PHOTO: Iwona K. Hoffman

In a city alive with the sounds of 8 million people going about their business, many of them still spend their days alone. Some seek out that solitude, while others seem to be thrust into a lonely life in the center of the crowd.

Our reporters found New Yorkers who revel in their solitude and those who would really rather find companionship.

Some watch the world rush by from their solitary posts at work. Young immigrants arrive in the city hoping to find a better life, only to be far from home and on their own. Old-fashioned matchmakers try to relieve some of the loneliness. And one adventurer uses New York as a base as he prepares to set sail for a 1,000-day solo cruise.

EDITORS: MARTA FERRER & IWONA K. HOFFMAN

Of Their Own Accord
BY MARTA FERRER
& IWONA K HOFFMAN
Going to work is a different concept for some New Yorkers who spend their days alone in this bustling city. More

Solitary No More
BY CLAUDIA CARLIN
& RACHELE KANIGEL
In search of soulmates, singles drop dotcoms for the human touch of matchmakers More

Sailing Single
BY LEELA AGUADULCE LANDRESS
& MICHAEL CERVIERI
One man turns to the open seas for a 1,000-day sojourn of self-discovery More

Not Home, Alone
BY FRANZISKA BRUNER 
& FANG CUI
New York is a tough place to survive alone for teenage illegal immigrants More