Shoreline on Sunday

Shoreline Place parking lots are empty

By Diane Hettrick
Photos and reporting by Carl Dinse

Carl Dinse drove around Shoreline on Sunday to document the effects of the Stay Home order from the Governor and City.

Empty lots around Spiro's

He says that the traffic on Aurora and Richmond Beach Road seemed pretty much the same as usual. But the parking lots told the tale.

Streetzeria on Richmond Beach Road

Popular restaurants like Spiro's and Streetzeria are offering takeout but their parking lots are empty.

People walking into Saltwater Park

The City closed off the parking in Richmond Beach Saltwater Park for most of the week to try to thin out the number of people on the beach. 

Streets were jammed around Saltwater Park

It may be working - Carl didn't get out of the car to check - but the neighborhood streets near the entrance to the park were jammed with cars. People walked down the hill to get to the beach.

Shoreline Place lots were empty

The lower level of Shoreline Place, where everything is shuttered except possibly the veterinary clinic, was a ghost town.

Paramount School Park

At Paramount School Park, the walkers and joggers were spaced out at the appropriate physical distance.

Connie King Skateboard Park
in Paramount School Park

But skateboarders had torn down the caution tape around the skateboard park.

Aurora Village is always its own story. We have published photos of the lines into Costco. But the lines are just as long to get into Home Depot. 

Carefully spaced lines at Home Depot

Costco, by the way, is now allowing anyone who works in the healthcare field or is a first responder like a police officer, firefighter or EMT to move to the front of any line at any of the stores' locations. Customers just need to show a membership card and an official identification card showing their role.

The dramatic difference is in the gas lines. Since we are all staying home, we're not burning gas. When have you ever seen a Costco gas line with fewer than six cars?