Spotted in NYC: Relax

I love this unintentional phrase created by a partially removed sign on an empty store front in Manhattan. It's definitely something we could all use.

Spotted in NYC: Bike Parking

I ran into this amazing bike parking/shelter/safety campaign thing last time I was in NYC and I seriously wondered if I had walked into an alternate universe (or at least a movie set). While it could certainly use more posts to chain bikes too, it's definitely a major (visible) step in the right direction.
You can find out more about the ad campaign shown on it HERE.

Spotted in NYC: Public vs. Private Property

I stepped out of a subway on Sixth Avenue and saw this marker at my feet. It divided a wide sidewalk that otherwise was indistinguishable from blocks around it.

Spotted in NYC: Corporate Anti-Graffiti

Graffiti is illegal, even when corporations do it, though that never seems to stop them. But maybe Spike TV is trying to avoid trouble by creating their new guerrilla marketing ads by removing dirt on the sidewalks on New York City. I think folks living in the city would actually appreciate the ads more if they finished the job of cleaning the sidewalk, but the ads will probably stay there until someone else decides to clean them. [On the same trip that I spotted this I actually saw an old adhesive plastic street ad that the city just painted crosswalk lines on top of!]

Out of The Closet

Like every good New Yorker, I store. That is, I rent a closet where I keep all the things that don't fit into my studio apartment. And, although I was intrigued to discover that Nigerian gentlemen store their Not-Quite-Gucci bags right next to my roller skates and sewing machine, I really hadn't thought much about my rented closet. Until recently..

For the past few years, Manhattan Mini-Storage has been using a series of bold statements in their print ads which mostly came off as bad stand-up jokes. But their newest installment has taken an unusual turn and become blatantly political in an ugly yet eye-catching ad campaign. Take a look:

They are a bit sloppy for my own design sense but certainly have created something worth blogging about. Now that they are getting flak from those who disagree with the statements - they have launched a poll on their site where anyone can weigh in or even submit suggestions for new ads. What do you think, should politics be kept in the closet?

I "heart" NY Photos

Picture New York is urging folks to sign a petition against the newly proposed rules from the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater, and Broadcasting which would require permits for 2 or more people at a single site for more than 30 minutes and groups of 5 or more people using a tripod for more than 10 minutes. The rules were proposed with little publicity and the public comment period ends this Friday. If you're concerned about retaining your first amendment rights in the Big Apple you can read more here and sign the petition here.

Thanks Christine!