Manhattan Mini Storage Blog

A Guide to Painting Your NYC Apartment

ManhattanMini — Wed, 22 May 2013 15:25:44 +0000

Color is key when you only live in a few hundred square feet of space, as most of us in New York City do. And a fresh coat of paint can literally mean the difference between a dull, drab or even stressful living space and a warm, happy, welcoming place to call home. It doesn’t have to be expensive, either.

The first question is, what color do you want to paint your home? According to a recent study, the color you use to coat your bedroom walls can play a big role in the quality of the sleep you get each night. The survey finds that the color blue is linked to calm, soothing feelings and is thought to slow the heart rate and even reduce blood pressure.

Here’s what else researchers discovered:

Green and yellow are also winners, with those choosing these colors clocking up roughly seven hours and 40 minutes of sleep.

However, it’s best to avoid purple, which is too stimulating and can cut nightly hours of rest to less than six. Grey and brown get the thumbs-down for being too dreary and depressing.

Whatever the research, though, you should pick colors that make you feel personally calm and happy. And before moving on, we must say a few words about white: Many people in the Big Apple believe that having a small apartment means your walls must be white, lest the place seem even smaller. That’s a myth, as most professional decorators disagree. If you’re a fan of white, then go for it. But if you’re one of those people for whom white walls feel like a padded cell, go for color. And don’t be afraid of warm, rich or even dark earth tones, especially in your sleeping area. A darker room means less light reflection, so you may find yourself sleeping later and better. Click here to get more ideas about painting small spaces.

Once you’ve chosen your colors, the next step is choosing how you’re going to paint your apartment. In other words, hire someone to do it, or do it yourself? This is really a financial question. In New York City, you can find any number of people offering their painting services on Craig’s List for less than $500 a room. But as with anything else in NYC, use caution.

Benjamin Moore has some good tips for hiring a painter, which you can read here. Here are the headlines:

1) Ask Around

2) Get Estimates from at Least Three Contractors

3) Interview Each Candidate

4) Pay Attention to Behavior

5) Check References

6) Review the Contract

If you want to save money, and you’re a handy kind of person, you can always act as your own painter. The Huffington Post has some great tips for first-time painters, which you can read here. These are the main points:

1. Prepare Properly

2. Invest in Quality Paint

3. Spend the Extra Money on Brushes

4. Coat Well

5. Only Buy What You Need

6. Register Your Color

We wish you the best of luck on your painting project. And we’d love to see the results! Share your newly painted room photos with us on Facebook, Twitter, Google + and Pinterest!

Memorial Day in NYC

ManhattanMini — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:08:32 +0000

Hard to believe that Memorial Day is only 11 days from now, given that we were just shivering in the cold. But such is springtime in the Big Apple — beautiful and brief!

Many people regard Memorial Day as nothing more than a day off from work and the unofficial kick-off to the summer season. But it is actually a day of remembrance for those who have died in service to the United States. Whatever your politics, we hope you’ll spend at least part of the day reflecting on those brave men and women who sacrificed their lives defending the United States.

That said, there are countless activities and events happening on Memorial Day in NYC, and you would be remiss if you didn’t try to get out and enjoy at least some of them. Here are some of our favorites:

The Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum kicks off their “Summer Salute to Heroes” May 24-28. Click here for details.

The NY Philharmonic will play a free concert at St. John the Divine at 8 p.m. Tickets are first-come, first-served and available the day of the performance at the Cathedral Church of Saint John the Divine. Tickets will be handed out at 6:00PM.

The Historic Green-Wood Cemetery Memorial Day Concert in Brooklyn features the ISO Symphonic Band and works by some of the cemetery’s permanent residents—including Fred Ebb, Louis Moreau Gottschalk and Leonard Bernstein. Details here.

The Little Neck-Douglaston Memorial Day Parade, billed as the largest Memorial Day Parade in the nation, takes place on Monday in Queens at 2PM. Click here for details.

Bear in mind that schools, banks and post offices are closed on Memorial Day, but most restaurants, stores and attractions are open.

