eurosmart: triple your pleasure

The new smart challenge entry from Rome features this super shot of three smarts in a row. Smartourists will recognize these double/triple/quadruple smart lineups as common sites on cobbled European streets.  Since these images do such a good job of spreading love of smart- it's time to reward them in future smart challenge entries.

Current challenge guidelines do not address ties, so here is the new tiebreaker clause: in the event of a tie, multi-smart images will count double toward a tiebreaker point tally.  In the above photo, 3 consecutive smarts x 2 = 6 tiebreak points.  

The epic Federer-Nadal 2008 Wimbledon final was so close that tiebreaker scoring became the norm.  Such close competition would be a good problem to have here at smart challenge HQ, and now we're prepared for  it. Just think of us as the Wimbledon of smart car lifestyle blogs.  

smart stop NYC: FSC Barber Shop

Getting a haircut in NYC can be tricky business.  Route 1 is to shell out your smart fortwo monthly gas spend at a full-service salon offering stylists with French accents and complimentary Perrier.  Route 2 is to roll the dice at Astor Place Hairstylist- cuts start at $14 and if you're lucky you might actually get that studied yet care-free look you're going for.

FSC is the perfect middle ground. Freemans Sporting Club Barber Shop is located in Freemans Alley on the Lower East Side and they recently opened in the West Village.  Get a good cut for $40 in a shop your Grandparents would endorse.  Perrier is not offered but I imagine you could bring your own- consider it a BYOP situation.

FSC Barber Shop

5 Horatio Street  /  New York, NY  10014

Street parking on Horatio:

North side- street cleaning MON&THU, 11:00am-12:30pm

South side- street cleaning TUE&FRI, 11:00am-12:30pm

Limited metered parking on West 4th Street

street smart: PARK Smart NYC pilot program

Next month the NYC Department of Transportation will launch PARK Smart, a pilot program to reduce parking congestion.  

PARK Smart is a new program developed with the community to make parking easier while reducing congestion and improving safety. A six-month trial of PARK Smart will begin on October 6, 2008 in Greenwich Village. PARK Smart aims to increase the number of available metered parking spaces by encouraging motorists to park no longer than necessary. The meter rate is higher when demand for parking is greatest and decreases when demand is lower. The Greenwich Village pilot will be conducted in the area shown. Meter rates will be $2.00/hr from Noon to 4PM and $1.00/hr at all other times that meters are in effect. All other regulations will remain the same hours in effect (i.e. Monday - Saturday for posted time periods) and duration (i.e. 1 Hour or 2 Hour meters).

Parking for $2/hr. in NYC is still a steal if you can find a metered spot.  So I'll be interested to see if this program has an impact on parking congestion.  In any event, PARK Smart has a great ring to it- thanks to the NYC DOT for the (unintentional) shout-out.

Read more on PARK Smart

smart challenge: Rome gets in the game

The Italian capital has officially entered the smart car challenge.  More smarts have been sold in Rome than in any other city, worldwide, so look out Paris- you've got some tough competition hot on your heels.  I'm guessing Rome's first video is just a warmup.  

smart sounds: Gling-Glo

The evening chill in the air reminds me of summer in Iceland.  And thoughts of Iceland always lead to Bjork.  I know,  you either love her or hate her.  Me?  Totally love her.  Devoted for life.  So I dig deep to discover whatever I can about the Icelandic nymph.  In 1990 Bjork recorded Gling-Glo with a jazz band.  A song or two make for good driving music- grab a few from iTunes and drop them into your Fall/Winter 08 playlist. This favorite is called "I Dansi Med Per."

smart stuff: Vegas gets smart

Back in June I did a smart vs. Hummer fuel price comparison.  Perhaps the population of Las Vegas read the post, because this week the Wall Street Journal reported that one of the nation's largest Hummer dealers is closing... and reopening as a smart dealer! If you can't sell a Hummer in Vegas, what hope remains for sales in Anytown, USA?  The times they are a changin.'

