The School of Life is like an art gallery for personal fulfillment. Building on the sensibilities of a community bookstore, School’s curated space adds context to their retail experience with a clever artisan’s approach. As they describe it, “the store front is a new cultural enterprise based in central London offering intelligent instruction on how to lead a fulfilled life.”

Off to a great start, The School of Life made its debut earlier this month and offers evening and weekend courses, holidays to unexpected locations, stigma-free psychotherapy, secular sermons, conversation meals, a floating faculty of experts and a new kind of literacy consultancy service called bibliotherapy. Be sure to check them out next time you’re in London. Click Read More for additional information.

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We’d love to see more crosswalks like this in the US. Spotted via PicoCool, the above video is a time lapse of Toronto’s first Scramble Intersection. As reported by Globe & Mail, “The launch of Toronto’s new intersection – which stops motorized traffic and allows pedestrians to cross in all directions, even diagonally – felt a bit like a street party as thousands enjoyed a certain frisson from cutting across the middle of Yonge and Dundas Streets while cars had to wait.” Check it out next time you’re in the Tdot!

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Our pal Josh Spear is circumnavigating the globe and taking notes. His new blog Flying Standby chronicles his adventures with punchy writing and great photography. Josh’s three-week adventure will take him to New York, San Francisco, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Tianjin, Shanghai, London, Geneva and back to New York again.

As Josh describes it, “We’ve all been there, at the gate, waiting for the train or hailing a cab in a far away place—all in the name of a slight change of plans, or that itch to move. I live with that itch to see new places, meet new people, and try new things. Because of it, I fly standby more than anyone I’ve ever met. And finally, I decided to write about it. See you at the gate.” Be sure to check out Josh’s latest travel adventures and experiences. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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Another travel innovation comes down from the Mini Camp. We usually don’t fancy departures from their classic shape. But with our growing appreciation for the Mini Clubman, we’re excited about the potential of their latest, The Mini Crossover Concept.

Set to debut at the Paris Motor Show, the Mini Crossover Concept measures six inches wider and taller then the Clubman and offers all wheel drive. With all the usual stylings, Mini did a great job translating its brand to a larger vehicle. According to Wired, “Mini plans to assemble the SUV at a rate of up to 50,000 per year at production specialist Magna in Graz, Austria. It is expected to go on sale in North America in 2010 and will likely share its platform with the forthcoming BMW X1 Crossover, itself based on the current 1-Series.” Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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Who needs paint when you have lights!? Berlin’s annual Festival of Lights saturates historical buildings and structures like the Berliner Dom, Brandenburg Gate and the TV Tower with fantastic murals created by high powered projectors. More than 40 sights, squares and buildings are illuminated. And with each lighted location there are matching events, parades and other social activities for the the two week period. This year’s event will be held October 14th to the 26th. If you’re in the area check it out. Click Read More for additional information and photos.

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The New York Subway is considered the life-line to the city’s commerce. From business to leisure, the weaving transit serves many city dwellers with its dazzling array of route options. But how many of us actually ride to the end of any particular route? We jump on to get to a point maybe two stops away, to cross the street and catch a bus or walk the rest of the way.

Recently, the New York Times put together an interesting piece called Going to the End of the Line. As the Times states, “For those subway riders who get off before the last stop — almost everyone — the end is just a sign on the train. What’s there, anyway? It turns out there is often mystery, lonesomeness and beauty.” View their photographic essay of the sights at the end of NYC’s subway lines.

View the NY Times Photo Esssay entitled Going to the End of the Line

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David Byrne from the music group Talking Heads partnered with New York’s Department of Transportation to develop and install novelty bike racks in Brooklyn and Manhattan. As Wallpaper Magazine pointed out, Byrne is a huge fan of cycling and submitted his ideas to the DOT which accepted his concept of graphic shapes for particular areas of the city. We love finding stories like this. They present innovative ways to beautify cities through conventional items that already exist within cities – i.e., bike racks!

Byrnes’ rack creations are spread through the two boroughs and follow an appropriate theme depending on their landmark location. For example, Ladies Mile has a rack shaped like a high heel; The Villager has one shaped like a dog; and Wall Street has the fun yet obvious dollar sign. Next time you’re in New York be on the look out for them. They’re scheduled to be in place for just a year, but we’re sure more collaborations like this will pop up throughout the city. Click Read More for additional information and photos. Also be sure to check out Wallpaper’s full article on the subject.

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