Surprising Scenes of Houston’s New Coronavirus Normal — 40 Images That Show the City in a New Light

Heartbreak, Helping and Smiles Through the Gloom

BY Chris Baldwin // 04.06.20

photography F. Carter Smith

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Having a cool copilot is more important than ever in these days of social distancing. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Medical professionals began Houston's first drive-through screening and testing for coronavirus at the United Memorial Medical Center after the outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo has found herself in the spotlight like never before during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

A man on a tall bicycle carrying pizza boxes finds a new way to social-distance, from high above. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Downtown Houston is eerily quiet, with only essential businesses operating during the coronavirus pandemic. A bicyclist can almost have the run of the city. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

B&B Butchers' dining room is empty, but takeout orders go on. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Teachers from Travis Elementary School paraded through their Heights neighborhood, and their students came out to show their own signs. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Teachers from Travis Elementary School parading through The Heights received a nice escort. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Health care workers wearing personal protection equipment (PPE) get ready to test for the coronavirus at Legacy Community Health, Montrose. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

A man feeds the wildlife in Hermann Park. Ducks and geese are not into the social-distancing thing. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Houston police officers are still quick with a smile during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

There was no Astros baseball or any other big-time sports in Houston for four months. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Being a senior in 2020 isn't what anyone expected. (@lizglanville) (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Customers wait for Wal-Mart to open its doors for an hour of seniors-only shopping. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

A sign states that the Houston Zoo at Hermann Park remains closed in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

B&B Butchers helped through Hurricane Harvey — and it's doing its part to help now, too. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Tony Mandola's restaurant remains closed in an effort to slow the spread of COVID-19. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

New home construction continues in The Heights amid the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

More and more Houstonians are getting out in the outdoors — many with furry friends. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

A sign at MD Anderson Cancer Hospital states that visitors will not be allowed to accompany patients in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Debbie Festari shows that wine time can still happen in a virtual hangout. (@debfestari) (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Teachers from Travis Elementary School paraded through their Heights neighborhood. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, chair of the Congressional Coronavirus Task Force, observes the medical professionals conducting screenings. Drive-through testing for coronavirus began at the United Memorial Medical Center after the outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Downtown Houston can feel extra empty during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Senior customers get to shop at Wal-Mart for an exclusive hour every Tuesday morning before the store opens to the public. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Teachers from Travis Elementary School paraded through their Heights neighborhood, and kids stuck at home came outside to cheer as they went by. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

City Kitchen's Gary T. Mercer knows a face mask just makes common sense. (Courtesy photo) (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Life in Houston now has many more people walking. Here's a look at the Heights Boulevard esplanade. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

A local brewery was offering quarantine survival kits consisting of a dozen local IPA beers after the outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

A man lies on a park bench across from Ben Taub Hospital. Houston's homeless will be more exposed than ever during this coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Going out for a drive is still an acceptable activity during these social-distancing days of the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Sales are way off and supply orders curtailed at Bakery Donut, a mom-and-pop-owned shop whose inventory of donuts isn't moving like it used to. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Getting takeout at a distance is part of the new coronavirus normal.

Jason and Courtney Hill Fertitta's children make shopping in Brenham safe. (Courtesy photo) (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

All of Houston's bars and restaurant dining rooms are closed during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

It's not easy to be a police officer at any time. The coronavirus pandemic adds a whole new layer to that. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Minute Maid Park sat dark during the coronavirus pandemic. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Armandos is taking its takeout food and social distancing seriously. (Courtesy photo) (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

The sudden closure of the Houston Rodeo last March was the first real shockwave from the coronavirus pandemic felt in the Bayou City. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

March Madness took on whole new meaning this year in Houston — and everywhere. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Having a cool copilot is more important than ever in these days of social distancing. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, chair of the Congressional Coronavirus Task Force, observes the medical professionals conducting screenings. Drive-through testing for coronavirus began at the United Memorial Medical Center after the outbreak of COVID-19. (Photo by F. Carter Smith)

Houston’s new “normal” means freeways without traffic jams, hulking empty sports stadiums that haunt, deserted malls, packed running trails and more and more people in masks. The coronavirus pandemic has changed life across the globe, but seeing it play out in America’s fourth-largest city — the town that went out to eat at restaurants at a higher rate than any major city in the United States — can be especially jarring.

Houstonians are friendly social animals, addicted to valet parking and queso at nearly equal rates.

It’s only been 13 days since Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo’s first official stay-at-home order went into effect. It’s only been 27 days since the Houston Rodeo was abruptly canceled, at a time when many of us were still living in something of a state of denial.

Now everything seems different. Even if Houston’s giving spirit lives on in acts both big and small.

Health care professionals and grocery store workers are putting their lives at some risk to make sure Houstonians stay healthy and not hungry. Restaurants, crippled by the closure of their dining rooms, are scrambling to adjust, even if offering takeout is more of a means of staying connected to customers and a bare-bones staff than a realistic route to any profitability.

This is a Houston that most of us never imagined seeing. But the city’s heartbeat continues to pump strong, putting smiles on the gloom. Photographer F. Carter Smith has been out documenting Houston life through the coronavirus pandemic for the past several weeks, capturing the city as it’s never been before.

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Some of these Houston coronavirus scenes are heartbreaking. Some are inspiring. Several might make you smile. One or two might make you wonder if some will ever get a social-distancing clue. But they are all a look at this new Houston in all its glory and warts.

This is Houston under coronavirus: