Living the quiet life in downtown Las Vegas during coronavirus — PHOTOS
By Ellen Schmidt Las Vegas Review-Journal
Fergusons Downtown holds some of the Fremont Street businesses that are closed because of coronavirus on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Singer Kevin Washington poses for a portrait in between song on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in downtown Las Vegas. "I ain’t never seen nothing like this in the world," said Washington about the emptiness of Fremont Street. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Jackie Rosales, 13, holds her little sister Alice Rosales, 6, as their father Luis Rosales takes their photo in front of the Life is Beautiful mural in downtown Las Vegas on Saturday, April 25, 2020. The Rosales family said they came to take photos of each other in front of the murals, figuring that downtown would be abnormally empty for a Saturday. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
A downtown public parking lot sits empty in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Tito Santana, owner of The Oil Change Center on North 6th Street and Stewart Avenue, changes the oil in a pickup truck on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. “Business has picked up in the last week,” said Santana. “At first it was really difficult because we have to get into people’s vehicles so people are cautious about that.” (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Bikers make way through an empty downtown on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
John Jacobi sells raw honey at Downtown 3rd Farmers Market on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. “It will be interesting to see if some of the things I think are going on behind the scenes turn out,” said Jacobi. “When they open the doors, if they don’t wait long enough, they’re going to be looking at some big, dead numbers.” (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Fremont Hotel and Casino is closed on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
The Fremont Street Experience is vacant on a weekend that would have brought heavy business from the NFL Draft on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. The NFL Draft was held virtually because of coronavirus. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
4 Queens is among the empty casinos on the Fremont Street Experience Downtown on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Downtown Las Vegas is empty but for a few roaming people on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Locals seem to be the only people left in downtown Las Vegas, normally a popular place for tourists, on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
Downtown Arts District business feature coronavirus-related murals on the boards that shutter their windows and doors on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
A customer waits for his order at Boston Pizza on Las Vegas Boulevard on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
A group of bikers crosses Las Vegas Boulevard headed toward the Strip on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
An ice cream truck drives around downtown in search of customers on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
The Stratosphere is seen in the background of an empty South 3rd Street on Saturday, April 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Ellen Schmidt/Las Vegas Review-Journal) @ellenkschmidt_
It was supposed to be one of the busiest weekends of the year. Instead, downtown Las Vegas continues to feel like a ghost town during the coronavirus pandemic.
The nonessential valley businesses that would have benefited from the increased tourism remain closed, with curious locals and roamers moving through the empty streets instead.
The normal music of the Fremont Street Experience no longer drifts throughout downtown. With few conversations and lightened traffic, the music has been replaced with silence and chirping birds.
