An otherworldly quiet descended over the streets of Manhattan on Saturday as a muffling blanket of snow and a complete ban on private vehicles transformed a city renowned for its bustle and horn-blaring traffic into a tranquil pedestrian mall.
As a blizzard that seemed destined for the record books intensified, officials closed all bridges and tunnels into New York and banned all but emergency vehicles from its roads. Soon the city emptied of traffic except for a few straggling taxis and a trickle of drivers who defied the order.
The void was quickly filled as tourists bundled against the driving snow and wandered through intersections, taking selfies on their smartphones, making snow angels in the snow drifts of Times Square and huddling in coffee shops to warm themselves.