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Photos: Oakland, largely emptied

EDITOR’S NOTE: With campuses emptied and University life brought to a halt, student journalism is in a tough spot right now. We’re asking our readers to please support the work of our current staff, as well as the next generation of Pitt student journalists, by donating here. Thank you for your support!

Oakland may look a little different than it did two months ago due to the coronavirus pandemic, but its formerly crowded streets are not left completely empty. Walking through campus on Wednesday, it was not entirely a ghost town, with runners and bikers out and people grabbing food on Forbes Avenue. While eyes and masks have replaced familiar faces, and lonely Port Authority buses have replaced bumper-to-bumper traffic, Oakland is still Oakland and its familiar sights provide comfort. The Cathedral of Learning still stands tall over campus, the pigeons still feed in that same patch of grass, and most importantly, hospital workers can still be seen crossing the streets as their hospitals stand proudly throughout the city.

Oakland misses its students, but they will be back.

Various workers continue their jobs throughout Oakland.
Despite Forbes Avenue’s still-frequented restaurants, Fifth Avenue remains nearly deserted.
Crowds on Forbes Avenue may be reduced, but they are not extinct.
Nurses and doctors frequent Fifth Avenue outside of several UPMC Hospitals.
Hospital workers are a constant sight in Oakland.
Pigeons continue to feast in the patch of grass on Fifth Avenue between Oakland Avenue and South Bouquet Street.
An essential worker takes a break on a curbside in the middle of Pitt’s campus.
It becomes difficult to remain socially distant on the still busy Forbes Avenue.
At this time of year, the Schenley Quadrangle is normally accompanied by departing students, but now it sits deserted.
Groceria Merante remains open to serve residents of Oakland.
Port Authority buses remind people to stay at home.
A hospital worker awaits a shuttle outside the UPMC Presbyterian parking garage.
The Cathedral of Learning watches over an empty Pitt campus.
A masked man carries takeout as he waits to cross Forbes Avenue.
Food continues to attract people out to Forbes Avenue.
A man wearing a fabric mask waits at a bus stop in Oakland.
A UPMC worker waits to cross Fifth Avenue.
TPN Editor-in-Chief

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TPN Editor-in-Chief

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