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...

smartourism: where am I?

Despite the arrival of smarts in the USA, your Agent ØØsmart still makes the occasional pilgrimage to the motherland- to recharge the proverbial batteries and get the creative juices flowing.  Being a (sm)artiste is demanding work, after all.  So with digital camera and a memory card of obscene capacity in hand, I am currently on assignment.  

For those hoping for art shots of the Eiffel Tower, you are reading the wrong blog. But we can still be friends- and I may get the occasional picture of a famous landmark if it happens to be in the background of a smart. Will I look back in 10 years and wonder why I spent my vacation taking 1500 pictures of smart cars... instead of a refrigerator-worthy shot of myself in front of a Madrid McDonald's?  Probably.  But enough self-analysis... 

Any guess where I took this smart shot?

smart bling: sex up my smart

Check out this super-pimped smart with 17" wheels and hydraulics! Trunk space is optional when you can pack it with a flat screen monitor and enough amplifiers to power an intimate concert venue. The customization prices quoted are in British Pounds- so double them for US dollars. Which leads me to wonder- is this the most expensive smart in the world?

smart stop NYC: Project No. 8

Your faithful Agent ØØsmart once found himself on a shop 'til you drop mission in Bangkok.  I hydrated to the max and wore my Nike racing flats, hitting the pavement in search of new retail frontiers.  To my surprise all local fingers pointed to Hermès and Vuitton.  "I've got all the global brands at home on 5th Avenue- show me a cool boutique!" I said.  And they did.

For those seeking something special in NYC- meet Project No. 8.  It's on Division Street, which is great smart territory- street parking on the evenings and weekends, plus cool restaurants like Good World and Les Enfants Terribles.  Project No. 8 has a compact and superbly curated product offering- covering the bases of clothing, jewelry, and objets.  Get yourself a little something.  Go on, you deserve it.

Project No. 8

138 Division Street / New York, NY 10002

Street parking: available most evenings and weekends, check signs

Visit Project No. 8 online

smart challenge: time to get in the game

Approximately one month into competition, Paris is holding firm in the #1 spot on our international smart challenge scoreboard.  I know, you may find 107 points to be a little intimidating- but did 14 cheerleaders let a record of 13 girls in a smart car scare off an attempt at glory?  Not at all; they went for it! For those bold enough to represent their city on the global stage, here are the guidelines:

1. Document location
2. Document start and stop times
3. Count and document smarts with one full-view (minimum 75% visible) image per car
4. If a smart is obscured by another smart, document both cars in a single image and count both (or any multiple of) smarts
5. Respect local traffic and pedestrian rules

Godspeed to you all.

View the original smart car challenge post

smart video: with a little help from the lads

Who says a group of drunken lads at 3am = trouble? These rockstars show maximum love of smart in a spontaneous UK parking party.

smart sounds: this is the remix

OK it's Friday and tonight you will rock. Zero 7's "You're my Flame" gets the remix treatment by Justus Kohncke. Fans of the album single will appreciate Sia's heavenly vocals over a wicked house track. I heard DJ Danny Krivit drop this one in NYC and the result was... how do you say?.. total dancefloor pandemonium. Available on iTunes now- buy it and make your evening drive the pre-party for whatever lies beyond.

Visit Zero 7 on MySpace

street smart: discount parking

It worked for Andy Rooney, and my first request for reduced garage parking rates was well received. I spoke to Sammy at Minetta Garage on West 3rd Street (around the corner from Mamoun's Falafel). He was super nice and said he would definitely hook up smart owners with reduced monthly parking prices! On the flip side, most garages charge more for SUVs- so this could be the beginning of an interesting trend.

Minetta Garage

122 West 3rd St / New York, NY 10012

Between Thompson St. and 6th Ave

Share your garage tips with Agent ØØsmart by clicking the email link at right.

smart video: smart forfourteen

What happens when 13 German cheerleaders pack into a smart car? They establish a world record- which in turn gives 14 English cheerleaders a bright idea. Records were meant to be broken, after all. Check out the English squad's attempt at Guinness glory. Go Eagles!

Attention all American cheerleaders- do I hear 15?

smart stop NYC: Jeff Koons at the Metropolitan Museum of Art

Koonsian, adj: in the style of contemporary artist Jeff Koons, shiny, manufactured, and highlighting a saccharin sweetness of pop culture, straddling a fine line between art object and everyday item. ex. The smart fortwo is a very Koonsian vehicle.

Will someone over at smart Corporate HQ please get Jeff Koons in a smart car for a photo op? Actually, I'm not called Agent ØØsmart for nothing, dear Corporate. Loan me the car and I'll make it happen. Such an event would be a meeting of the minds on par with the Reykjavik Summit.

Until then, smart fans, see Jeff Koons' sculptures in the best museum gallery New York City has to offer: the roof of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

The Metroplitan Museum of Art: Jeff Koons on the Roof

Through October 26, 2008- weather permitting

1000 Fifth Avenue / New York, NY 10028

Street parking: limited, on avenues and side streets

Museum garage: Fifth Avenue & 80th Street

street smart: back-in parking 2

Men's Vogue offers a fun account of rolling a smart in the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan- they even get some tips on pimping your ride for max street cred. Our question on back-in parking (is it legal?) is also addressed:

"I knew, rationally, that the smart was the ideal car (if that's not an oxymoron these days) for New York, or any city. Like football, parking here is a game of inches, and in the smart I was able to gobble up all those maimed parking spots, near hydrants and crosswalks and bus stops. Backed in perpendicular to the curb, the smart could conquer even smaller spots; in New York, however, angle parking is illegal. So, too, is putting two smarts in one metered space. "I'll ticket the second car," a NYPD traffic enforcement officer sternly warned me."

Well that answers our question. Where to go from here? My next step will be to find out if there's any long term thinking on the subject over at NYC Transportation.

Visit the Men's Vogue article and slide show

smart bling: pimp this ride

OK I'l admit it- one of my favorite TV shows is Pimp My Ride. And it's not because I'm a gearhead freaking out over the flush mount BBQ in the trunk, or a 24" subwoofer. It's actually because of the pathetic plights of the cars and owners in need of pimping. How can any 18 year-old be cool when rolling the joke of Beverly Hills High? We all know that a pimped ride = popularity! dates! free pizza! spiritual enlightenment! success!

This blinged-out gold smart, reminded me of the dental work of a certain old skool rapper, Just Ice. smart bling is a new category in this blog- and it's going to be a fun one.

smart sounds: American Boy

It's that time of year in the hot 'n steamy streets of NYC- time for the summer jam of 2008 to boom from '64 Impalas and smart fortwos on a long 4th of July weekend. Estelle's "American Boy" featuring Kanye West has that sunny bounce that makes it a frontrunner for the prize of Summer Jam '08. Will it go the distance?

Visit Estelle on MySpace