Union Station, Navy Pier, Millennium Park — quiet and deserted.
Downtown Chicago destinations normally packed with tourists and everyday pedestrian traffic emptied out after Illinoisans were ordered to stay at home starting Saturday evening.
But on Wednesday, March 25, bikers, runners and sunbathers clogged the Lakefront Trail as they took advantage of balmy weather in the 60s. The violation of social distancing guidelines — most egregiously perhaps via organized soccer games on the turf fields — prompted a swift rebuke from Mayor Lori Lightfoot and resulted in the overnight closure of the trail and some parks.
Illinois’ “stay-at-home” order does allow residents to leave their homes as long as they maintain six feet of separation between people — which may be easier to achieve in wide open spaces.
WBEZ photographer Manuel Martinez has been documenting the city as it empties out. Here’s what it looks like now:
Union Station
Millennium Park
The Crown Fountain lies completely empty to help promote social distancing and to keep large groups of tourist from gathering. Many of Chicago’s top tourist destination are completely empty after the City of Chicago’s leaders called for a shutdown to help curve the amount of new cases of the Corona Virus on March 24, 2020. Manuel Martinez/WBEZ
Manuel Martinez
0000018f-845b-db24-a9ff-ccdbe3080000 West Jackson Boulevard and South LaSalle Street
The Art Institute Of Chicago
The Art Institute has closed temporarly to keep large groups of tourist from gathering. Many of Chicago’s top tourist destination are completely empty after the City of Chicago’s leaders called for a shutdown to help curve the amount of new cases of the Corona Virus on March 24, 2020. Manuel Martinez/WBEZ
Manuel Martinez
Grant Park
The Thompson Center
Navy Pier
Manuel Martinez is a visual producer and photographer for WBEZ. You can follow him on Twitter at @DenverManuel.
