Casey Neistat’s Escape from New York Robs the City of its Best Brand Ambassador

The YouTube auteur was New York’s best documentarian — he even lured me back to the Big Apple

The first video Casey Neistat ever uploaded to YouTube sought to answer a question that every New Yorker has likely puzzled over: when is it okay to pull the emergency brake on a New York City subway train?

It’s 2010, and Neistat appears on screen in black sunglasses, which he wears so that the viewer is not distracted by the movement of his eyes as they scan the train car in which he is filming. “I’m gonna touch it” he teases and the camera pans up to capture his fingers reaching towards the break, grasping it lightly. When his face reappears he is sporting a mischievous, toothy grin, delighted by his small act of disobedience.

This is Neistat at his essence — tempter of fate, seeker of truth, and deeply devoted student of the city of New York. Over the past nine years, Neistat has posted more than 1,000 videos about living, working, and breaking rules in New York City to his YouTube channel, which now counts more than 11 million subscribers.

Last week, the city lost him to another metropolis, Los Angeles, where his wife and two daughters will be closer to their extended family.

The cross-country move closes an 18-year chapter of Neistat’s life in New York, laying to rest an era of creativity that has made him one of the world’s most prolific digital creators. It has shocked his fanbase, many of whom have fallen in love with the city by experiencing it vicariously through his regular uploads.

Viewers left more than 12,000 comments under the May 10th video in which he announced his departure, many lamenting the loss of one of the city’s fiercest advocates and greatest admirers. “New York is essentially the co-star of your videos,” says one. “Sad to see you leaving it.” Another reads, “Your vlogs were my introduction to NYC! Thank you, Casey, for showing the best of New York City.”