Wishing you and yours a very happy Memorial Day!

Manhattan Mini Storage Ads in the Spotlight (Part 2)!

ManhattanMini — Wed, 08 May 2013 13:04:01 +0000

This past Sunday, Manhattan Mini Storage was pleased to take part in a panel discussion at the PEN World Voices Festival entitled “Flexibility In Advertising: A Conversation With Manhattan Mini Storage.” Archie Gottesman, our co-owner and Chief Branding Officer, explained how our iconic subway and billboards have evolved over the years, and why they always seem to capture the imagination of so many New Yorkers.

The panel was moderated by Stuart Elliott, renowned advertising columnist for The New York Times, and the discussion among the panelists and members of the audience was lively and enlightening.

Here’s a write-up of the event from The New York Observer’s “Off the Record” column:

Do Manhattan Mini Storage Ads Count as Literature?

By Matthew Kassel

The PEN World Voices Festival, which took place at several venues throughout the city last week, is ostensibly devoted to highbrow literary achievement, featuring the likes of Philip Roth, Lewis Lapham and Naomi Wolf.

So it was surprising that Manhattan Mini Storage was the subject of a panel held Sunday in the Frederick P. Rose Auditorium at Cooper Union.

Off the Record enjoys the storage company’s playful and provocative ads as much as the next media column—“Does This Butt Make My Room Look Small” is a classic—but on what basis do they qualify as literary achievement?

Jakab Orsos, the festival’s director, told us he had thought of the panel himself, shooting down our theory of some kind of paid sponsorship. He said the ads are “more than funny.”

“They’re smart, brave, ironic in certain instances, and they always challenge the reader/potential client,” he told us via email. “Quality literature is always raising disturbing questions.”

Some examples: “Your closet space is shrinking as fast as her right to choose,” says one memorable poster, with a metal hanger stenciled ominously in the background. Or in a more comic vein: “I’ll hang out here till my owner realizes his new girlfriend’s a bitch,” reads the thought bubble of a blow-up doll.

At the panel, titled “Flexibility in Advertising,” John Kenney, a copywriter and novelist, compared the ads to the textual art of Jenny Holzer—whoa!—whose work can be quite political.

Archie Gottesman, chief branding officer for Edison Properties, the parent company of Manhattan Mini Storage, is the brains behind the operation.

Years ago, she decided that storage alone just wasn’t that interesting and started to mix things up with the help of a copywriter.

The ads weren’t political at the beginning: “Peking duck service at chop suey prices,” read one from 2002.

In 2007, though, when the “right to choose” poster came out, things started to change. The next year, Manhattan Mini Storage printed this jab at Sarah Palin: “What’s more limited? Your closet or her experience?” And one lampooning George W. Bush as well: “Your closet’s scarier than Bush’s agenda.”

It’s a testament to the ads’ place in the city’s cultural milieu that the company was asked to design PEN’s program cover this year. It looks exactly like a certain Manhattan Mini Storage ad—featuring a woman holding up a poster that hides her face—except it uses the festival’s slogan instead of ad copy: “Without literature, it’s all words.”

But where to put them all?

Wedding Dress Storage: Do’s and Don’ts

ManhattanMini — Mon, 06 May 2013 13:40:42 +0000

Picture this, ladies: Your big day has come and gone, and it went off without a hitch. The flowers were beautiful. The band was rockin’. And your Uncle Vic managed to stay mostly sober. You even got nearly all the gifts on your registry, and you’re back from your dream honeymoon. Now you’re faced with the challenge: What to do with the dress?

Many women choose to save their wedding gown to pass down to future generations. But preserving your gown can be a tricky business, especially if you plan to store it in the same place over the course of a lifetime. You want to make sure that this precious heirloom not be damaged in any way. So we recommend the following wedding dress storage tips:

1) Thoroughly clean and steam the gown before storing, paying special attention to the hem, which is usually the most soiled. Stains, even barely visible ones, will set over time, leading to yellowing and other damage.

