On the Road is a weekday feature spotlighting reader photo submissions.
From the exotic to the familiar, whether you’re traveling or in your own backyard, we would love to see the world through your eyes.
I am terrible with geography, but even I can tell this is New York! New York, where the turtles completely ignore social distancing rules (caught on film!) and sheep are allowed to roam free. There really are sheep; I even googled so I wouldn’t get my hopes up for nothing. But a picture is worth a thousand words, so take a look for yourself. New York as we have never seen it. ~WG
ema
A few shots from a pandemic hotspot. First we have the Avenues: Park, Madison, and 5th (all N/S, looking S).
Park Ave.
Madison Ave.
5th Ave.
Then the cross streets: Central Park South and E 79th St. (E/W, looking E).
CPS
E 79th St.
And while some in the city flaunt the social distancing rules:
CP Sheep Meadow
Last, but not least, a reminder that, even in the middle of a pandemic, hope springs eternal in the human breast and the tushies of ducks.
(Taken around noon over two days – 4/5/20 and 4/6/20 – with a Sony a5100.)
Things Are Getting Sporty In Lansing: Sauce for the Goose Edition
Mary G
It’s so eerie to see those empty streets, and I’ve only seen them in the movies. Must really be weird for you residents. Lol at the duck butts!
Amir Khalid
Maybe the duck tushies pic should be marked NSFW. Because, you know, tushies.
JPL
It won’t be long before those streets start filling up.
rikyrah
Haunting pictures
low-tech cyclist
I HAVE seen the streets of NYC like that. No big deal, really, you’ve just got to time it right.
My wife and I had tickets to see The Producers on a Saturday night back in March 2004 with Matthew Broderick and Nathan Lane in the lead roles, and we stayed in a hotel in midtown Manhattan.
Being an early bird, the next morning I was already out on the streets at sunrise. Supposedly NYC is the City That Never Sleeps, but I can tell you, it’s pretty comatose at daybreak on a Sunday morning. I remember standing on the street in front of the Empire State Building with no cars for blocks.
arrieve
@low-tech cyclist: It’s seeing the streets so empty in the middle of a weekday that’s unnerving. I live near 42nd Street; I’ve seen it during blizzards, I’ve seen it during hurricanes, and it’s never been like this.
I’m making some new masks out of old t-shirts, following a link a couple of days ago saying that a double layer of that fabric was surprisingly effective. They’re much more comfortable and breathable than the masks I’d been wearing, so I’m hoping I can get outside a little more now.
Laura Too
One of the best things I’ve ever done was a 25 mile guided bike ride through Manhattan and Brooklyn. Almost all of it was on surface streets. Almost all of it was bumper to bumper traffic, horns blaring, drivers yelling, just like in the movies. Greatest thrill ever and made me a much more fearless biker. (In a good way not a reckless way) Thank you for an awesome reminder that NYC is beautiful in so many ways. I will be back!
Miss Bianca
Duck butts!
Betty
@low-tech cyclist: Kristofferson”s “Sunday Morning Comin Down” captures that image.
low-tech cyclist
@arrieve: I’m sure it is. But I’m talking about the pictures.
Kattails
Wonderful shots! You just gave me a bit of time travel! Haven’t been in NYC in years; I grew up in north Jersey within an easy train ride. It was really fortunate to live in a then-rural area yet have such access to the city, with school field trips being to the Natural History Museum, the Met and so on. Then I didn’t go for years, living further away, then went back for a couple of trade shows a the Javits. (2 t’s or 1?). What hit me then was the overall sensory experience of New York–lights, noise, smells, the wind down those long corridors, between two rivers and the sea. Going down into the subway, the screech of the train wheels. Wow. I will have to get back there. Thanks for posting these.
J R in WV
Love NYC for a visit. Not crazy to live there full time, we love the solitude of the deep woods we live in in rural WV. But visits to NYC are fond memories, hope to be back again before too long.
I agree that seeing all those major streets of a major city with no traffic, no one on foot, shocking in a way. The turtles are cute!
ema
Thank you all! I will try and retake the street pictures at the beginning of next month to see if we can spot any changes. I think we will, seeing how just the other day I was stuck in a 10 seconds, oddly comforting, traffic jam on 7th Ave. in the 50s.
WaterGirl
@ema: That’s a great idea
edit: I have to say, until this morning I had no idea that duck butts (!) were even a thing!
Since this is the internet, I have no doubt that if I googled “duck butts” something would come up. With pictures! But I’m not doing it.
Laura Too
@WaterGirl: At least not on a work computer!
JaySinWA
I thought that was a 50’s greaser hair style.