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March came hard for Los Angeles. COVID-19 was spreading, and local officials started shutting down the county to slow transmission of the coronavirus that causes it.
Bars, movie theaters, and restaurants were the first to close. Employees who could work from home were encouraged to so. And students had their classes moved online, for what would turn out to be the rest of the year and beyond.
Stricter stay at home orders soon followed.
Angelenos with homes were locked down, and some without homes were locked out. Leaving was restricted to essential workers going to essential jobs, and people getting essential supplies and services, like groceries and medicine.
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For a few weeks Los Angeles looked wildly different.
Traffic was almost non-existent. Once bustling neighborhoods were replaced by the sound of actual crickets. Commercial districts looked like scenes straight out of a post-apocalyptic film. And a new, surreal silence set in across the city.
I ventured out to document what it looks like when most of L.A. stays home.
Chinatown Central Plaza: Restaurants in Chinatown were among the first to be hit by what quickly became an industry-wide crisis.
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LACMA: Not a selfie-taker in sight at the art museum's "Urban Light" installation.
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Walt Disney Concert Hall: By late March, music festivals, concerts, performances across Los Angeles were being cancelled. Disney Hall looked abandoned.
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The Wiltern: The sign at popular music venue proved overly optimistic.
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Pantages: On normally crowded Hollywood Blvd., a lone man walks past the shuttered gates of the Pantages theater. Months later, performances of Hamilton remain canceled for now.
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El Capitan: On this Friday night in March, there was no sign of the throngs of noisy tourists typically bustling around Hollywood.
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Olvera Street: On this weekend in late March, Olvera's shops were shuttered. The rain added to the hard-to-describe mood.
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Rodeo Drive: At the time, all non-essential businesses, including retail stores were ordered to close.
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Santa Monica Pier: The pier was gated up and closed to the public. Beaches became a popular hang out spot as events, restaurants, and bars where closed. Throngs of beachgoers would gather for hours prompting officials to close the beaches for a period of time.
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Grand Central Market: Many of downtown restaurants were closed, and those that remain open were take-out only. People were social distancing as required, and security guards at the entrances limited the number of people inside.
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Chairs up on tables at Grand Central Market, a scene that that quickly become a familiar sight at the region's restaurants as sitting down for a meal was prohibited.
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Fig at 7th: California Pizza Kitchen in downtown Los Angeles.
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Santee Alley: L.A.'s Fashion district is one of the busiest areas in the city. Usually packed full of shoppers. Banners throughout the alley even claim to be open 365 days a year. Every shop in this alley was closed to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in late March.
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Fashion District: A bust models a full face mask next to a sign that reads "avoid COVID-19 Mask."
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Nearby, a street vendor sold face masks for $5 a piece tries to get the attention of passing cars.
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L.A. City Hall: At rush hour on Tuesday March 24, the streets where mostly empty except for the unhoused Angelenos that make this area their home.
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Venice Beach: Shuttered shops at Venice's Boardwalk.
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Muscle Beach: No muscles to see at outside gymnasium in Venice. Gyms across the state were deemed as non-essential and closed to slow the spread of COVID-19.
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Metro Center: People wearing masks became the norm on Metro trains.
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A group of women cover their faces with scarves while waiting for the Metro Red Line.
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Some took wearing a face covering an extra step like this man wearing a full face gas mask.
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Empty entrance to the Metro Red and Purple line at Union Station during rush hour on March 23, 2020.
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Guards standby to make sure that only ticketed passengers or those carrying valid TAP cards enter the passageway to Union Station West.
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A solitary passenger walks towards Union Station west during what is usually rush hour on March 23, 2020.
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A notice to passengers about modified schedules due to COVID-19 at Pershing Square Station on March 23, 2020.
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This is what Metro stations looked like on most days. The state ordered Californians to stay home and metro ridership has plummeted.
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Empty Stairway into the 7th street Metro Hub during afternoon rush hour on Thursday, March 19.
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Above the freeways: A birds eye view of the nearly empty intersection of the 101 and 110 freeways in downtown Los Angeles.
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Image Credit (top): Chava Sanchez/LAist
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Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief
