New York: Stilled Life

I collect NYC Photo books and this is up there with my favorites. I too walked the streets of NYC during those "stilled" times and there was something so disconcerting during all the horror of those times, yet the beauty of the City still shone through. That has been captured in this book for those who could not experience it for themselves. It is so reminiscent of the wonderful book by Duane Michaels, Empty New York. A must read for those who like to view the City at rest.

I have lived in New York City for 40 years, and known wonderful Gregory for 36 of those years. My family was (literally) hiding out in the mountains during the Lockdown, so were not in the City where I chose to live after college. When Greg started putting up his pictures on Facebook they were my link not just to HIM, but to the City that I loved, where I met my husband, where I've raised my child, where I spent my career supporting integral parts of New York, where I have volunteered at many of the organizations pictured. Those pictures were my lifeline to the place I knew as my HOME. As I work in SoHo, even the plywood photos were poignant to me, as indeed the pieces of plywood put up on our store windows are still in our back office, now covered with glorious murals from a local street artist. To have those same photos, skillfully arranged from the top of Manhattan to the tip, in a beautiful coffee-table-sized book is a privilege. It reminds me how very special is every step in this City, every monument, every towering building, every little piece of my heart is here, carefully immortalized by Gregory's astute eye. What a conquest. What bravery. What a fantastic piece of history. Thanks, Greg. I will treasure this book forever. xo xo xo

The pandemic shut our world down, including New York City, which never shuts down. Mr Peterson spent the lockdown riding his bike and chronically the beautiful architecture and scenes around his city that eerily had no people. This is a rare and beautiful look at the city. Thanks to him for recording this (hopefully) once in a lifetime experience.

This collection bears witness to history. Every haunted frame is a lasting reminder of what we have all endured, missed, and worried through. Peterson's loving eye evokes a longing from the buildings themselves, as if they are crying out for their people to return.

The pandemic was terrible and yet the vision of an empty city is somehow beautiful and captivating. This is a book that envelopes you with a strange beauty.

Gregory Peterson has captured NYC in such a rare state. These streets and landmarks without people and cars bustling within them seem naked. Page after page you’ll be amazed. Every New Yorker and any lover of NYC should have a copy out on their coffee table.

This is more than a coffee table book. It is a pictoral love story of a city at an historic and poignant moment in time. A family treasure to keep at home and share with anyone who knows and loves this resilient city. Highly recommend!

These pictures say so much about a city and about a time in that city. Just beautifully done.