Photos: Silent Saturday Strip District

Whether you're a local or a tourist visiting from out of town, it's practically a sin to not visit the Strip District on a weekend.

I had to see for myself just how unusually quiet that part of town would be in the morning hours during the quarantine. If you saw my most recent story of an empty Downtown Pittsburgh, you know that I often make the decision to showcase those images in black and white; the simple nature of shape and light guiding your eyes throughout each photo without any other distractions. But the opening photo above was an exception. The monochromatic feel of the empty parking spaces being watched over by the lively colorful mural of a better time left me no choice but to leave it as is.

With the exception of a few businesses open for pickup including Pennsylvania Macaroni Company, Strip District Meats, Cafe Raymond, Wholey's, a florist, and a few others, it was a ghost town. Lefty's bar even had its door and windows boarded up, assuming to prevent potential vandalism. One passerby picked up a knocked-over plant. As I stood in the middle of Penn Avenue, two men walked by and said to each other, "Can you imagine any other Saturday morning, standing in the middle of the street like that?" They were right. It's usually like a game of Frogger trying to cross the street when it's busy. And for dogs like Leroy, who I met while taking these photos, I'm sure it's quite nice to get your walk in without a bunch of people around.

But I hope that once we get through this time, I never see the Strip so silent again.