MINNEAPOLIS — On day one of Minnesota's stay at home order, parts of Uptown were noticeably quiet.
"It's pretty quiet everywhere," said Steve Kramka, who was buying groceries at the Uptown Cub Foods. "We're a pretty fast-paced culture and it's slowing everything down big time."
Kramka said even the grocery store, open because it's an essential business under the order, wasn't particularly busy.
"Not too terribly bad and people are keeping their distance," he said.
Closer to Calhoun Square, foot traffic on sidewalks was sparse, with some of the retail stores, hair salons and gym all temporarily closed due to the virus.
Restaurants have been closed for dine-in service since March 16, open only for carryout and delivery.
"You see the restaurants, driving by, there's no cars there," said Kevin Patton, who was walking his dogs along Bde Maka Ska Saturday. "But there's plenty of people out here walking and keeping that distance."
You can still go outside, as long as you keep six feet away from other people.
The Governor's order is intended to slow the spread of the virus in the state. It asks Minnesotans not to leave their homes unless it's essential.
While grocery stores and other essential businesses are still open, entertainment has to be creative.
"We just like to do a lot of fun things on the weekends, like go to the zoo, or the children's museum, and there's just not a lot to do," said Natalie King, a mother of two sons, ages two and four.
Her family found entertainment in a "practice Halloween" Saturday. It included making paper pumpkins, a virtual costume party with her sons' friends via Zoom, and trick-or-treating at just one house - theirs.
"We had mom and dad at the front door and the back door, and the boys got to run between them, and knock on the doors, and say 'trick-or-treat,'" King explained.
"I really do hope that there's an end in sight," King said. "And maybe we'll look back on this time and it will be really fun."
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