

“We dress up like this every year. It’s tradition. Isn’t Day of the Dead what Halloween is all about?”

“I got more attention earlier when I wasn’t wearing leggings but then children started coming around so I figured I better put my genitalia away.”

“The cost of a drum set is like a thousand frickin’ dollars I don’t have, and I can make a thousand frickin’ dollars playing on buckets.”

“We like seeing all the costumes.”
“What’s the best costume you’ve seen?”
“Kevin’s. Everyone likes Kevin’s.”

“I am judging all these people out here as sinners. I know because I was one. I am one.”

“Can the photo be like a together thing?”

“I stitched it myself. We just moved from Pennsylvania so I don’t have a sewing machine.”

“The costume is about 45 pounds. It’s mostly in the back. I put in a lot of padding so it doesn’t hurt.”