- Times Square is completely empty after government officials ordered businesses to close down and for residents to stay home.
- The streets of Times Square are devoid of any cars, while the sidewalks have no street performers, famous characters, or tourists.
- The famous red stairs in Times Square have been closed, as have the profitable Broadway theaters.
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On March 23, New York State was put on pause, closing businesses and emptying streets. The order has transformed Times Square from one of the busiest tourist attractions in the world to an abandoned intersection.
Before the pandemic made its way to the US, Times Square welcomed hundreds of thousands of people each day. Most were tourists, but some were residents passing through for work or for leisure. Today, the streets are completely empty.
Take a look for yourself how the lockdown order and the pandemic has affected one of America's most cherished tourist attractions.
For starters, Times Square usually has some of the worst traffic jams.
The streets in and around Times Square are usually filled with yellow taxis and city buses ferrying tourists to where they want to go. During rush hour, these streets also fill with residents going to and from work.
But now, the streets of Times Square are completely empty of any cars.
The only vehicles that can be seen on these roads are police cruisers.
Times Square is also known for its extremely crowded sidewalks as thousands of tourists walk through the area every day.
In fact, 380,000 pedestrians visit Times Square each day.
Since the lockdown went into effect and tourism declined, Times Square's sidewalks have become completely abandoned.
Walking through Times Square these days, you may come across a few people taking pictures of the empty streets and a few police officers patrolling the area. The crowds are long gone.
Many know and have come to love the characters that walk around Times Square.
One of the most famous characters is the Naked Cowboy, who has been working in Times Square since 1997 and has since become a staple in the area.
These days, the Naked Cowboy is nowhere to be seen.
All the characters — everyone from the Power Rangers to Elmo — are also absent.
People also come to the midtown attraction to see some of the best street performers.
Usually, there are singers, dancers, break-dancers, and comedians all trying to make it under the city's brightest lights.
Since the street performers no longer have anyone to perform for, they have also stopped showing up in Times Square.
Other workers who were employed at the retail stores, restaurants, and offices in Times Square have also stopped coming to the area.
The restaurants in Times Square are also popular among tourists throughout the year.
In Times Square, you can find Hard Rock Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Olive Garden, Bubba Gump, and Junior's.
Now, all nonessential businesses, including restaurants and bars, are closed.
Some restaurants in New York are still offering takeout and delivery services, but others have chosen to close down completely and board up the windows, like this bar near Times Square.
In the past, people have flocked to Times Square for cultural and lifestyle events.
During the summer, hundreds of people attended a yoga workout in the middle of the tourist attraction for the International Day of Yoga.
Today, no such events are taking place in Times Square.
The space that was once filled with yoga goers is now completely empty.
The famous red stairs near 47th Street are usually filled with tourists.
Since the stairs opened in 2008, there have been 5,000 Instagram posts per day that feature them, and 13,000 people walk the steps every day.
Now, the stairs are closed off and are completely abandoned.
The tables that are usually open to the general public have also been tied up and barred from use.
Millions of people come to Times Square every year to see some of the best plays and musicals on Broadway.
In 2019, 14.62 million people attended a Broadway show, and the industry grossed $1.76 billion.
Since the lockdown went into effect, Broadway shows have been suspended.
Now, all the theaters have gone dark, putting crews, actors, and musicians out of work.
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