Downtown from Behind: The streets of lower Manhattan are teeming with beautiful people whose preferred way to get around the city isn’t in a cab, but rather on a bike. Downtown from Behind founder Bridget Fleming, an Australian-born photographer, stealthily snaps New York City’s cycling fashionistas, designers, artists, and musicians by shooting them from behind. These “non-portrait portraits,” as Fleming calls them, cleverly turn the concept of urban transit on its head by capturing these freewheeling creatives in seemingly quiet commuter moments. Moreover, DFB offers a wide-angle view of the most picturesque downtown neighborhoods, conveniently catalogued by street. A DFB book is scheduled for release from Abrams Books this March.

Rapha’s Survey: Well-known as the pinnacle of cycling fashion, Rapha makes clothes for commuters and racers alike. Now, the brand’s street style blog, Survey, tracks fashion trends among the cyclists of Tokyo, London, New York City, Los Angeles, and Melbourne. Produced with the help of Gage+DeSoto, a Red Hook, Brooklyn-based design firm, the blog’s five photographers offer a global, and consistently democratic, view of cycling fashion. Of course, though Survey’s intent is to document riding style, the blog’s creators can’t help but give the bikes equal billing. Most of the accidental models keep it T-shirt-and-shorts casual, but many of their rides are bespoke.

Bike Fancy: Time Out Chicago photo editor Martha Williams began commuting by bicycle about eight years ago. Noticing a trend among her fellow cyclists, Williams started taking pictures of stylish women who ride bikes year-round, especially those who brave the harsh Chicago winters. Her resulting blog, Bike Fancy, chronicles “people looking good on bikes.” Spotlighting oft-under-recognized women cyclists, Bike Fancy hopes to elevate the female presence in the bike scene. The blog aspires to convert potential riders with both cute outfits and thoughtful interviews about the role of biking in the cyclists’ lives and how they can help improve Chicago’s biking infrastructure.

Stone Fox Bride: Stone Fox Bride owner Molly Guy was astonished at the lack of hip bridal gown choices when planning her own wedding. Her downtown NYC boutique, opening in October, emphasizes making the bride look not just the beautiful belle of her own ball but a smokin’ hot one at that. Stone Fox Bride counts Daryl K , Electric Feathers, and Wren among its original designers, catering to the boho bride who wouldn’t dare step foot in Kleinfeld. Guy also stocks raw gem engagement rings, shawls and hats, and offers referrals for yoga studios, holistic doctors, acupuncturists, and astrologists so that her brides are luminous from the inside out.

BHLDN: Untraditional brides no longer have to troll boutiques looking for the white version of their most coveted dresses. Urban Outfitters Inc.’s new retail brand BHLDN offers engaged ladies a carefully curated collection of vintage-inspired wedding dresses, bridesmaid dresses, shoes, accessories, and wedding decorations. The brand’s look and feel is more Anthropologie than Urban Outfitters, appealing to the types of young romantics who frequent the thriving wedding blogosphere. An online-only store until recently, BHLDN just opened its first brick-and-mortar site in Houston. A second outpost, in Chicago, is forthcoming. With gown prices ranging from $600 to $4,000, we foresee many young brides becoming beholden to the brand.

Roslyn Bridal Boutique: Rosie Clayton, proprietor of Chicago boutique Roslyn, struggled to find attire for her wedding that lived up to the high fashion standards of her store, so much so that she ultimately turned to custom design. With the correct assumption that she was not alone in her disappointment at the bridal style market, she introduced a modern bridal boutique within her Bucktown store last month. The shop-within-a-shop is stocked with wedding gowns and bridesmaid dresses by designers including Elise Bergman, Sir Brooklyn, and Jennifer Diederich, all of whom demonstrate that garish beading and oversized crinoline are no longer prerequisites of feminine formalwear.

Nike at Santa Monica Place: Those who have encountered the spatial magnitude of a Niketown may at first be underwhelmed upon entering the new, slimmed down Nike “experience” store at Santa Monica Place. But, after taking a look around, we think they’ll ultimately be impressed by the emporium’s focus on cementing the Nike brand as an ambassador of community sports. Interior design efforts confirm this: mannequins are outfitted in jerseys of local high school teams; reclaimed bleacher seats line the walls; and wrestling mats have been transformed into benches. The store also features a Nike+ station that employs a big screen television to educate the uninitiated on how to use the device to design workouts, measure running distances, gauge speed, track calories, customize favorite running music, and network with other runners online. For those who would rather hook up with their running peers in the real world, the store also highlights (with local maps) its Nike+ Run Club that meets at the store twice a week.

Adidas Runbase: Ever since local resident Masakazu Fujiwara won the city’s marathon earlier this year, there has been a reignited passion for running in Tokyo; Adidas Runbase promises to keep this newfound runners’ adrenaline up. Part store, part running club, this Tokyo Adidas store is just as much a clubhouse for marathon training as it is a retail outlet. This running base camp offers 16 shower cubicles, 248 lockers for rent, and the convenience of being able to test out the brand’s latest shoes and clothing. Situated near the city’s Imperial Palace, it could not be better located, as many Tokyo runners like to take advantage of the unobstructed track that circles the palace. Highly trained staff is also available to help both beginner and seasoned road runners choose the best shoe to suit their needs.

Craftsman Experience: Recently opened in Chicago’s River North district is this interactive flagship store for Sears’ tool brand. The artsy, affluent neighborhood that’s best known for fancy boutiques and restaurants – celebrated chef Graham Elliot’s restaurant will be housed in the same loft as the store – is an interesting location choice for a blue collar tool shop. But with the DIY trend finding its way into all walks of life, Sears is hoping to expand the Craftsman audience through this hands-on store (which is similar to Sears’ nearby Kenmore Live Studio) that lets shoppers get their hands dirty at work stations. A live social media studio and ongoing project demos and workshops using Craftsman tools give participants some new ideas and skills. Nearby furniture stores may be in trouble once shoppers stop in to Craftsman and realize that building their own dining room table may not be so hard, after all.