Tour guide documents NYC outdoor dining transformation in photos

Book showcases NYC outdoor dining

Tour guide and photographer Peggy Taylor documented the New York City restaurant scene as it transformed during the pandemic into an outdoor experience. Her work is collected in "Streeteries," a full-color coffee table photo book.

NEW YORK - Before outdoor eateries were a thing in New York City, Peggy Taylor was a busy Harlem tour guide. She could never have imagined being unemployed or seeing the streets of New York quickly adopt a European vibe. However, when she saw the change occur during the pandemic, she knew she had to take action — and pictures.

"When Mayor de Blasio allowed restaurants outdoor seating I thought, 'Oh, I love this! It's Paris on the Hudson," Taylor said. "I sensed that this could be historical. We had never dined like this before, and we might never do it again. It is history-making and I should document it."

The result: Streeteries, a book dedicated to outdoor eateries, from bars to Michelin restaurants. Some used flowers. Others, drapes. And one used umbrellas. They are as unique as the restaurants they represent — the newest iteration in New York's vibrant and rich food culture.

The coffee table book is as much a historical accounting as it is a tribute to the work it takes to pull this off.

"They have shown so much creativity, innovation, and heart," Taylor said. "They are doing this for customers, and they knew what state we were in. It helped to lift our spirits."

You can learn more about Streeteries at blurb.com.

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A look inside "Streeteries," a photo book by Peggy Taylor.