NEW YORK CITY-If New York City is the heart that pumps blood to the rest of America, the center of that heart is Times Square. On any given day, Times Square is packed full of people and it doesn’t matter what time of day or night.
Times Square is the very definition of “The City that Never Sleeps”.
Until the coronavirus showed up. Now a photo of a vacant Times Square is going viral, with just a single person crossing the street on what is normally backed up with traffic, tourists and non-licensed characters roaming the sidewalks hoping for a tip for posing in a photo. Even the guy who walks around Times Square with “The End is Near” sign…stayed home.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2829838277105080&set=a.184776954944572&type=3&theater
You can see real-time views of Times Square at any time on the Times Square Earth Cam.
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2489740351286755&set=gm.2510448932553554&type=3&theater
On Tuesday, day 2 of the coronavirus shutdown, there were a few people in Times Square and relatively few cars on the road. Normally the intersection is a bustling hub of tourism and near gridlock traffic conditions.
Crazy. Having only moved here 5 years ago, I haven't seen Times Square this empty on a nice day. This was 9AM Monday morning. #nycshutdown #CoronavirusOutbreak pic.twitter.com/yI4Lmhj1j6
— Johnny K (@TheJohnnyK) March 16, 2020
Another street cam view of Times Square can be seen here.