What is the common denominator most New Yorkers share as residents of this bursting at the seams city? I'll tell you: it's a lack of storage space. Narrow railroad-style hallways, closets already stuffed to the gills with Winter coats, and a bedroom not fit to hold anything larger than a queen-sized bed make owning life-essential pieces like, hm, a bike, a real space-consuming nuisance. Sure, you could go the way of a gnarly hook in the wall to prop up your bike, but if our sister CasaSugar has taught us anything it's how to be resourceful while still maintaining a keen aesthetic. Enter our latest local lust — Urban City Bike Shelves.

Operated out of Queens, the anonymous woodworkers-turned-space-saving saviors create customized bike shelves that double as pretty book nooks, too. Choose from solid maple wood, cherry wood, or walnut — whatever goes with the rest of your apartment color palette — and receive a sturdy handcrafted mount, stained and coated with natural wax for a pretty finish. We admire a great lookin' twofer, and this one just happens to help us with an ongoing NYC dwelling dilemma.

Source: Urban City Bike Shelves