Coronavirus: A Deserted Hollywood?

No Spiderman. No Batman. Not even Jack Sparrow stood on the corner of Hollywood and Highland.

Hollywood Boulevard was practically a ghost town. I say practically because the Goldman was there talking to a homeless man sitting on the curb and a man playing the guitar stood in front of the Chinese Theater.

I drove the length of the famous Boulevard with its theaters, hotels, souvenir stores, and fast food joints in only 5 minutes. Almost every business was shuttered.

Emptiness. I saw no more than a dozen people along the street, not counting the half dozen homeless not in their tents.

I was saddened for the shuttered businesses, but I was happy to see that Angelenos were taking the virus seriously abiding by the stay-at-home orders.

From here I drove up to Lake Hollywood Park to grab a picture of the Hollywood sign for today's blog. I saw cars parked along the road. I saw yellow tape closing off the park. I saw a city electric sign telling people to maintain a safe distance.

I saw four people here: one young woman leaving her car with a dog, a young couple walking to an overlook, and one guy dressed in neoprene pants and long sleeve neoprene shirt and what looked like num-chuks in his hand speed walking up the hill.

I didn't know where the rest of the people from the cars had gone. I took my photo of the sign and as I returned to my car, the woman with the dog asked me - invading my 6 foot personal space, "Is it closed?"

"Is what closed?" I asked leaning way back.

"The hiking trail."

"I have no idea."

She gave me a quizzical look, then proceeded walking up the hill, then disappeared down a trail that I had not seen. Now I knew where the people from the cars had gone.

It turns out Hollywood's attractions weren't completely deserted.

I didn't linger. I got in my car and headed home

Take care everyone - and please remember the 6-foot rule.

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