Closed Kalamazoo: The First Saturday
I just came back from a walk downtown Kalamazoo, on the first Saturday since the state closed bars and restaurants to help limit the exposure of COVID-19.
It was one of the most surreal experiences I’ve had. Between roughly 10 to 11 p.m., I only saw one other person, who I assume was a downtown resident walking his dog.
This is not an exaggeration: nothing was open. Greentop, Bell’s, Shakespeare’s, Food Dance, Harveys, Old Dog, all laid closed.
The impact of this whole thing really hits when you feel like the only person where there would normally be a thousand or so others. Then you think about all of the people who would be working at these establishments. Heartbreaking on so many levels.
It all eerie and honestly a little frightening: I felt like anything could happen and no one would be around.
Here are some photos from my hometown, which is now a ghost town.
If these photos show you anything: don’t forget to support these local businesses by ordering delivery or pick up. As you can tell, they need it more than ever.