2) Do NOT wrap the gown in plastic for long-term storage. It will cause permanent wrinkles and may cause mildew from moisture trapped under the plastic. Instead, use white acid-free tissue paper or unbleached muslin to wrap the gown. (Don’t use ordinary tissue paper, which contains acid and can scorch the fabric. Don’t use colored tissue paper either. If the box accidentally becomes wet, it could stain your gown.)

3) Don’t hang your dress on an ordinary wooden or wire hanger; the weight of the dress will stretch and distort the weave of the fabric. Try a plastic or padded hanger instead.

4) Placed the dress in an acid-free or pH-neutral box, such as a sturdy paperboard box, which allows the gown to breathe and adjust with changing temperatures. Some boxes feature a viewing window — a clear panel designed so you can see your gown without opening the box. If your box features a window, look for acetate rather than plastic, and keep the box out of direct light, which can yellow the fabric over time.

5) Light and heat play the most damaging roles when it comes to gown preservation, so store your gown in a place where you would feel physically comfortable. That rules out a hot attic or damp basement. Under your bed or in a cool, dry closet — like a Manhattan Mini Storage unit! — would be an ideal location.

6) When reopening the box and/or handling the gown, make sure your hands are clean and free of any oils that could transfer to the gown and cause yellowing over time.

Want to learn more? A gown preservation expert sounds off in this video from The New York Times.

Happy storing, and mazel tov on your nuptials!

New Manhattan Mini Storage Ads: Lots of Paper!

ManhattanMini — Wed, 01 May 2013 14:33:29 +0000

It’s another beautiful Wednesday, New Yorkers, and we hope you can spend at least some time in your busy day to enjoy the bright sunshine. But for those of you stuck inside an office all day, today’s new Manhattan Mini Storage ad should be very appropriate.

We always enjoy hearing you sound off about our ads. So please leave a blog comment with your review, or post your comment to our Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Google + feeds. You can also easily share it on your own feeds by clicking any of the “share” buttons below. (If you do, please tag us!)

After we get your reviews, we’ll post some of our favorites on the blog!

Here are some recent comments we’ve received on social media.

On Twitter, @travellingcari wrote: Best fun of this @ManhattanMini ad is explaining it to Non New Yorkers #ManhattanMini pic.twitter.com/ImNWZCrPzY

Not surprisingly, @BroadwayGirlNYC loves that ad, too: Thanks for the reminder, @ManhattanMini Storage. #GreyGardens pic.twitter.com/tuloCSzYoK

And about the new ad that appears below, @AbbeWright tweeted: Wondering who does the ad campaigns for Manhattan Mini Storage? Always so creative! Also RIP The Office. #westsidehwy pic.twitter.com/azhUM6SanE

Thanks, guys! We really appreciate your kind feedback!

And now, today’s newest Manhattan Mini Storage ad. Enjoy, Office fans!

New Yorkers: Recycle Those Plastic Coffee Cups!

ManhattanMini — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:02:26 +0000

At Manhattan Mini Storage, we’re all about the three R’s: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. We support a cleaner, greener New York — not to mention a cleaner, greener planet!

So we were thrilled to read this morning about an expanded recycling program coming to the Big Apple. And it involves stuff you probably throw out every day.

Here are the details:

NYC Recycling Program Now Includes Rigid Plastics

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

By The Associated Press

New York City is expanding its recycling program to include such plastic items as shampoo bottles and food containers, Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Wednesday.

The recycling program will include all rigid plastics but will still not include plastic bags.

“If it’s rigid, recycle it. If it’s a plastic bag, no, that’s not rigid,” Bloomberg said.

Other examples of rigid plastics include toys, hangers and coffee cups.

Bloomberg said the recycling expansion will save 50,000 tons of waste a year from going to landfills – as much as a football field piled seven stories with plastics – and will save taxpayers almost $600,000 a year.

Robert Kelman, president of North America Metals at Sims Metal Management, which sorts the city’s recycling, said the expansion of plastics recycling means “we are making New York City’s curbside program as inclusive as any in the nation.”

