In late March, New York City Governor Andrew M. Cuomo ordered all nonessential businesses in New York to close. With little notice or time to prepare, most businesses felt they needed to convey some kind of message to their customers. Some are handwritten expressions of gratitude. Others are hastily typed messages of resolve, affixed to shuttered storefronts with industrial tape. And others evoke a tone of humor or inspiration.

It is still unclear what New York City will look like on the other side of the coronavirus pandemic, but the current tour of the Big Apple’s businesses shows a kind of determination and grit that has always served them well. It is not the kind of tour anyone expects to enjoy. But walking along New York’s streets at this time offers a glimmer of hope that is the city’s strength. Collectively, all of these “closed” signs give voice to New York’s unbreakable spirit.