Read the WSJ article

smart video: Peel forone

Before there was smart, there was Peel- creators of the three wheeled 1960s vehicles that make your smart fortwo look like a Maybach 62S .  In the market for functioning windows, a reverse gear, turn signals, or brake lights? With the sales slogan "almost cheaper than walking," Peel offered no such luxuries.  So the next time you reach for that turn indicator, remember- you are motoring in the luxury lane. 

smart stop NYC: PetalBelle

This globetrotting Agent ØØsmart has spent many an hour in cafés around the world, so I know a good one when I see it.  PetalBelle is a new entry on the NYC café landscape- serving Belgian specialities in view of the facing church.  It makes for a very Euro affair, further supported by the Cherie FM satellite radio feed- live and direct from Paris!  Pull up in your smart fortwo and order coffee and a waffle.  And the best part of all?  Pay in US dollars.

PetalBelle

158 Sullivan Street  /  New York, NY  10012

Street parking in the block: 

West side- street cleaning MON&THU, 11:00am-12:30pm

East side- no parking MON-FRI, 8:00am-5:00pm

smart stuff: smarts around town

The smarts they are everywhere- OK it's not Paris (see my smart challenge video) or Rome, but I'm seeing more and more smarts of all colors in the 'hood.  Red? check. Blue cabrio? yes- just this afternoon. Yellow?  roger.  So who's driving these beauties?

In a dream I had a vision of a FTLOS forum for owners to share pics of their smarts, and answer a fun questionnaire to create smarty profiles.  In a nightmare I logged on to The Catorialist in my sleep and realized it's a fine line between general enthusiasm and serious TMI (too much information) .  

After consulting family and friends, I'm ready to walk that line in the name of smart excellence.  If you'd like to be the first smarty to be profiled on this lovely blog, please shoot me an email.  We'll have some fun with it and you will earn the prestigious title of smarty 00000001.  Don't be shy, email now.

smart stuff: smart in vogue

Following my fall fashion post comes a smart mention in the colossal September issue of American Vogue:

Car Talk: The social set zooms in on a new ride

In this country, where status historically has been measured by how much space you take up at home and on the road, "Small is the new big" is some kind of revolution in motion... Now the trend enters the social set, led by Lauren Santo Domingo, who recently took possession of her groovy smart fortwo car... The car operates manually or automatically, but there's another versatile feature that might appeal to the style-minded. "The panels of the smart car are exchangeable- they just pop right out," Lauren adds with a wink.  "I am thinking eggplant for fall will go great with my new Nina Ricci chunky knits."

Last I checked, an eggplant color option does not exist, but perhaps this article offers smart HQ some free trend forecasting.  Corporate, are you listening?

smart sounds: Bananarama

The year was 1983.  Three cute Brit girls formed a group named after bananas and shot a faux underwater album cover.  The hair was huge, the songs were catchy, and the rest is herstory.  This nugget is titled "He Was Really Sayin' Something." Play it loud with the windows down on these last days of summer.

smart stuff: so long summer

Dear readers- I have returned from the motherland with many a smart tale to tell in coming weeks.  Europe will always be super but it feels great to be back in NYC, where 1 US Dollar = 1 US Dollar.  As the lazy days of summer come to an end, smart owners citywide will load spring/summer wardrobes into their fortwos for a quick trip to Manhattan Mini Storage.  Tight squeeze at the loading dock?  No problem, just slot yourselves into that half-space between the two SUVs.  Offload summer clothes and load fall/winter wardrobes.  Repeat as necessary.  

But this seasonal transition always brings the September dilemma- to wear or not to wear white after Labor Day? Ever the rebel, Agent ØØsmart says screw the fashion police and their arbitrary rules.  I'll be wearing my white Earnest Sewn jeans well into October (with some fresh old skool Adidas).  So to owners of white smarts, I say it's OK to rock white body panels into October- but come November, you may want to consider black.  Just putting it out there...