Monday, May 4, 2020

A Quiet New Orleans

With New Orleans currently under a shelter-at-home order, the streets of the Crescent City are quiet. Gone are the cars, the tourists jam-packed on Bourbon Street, and the lines at Cafe du Monde. Jackson Square sits empty and the army of musicians and street-performers who entertain guests and locals alike remain in their homes.

New Orleans has been hit particularly hard by the pandemic. An ill-timed Mardi Gras and the poverty of the city's residents combined to deal the city a brutal blow. Orleans Parish (New Orleans) has seen over 6,500 cases and nearly 450 deaths from COVID-19.

With residents staying in their homes, the streets have taken on an eerie quality to them. Once bustling boulevards, are now void of people, vendors, and most significantly--music. Yet there is also a beauty in the quiet. A chance to observe and reflect on the city we love dearly and how it will and won't be the same.

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