--- title: "The Haunting, Beautiful Drone Footage of Cities Under Quarantine" description: "Here are some of the most incredible drone videos to capture the enormous public loneliness of empty cities, cleared out by the coronavirus." date: "2020-03-23" modified: "2020-03-23" authors: - name: "Jon Christian" job_title: "Executive Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/jonc" url: "https://futurism.com/drone-footage-haunting-emptiness-cities-under-quarantine" categories: - "Drones" - "Future Society" - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "coronavirus" - "covid19" - "drone footage" - "health" --- # The Haunting, Beautiful Drone Footage of Cities Under Quarantine ![Here are some of the most incredible drone videos to capture the enormous public loneliness of empty cities, cleared out by the coronavirus.]() *\Image: Washington Post\* As the coronavirus rages, huge swathes of the world population are choosing to stay home to prevent spreading it. The result is an unprecedented desolation in urban centers. It *almost* evokes a post-apocalyptic movie — except that you know that everybody's still out there, hiding out at home. In a [must-read photo essay](), *The* *New York Times* called it a "great emptiness." Here are some of the most incredible drone videos to capture that enormous public loneliness. ## Wuhan, China This is where the devastation all began, just months ago — and this footage shows its public areas largely abandoned, beneath ominous grey skies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RMYQjqiCSHM ## Los Angeles, California It's hard to imagine the City of Angels without throngs of tourists, film crews and the occasional star. In this clip, though, it looks as desolate as the set of a post-apocalyptic film. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O51LOuQzROI ## Paris, France France has been slammed by the coronavirus — and it shows in this eerie footage of its iconic streets, all but empty as residents shelter indoors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2o75sfPv4M ## New York, New York The sheer scale of Manhattan gives a strange gravity to its near-empty streets — especially at night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNokTP86G9w ## Boston, Massachusetts It's hard to imagine Boston with the hubbub of a Red Sox game or a show at TD Garden. But this haunting footage shows Fenway Park as deserted as the city streets. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXqj3Xowhfg ## London, UK London's classic streetscapes and quintessential subway stations don't feel quite the same without a crush of commuters and travelers. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW2UBeusF8E ## Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, compared to major metropolises, is a small town. But this clip of its main drag, almost completely deserted, shows what it's like when Music City goes silent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gXXGUEf4Zg ## Everywhere And finally, from photographer Noah Kalina, check out this thread of webcams on various destinations around the world: https://twitter.com/noahkalina/status/1242114225121693696 https://twitter.com/noahkalina/status/1242131776316887046 https://twitter.com/noahkalina/status/1242154921044172808 **More on the coronavirus:** [*Doctors Think This May Be the First Symptom of the Coronavirus* ]() ## Author I'm responsible for editing, assigning, and scouting at Futurism, as well as occasionally writing for the site. That work involves keeping an eye on a wide range of narratives and issues, but over the past few years I've become increasingly interested in how AI is shaping the future of media, the web, and information itself. My day-to-day often involves collaborating on reporting and commentary projects bylined by my colleagues, but I try to find time to do my own reporting as well; stories I've broken for Futurism have been cited by publications including the New York Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Wired, Ars Technica, New York Magazine, the Columbia Journalism Review, Bloomberg, and more. I grew up in Southern Vermont and attended Vanderbilt University. Prior to Futurism, I contributed to outlets including the Boston Globe, Vice, Wired, Slate, the Atlantic, the Outline, Ars Technica and more, and did stints in farming and food service. I currently live in Brooklyn, New York, and in my free time I enjoy pinball, word games, cycling, running, and music production. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()