[Read More]

New Manhattan Mini Storage Ad: Your Skis

ManhattanMini — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:21:03 +0000

Happy Wednesday, Manhattanites and other lovers of storage! Today’s new Manhattan Mini Storage ad should resonate with many of you — especially if you’re one of those New Yorkers who stores your stuff in…let’s say… “unconventional” places.

After we get your reviews, we’ll post some of our favorites on the blog! Here’s a wonderful post we came across the other day on a blog called “Tinsel Creation” in reaction to our “Grey Gardens” ad:

On the Street: Manhattan Mini Storage’s Esoteric Humor

Posted on April 4, 2013

I hardly ever take a cab, but I was riding in one a few days ago, passing through an area of Manhattan that I rarely visit, and it stopped at a red light in front of a Manhattan Mini Storage location.

Manhattan Mini Storage’s ads often make me laugh, but I’ve never seen this one before. Here’s a close-up:

If this warning doesn’t inspire a bout of spring cleaning, I don’t know what will. Only in New York, kids—because you either get it or you don’t.

[Read More]

Thanks, guys!

And now, without any more delay, today’s newest Manhattan Mini Storage ad. Look for it on the subway, too!

New Manhattan Mini Storage Ad: Your Mother

ManhattanMini — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 18:00:41 +0000

We hope your enjoying your Wednesday, MMS fans! Today’s new Manhattan Mini Storage ad is dedicated to those of you New Yorkers who have to contend with overly demanding or critical mothers. You know the kind we mean: You love her dearly, but every time she visits your apartment, she exclaims, “This place is a pigsty! And it always will be!”

After we get your reviews, we’ll post some of our favorites on the blog! Here are recent comments we’ve received:

About our Grey Gardens ad, @jimshi809 on Twitter wrote: “Genius tag line!”

@nycitysweets was so excited about our Gay Marriage ad that she shared it with Ellen DeGeneres:

@TheEllenShow Saw Gay Marriage USAs photo near me NYC:Gay Marriage=Gay Registry=Gay Clutter @ManhattanMini they have THE BEST advertising!

@DorothySoprano was a fan of that one, as well, tweeting: Manhattan mini-storage ads are the BEST. http://instagram.com/p/YGOAtiFGIw/

Thanks, guys! We so appreciate your feedback!

And now, without further delay, here we go with Ad No. 6, entitled “Your Mother”:

Boston: April 15, 2013

ManhattanMini — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 01:20:53 +0000

Manhattan Mini Storage Ads in the Spotlight!

ManhattanMini — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 18:20:52 +0000

Ever wonder how we come up with our renowned ad campaigns? Here’s your chance to find out!

On Sunday, May 5, Manhattan Mini Storage’s iconic subway and billboard ads will be the focus of a panel discussion featuring our Co-Owner and Chief Branding Officer, Archie Gottesman, at the annual PEN World Voices Festival. The festival is a prestigious literary forum that features world-famous authors like Jamaica Kincaid, Fran Lebowitz and Salman Rushdie, so it’s an honor that they’ve chosen to include us this year. In fact, they even had us design their program cover!

Here’s a description of the event from the festival’s web site:

Flexibility in Advertising: A Conversation with Manhattan Mini Storage

Sunday, May 05, 2013, 1:00pm

With Archie Gottesman, Karen Wong, and others

Cooper Union: Frederick P. Rose Auditorium 41 Cooper Square, New York, NY 10003

Inspired by the sort of originality exemplified by Manhattan Mini Storage, this conversation will feature cultural strategist and deputy director of the New Museum Karen Wong, a novelist and former advertising industry insider, and the charismatic Archie Gottesman, Co-Owner and Chief Branding Officer of Edison Properties, parent company of Manhattan Mini Storage. Together they will explore the boundaries and limitations of marketing and public presence, and explore the exciting and imaginative new ground that can be broken when storytelling and business intersect.

This should be a lively and fascinating look at how our ads have become part of New York City culture. Tickets are $15 for the general public, and you can purchase them here.

We hope to see you there!