MacJournalism photojournalist Caleb Melville went around Austin on Thursday May 21 looking for signs of how the pandemic has affected the local economy. For the most part, the pictures in this week’s #TuesdayTop10 reveal that the pandemic has left the city’s streets and the businesses on them  without customers to serve. There are of course some exceptions to every trend as Austinites have rallied to find creative ways to support their favorite local businesses at the same time that those businesses have found creative ways to reach out to their regular customers and even in some cases to find new ones.

Editor’s Note: We realize by the way that we are posting the #TuesdayTop10 on a Friday, but we figured that since the pandemic has us all at home day after day that the days have started running into each other (kind of like what Bill Murray’s character goes through in Groundhog Day, and for that reason it’s OK just this once for us to post a Tuesday Top 10 on a different day. It is Friday, right?

Downtown Austin is usually one of the busiest places in the city on any given day. These days, it’s a ghost town. The lack of life on Congress makes for a startling but beautiful view of the Capitol. Photo by Caleb Melville.

Magnolia Cafe has been forced to shut down its original location on Lake Austin Boulevard. A seemingly light consequence when you hear of the complete closure of Shady Grove on Barton Springs Boulevard. Photo by Caleb Melville.

Another leading place of business that has changed drastically is South Congress. This area is usually the host of hundreds of shoppers and eaters but is currently deserted enough to be the set of an old Western movie. Photo by Caleb Melville.

Restaurants in locations such as Rainey Street are finding it incredibly hard to stay afloat. These owners depend on the large crowds of customers they can expect on usually busy days of the week to pay their sky-high rent and other expenses. Photo by Caleb Melville.

While many Austinites fiddle their days away stuck at home, a sizable group of less fortunate souls must continue their struggle for survival on the streets. The irony in this picture speaks to me as the man on the right leans against a sign asking people to stay home and slow the spread, with all his worldly belongings in the suitcase to his left. The homeless population has felt the toll of this virus as much as, or more than any of us. Photo by Caleb Melville.

The lockdowns and quarantine have already taken some casualties. Austin family-owned classics who cannot pay the rent with their doors closed must move, or worse, completely close. Photo by Caleb Melville.

The restaurant and bar industry has been one of the hardest hit by the COVID-19 lockdowns. Many Austin staples are on the brink of demise due to high rent with little or no income. Photo by Caleb Melville.

Most businesses, that are able, have switched their stores to pickup or takeout only. Even with these options, most people choose to stay home for their safety, and many business places are stark reminders of the lack of social contact we have right now. Photo by Caleb Melville.

Top Notch employee Abbey Sanders delivers an order to a drive-in customer on May 8. Takeout service at the popular local burger joint was brisk. In April, dine-in service at restaurants in Austin was prohibited. The governor eased those restrictions with an executive order on April 27 that allowed restaurants to open for dine-in business at 25 percent capacity, but many local restaurants opted not to open their dining areas to customers until they could put in place systems to ensure employee and customer safety. Photo by Dave Winter.

One exception to the economic slowdown in activity occurred at Austin’s two Krispy Kreme locations on May 20. The popular doughnut chain offered a 2020 Grad Dozen to any senior who came dressed wearing graduations swag. The car lines went out to the street at both entrances of the north location off Highway 183 with wait times exceeding an hour for the complimentary doughnuts in honor of the Class of 2020. Photo by Henry Winter.

While all seems to be lost or hanging by a thread for some, others have taken their extra time during quarantine to fill the plywood covering many businesses with messages of hope or desperation. Austin’s culture as a city of many artists can be seen clearly through this lens.