Day 22

Everyone knows the AMC television show The Walking Dead is filmed here in Atlanta.  Virtually everyone in the city has either played a zombie on the show at one time or another, has an offer to play a zombie on the show, or knows someone who's played a zombie on the show.

Much of the show is filmed at the former Fort McPherson, now the site of Tyler Perry Studios. But other scenes are shot elsewhere in the state.  The iconic opening shot of Sheriff Rick Grimes riding a horse on an empty, inbound lane into the city while abandoned cars clog the outbound lane was shot on Freedom Parkway from the Jackson Street Bridge. 

Today, we don't have a zombie apocalypse, at least not yet (after Sunday night's tornadoes, I'm not counting anything out), but the covid-19 pandemic has emptied the city streets and today, both the inbound and outbound lanes of Freedom Parkway look like the poster shot of The Walking Dead. 

Here's the Intown Connector, the central artery of the city where Interstate Highways 75 and 85 are merged into one, usually perpetually traffic-clogged road, now almost completely empty while everyone is sheltering in place:

Here's Atlanta's signature Peachtree Street, very close to where I live, also free of traffic:

Peachtree Street in midtown in front of the Fox Theater, now shuttered through at least May and most likely quite a bit longer:

Midtown's North Avenue, also now free of traffic:

 There are no crowds at the airport either.  The waiting time at security is now effectively zero:

But there are signs of hope.  Literally, signs.  Remember the Jackson Street Bridge over Freedom Parkway from the first picture up on top?  Someone hung a banner of encouragement for Atlanta's health-services workers from the bridge:

And now, every night, first the Marriott Marquis and then later the downtown Hilton as well, illuminate heart-shaped symbols and the word "Hope" as signals of encouragement .

I've seen pictures of similar scenes in New York, L.A., Chicago and elsewhere.  Without all the traffic, everything is much quieter, the air is noticeably clearer, and wildlife is returning.  Everyone wants business to resume and the world to go back to normal like before, but it is nice to also pause and appreciate the eerie serenity of a city in lock down.

None of these pictures are my own photography and most of them are from the r/Atlanta subReddit site.  The.original photographers, whose names I've since lost, are commended for their artistry, and the on-line posting of their work is most appreciated.