The following is a second set of pictures from my walk through parts of the city of Boston on March 22nd, 2020 during a “Stay In Place” advisory.
Stay safe, everyone!
I can’t count how many times I have walked through Downtown Crossing, the North End and the Financial District of Boston in my lifetime (as I am sure many of you can’t either). Usually, it feels like familiar territory. But today, it felt completely foreign to me. The last time it felt like this? The week after the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing.
From the TD Garden to South Station and everywhere between, the foot traffic was equally as scarce as vehicle traffic. Just as it was in Salem earlier this week, stores, bars, restaurants, you name it, were all closed.
The eerie calm that covered this part of the city today felt like a heavy blanket, one I would only be more than happy to pull off and throw on the ground. There were some people around, most either on their own or couples out for a Sunday stroll. Fortunately, most if not all were practicing the ol’ social distancing. There were also the occasional homeless individuals out and about, but even they were few and far between.
The silence, the lack of interaction and day-to-day life were okay at first but quickly made me feel uneasy as I walked around trying to find images of isolation and emptiness to document. Walking through the dead silence of the Financial District, I soon began to feel like I was in the 2002 film “…28 Days Later.” If you’ve seen the film, you know that this is not a good feeling to get from your Sunday city stroll.
After about 90 minutes of aimless wandering and picture taking -the first group presented here-, I was only more than happy to get the hell out of Beantown for the time being (I couldn’t even imagine being in New York City right now). I love Boston, but not like this.
Boston, New York, London, India…wherever you may be as you read this. Please be safe and practice social distancing (I took these shots by myself and was never close to anyone else). We’ll see you back here soon.
It was quite the week.
What better way to escape the insanity of our current world than to get up before the crack of dawn and head on out to watch the sun rise. The following photos were taken this morning at Nubble Lighthouse in York, Maine. Being out on the shore, surrounded by the stillness brought on by a new day certain goes a long way in helping one decompress from society.
I hope you enjoy the pics. Please stay safe and healthy.
Shawn Fitzgerald Photography 