Ghost Town: Belmont Under The Security Blanket

A warm Friday in April will usually send Belmont residents outdoors in droves, as they head for a night out or shopping.

Not today.

A request by Gov. Deval Patrick for nearly two-million citizens in seven communities to "shelter in place" while a massive manhunt is underway in Watertown for 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev of Cambridge, the surviving Boston Marathon Bomber, resulting in the Town of Homes becoming ghost town with only a stray resident venturing out onto the streets.

"Spooky" said one man who was walking his dog on Trapelo Road.

The completeness of the shut down in Belmont was made vividly evident as curbside trash pickup was cancelled, an extremely rare occurrence in Belmont as garbage collection has gone on during blizzards and wind storms. 

All town offices and the public library were closed while the MBTA public transportation was halted system-wide.

Just a few vehicles were driving on the roads with seemingly every second vehicle being a police car or motorcycle. In addition, cars were banned on Watertown streets which many in Belmont use as popular through ways to major roads.

With its blue lights flashing, Belmont Police placed its vehicles on School Street to prevent cars from crossing the town line.

Belmont Center, the town's retail hub, had only one car parked on the street as all the shop and restaurant windows were dark after a request from law enforcement not to open for business today. 

In Cushing Square, single vehicles waited patiently at lights with no cross traffic to impede its way. 

Not that there is anywhere in Belmont open for citizens to travel to. With the exception of Dunkin' Donuts – it was exempted from the lock down by Patrick so it could "serve law enforcement" – nearly every store or shop was closed for the day.

"Per Watertown PD – closed until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience." read the sign on the window at Starbucks, Belmont Savings Bank was not taking deposits, while a daily delivery of bread hung unattended on the door of Vintages Adventures In Wine on Leonard Street.

While the vast majority of Belmont residents were nuisance with a forced day indoors, some homeowners received an early morning knock on the doors. 

Law enforcement entered a few Belmont homes near the Watertown line including one on Falmouth Street just after 6 a.m. 

But Belmont Police Captain Peter Hoerr said he did not think Belmont Police participated in any inspections today. 

"We are still maintaining a perimeter for a certain area to prevent people from entering Watertown and a certain person from exiting," Hoerr said.