If you Google "Should I tape my windows for a hurricane?," the internet will tell you "No." Here's FEMA, for example:  "Tape does not prevent windows from breaking." Still, New Yorkers have seen everyone else do it in countless Gulf hurricanes, so we weren't going to pass up our rare opportunity.  

Diane von Furstenburg chose a simple but classic blue X for every window in her buidling at Washington & 14th. 

Just down the block, the folks at the Apple store apparently Googled. No tape, just tarps over the doors and sandbags at the base.  

Apple's bags are a handsome gray-green, hand-filled and -tied.

Across the street, L'Occitane opted for a tape-and-sandbag combo.  

But their bags are off-the-rack, and, as of 3 pm Saturday, already breaking open. 

Just up the street, Pop Burger went for a more expressive approach.

As did Sea Thai on Washington.

And the nearby Limo Land.

And this store. Maybe masking tape was the wrong choice. 

A more tradtional look at Wallse.  

Entwine combined tape, tarp and sand bags. 

Next door, Tortilla Flats had nothing on its windows except a raspberry for Mayor Bloomberg.

Automatic Slims was one of the rare spots in the nabe that went full plyboard. 

A nearby townhouse deployed sandbags. 

But the sandbag champ is a couple of blocks away -- a wall seven bags deep, all around the newly rebuilt building at the corner of Washington and Horatio. This is where photogrpaher Albert Watson used to live.  

On Greewich, El Faro's solution had a more DIY feel: flattenned cardboard boxes and duct tape. 

The same solution in the building next door.  

At midafternoon, Slice on Hudson was just getting around to its big tape job.

Next door, the staff at the Monocole Shop was issued explicit instructions from chief Monocler Tyler Brulee: "No Xs! Just tape the edges!" Well done, gents.