Here’s What Boston Streets Look Like Totally Empty

A USPS letter carrier crosses a quiet Boylston Street with greatly reduced foot and vehicle traffic. (Photo by Lane Turner/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Usually when you think of Boston, images of our ever-present traffic, sports fans filling T stations, bustling students, and full bars come to mind. But now we’ve entered an unprecedented era of self-isolation and social distancing. While this doesn’t mean we can’t go outside, we have been asked for the safety of ourselves and our community to stay home. And though Boston has quiet days, we’ve never seen it this quiet. On the plus side, it is encouraging to see the streets bare, because that means we are taking COVID-19 as seriously as we should be. But it is nonetheless jarring to see our city streets so barren. Below are a collection of photos that have captured what Boston looks like when put on hold.

South Station has few pedestrians and passengers as more work from home amid growing coronavirus cases. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

A sign on the window of Grainne O’Malley’s Tavern in Brookline, MA, alters patrons that it the Irish pub will be closing the day before St. Patrick’s Day. They will still be able to serve takeout and delivery. (Photo by Suzanne Kreiter/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Legal Harborside in the Seaport of Boston is empty in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

A passerby stops to read a sign outside Toro in the South End of Boston which has closed in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. (Photo by Barry Chin/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Congress Street during morning rush hour. (Photo by David L. Ryan/The Boston Globe via Getty Images) / David L. Ryan

 

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Eerily quiet but calmingly soothing on Boston Harbor. ⛵️#SocialDistance pic.twitter.com/nxElj1ZYmo

— Jonathan Berk (@berkie1) March 15, 2020

 

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