Every year, art lovers in Miami Beach and across the globe look forward to exploring the unique world of Art Basel. This international art fair celebrates fine artists and leading galleries from North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia, as well as art collectors and sellers. It's a unique opportunity to see some of the world’s most masterful modern and contemporary artworks, meet emerging artists, and build your personal art collection. At Safeguard Self Storage in Miami, we are here to help make it all happen—whether you’re a vendor who needs temporary art storage during Art Basel or you’re a Miami resident looking to protect your investments.

How to Protect Your Fine Artwork

Knowing how to store art lets you easily expand and rotate your home gallery, as well as keep your work safe before and after events like Art Basel. Prints, canvases, and photographs are made of delicate materials that can’t withstand drastic fluctuations in temperature and humidity, and that’s why they need to be in a storage space that’s climate controlled.

Here at Safeguard in the Design District, we provide a wide selection of climate controlled self storage units in Miami. Not only do our units maintain consistent temperatures and humidity levels to combat the hot, muggy environment in Florida, but our secure units also shield valuable art from damaging UV rays.

But climate controlled spaces are just the first step to guarding your art, and these tips will help you add extra layers of protection to each type of art in your stored collection.

How to Store Art Prints

If you’re a collector, securing prints of your favorite artist’s work can be an affordable and exciting experience. And, if you’re an up-and-coming artist, selling prints is an easy way to get your name out there and your work on peoples’ walls. Regardless of what role you play in the art world, knowing how to properly store art prints is crucial for their long-term integrity:

• Art prints should be matted and backed with acid-free materials.
• Safely store framed prints by sandwiching them between acid-free mat boards.
• Protect loose paper prints with archival glassine, and store in sturdy folders.

How to Store Canvas Paintings 

Canvas paintings, no matter how large or small, are captivating works of art that can elicit emotion and turn a bland living space into an exciting experience. But canvases, like many other materials, can become damaged if they are stored in the wrong space:

• Keep canvases from cracking by storing in a climate controlled space.
• Avoid directly touching canvases while preparing for storage.
• Never cover a stored canvas painting with glass or Plexiglass.
• Protect canvas surfaces with cotton or muslin sheets.

How to Store Photographs

Photography is a stunning medium that can convey a message and create emotion in the blink of an eye, no matter if they are journalistic or abstract. But the papers used for photography prints are sensitive to UV light and fluctuations in temperature, so it’s important they are stored or shipped properly to ensure high quality and color retention:

• Wear cotton gloves when arranging, storing, or shipping photographs.
• Place acid-free paper between photos boxed for storage.
• Store individual photographs inside archival sleeves.

The Best Ways to Store Art in Your Miami Storage Unit

At Safeguard Self Storage in Miami, we want to be your ideal solution for holding artwork. Our climate controlled storage units regulate temperature and humidity, and our facility-wide surveillance keeps your priceless works of art protected. With these art storage tips, you can turn your unit into a secure archive:

• Store framed art upright and separated with sheets of acid-free mounting board.
• Use wood pallets to elevate stored artwork and boxes off the unit floor.
• Extend vertical storage with wheeled shelving units that can handle the weight of frames and boxes.
• Leave clearance between shelving units and walls to ensure fresh air circulation.
• Make sure frames and boxes don't overhang shelf edges creating bumping hazards.
• Give yourself wide pathways and easy access for moving artwork in and out of the unit.

Protect Your Art with Miami Self Storage

No matter if you’re a Miami art collector or an artist traveling to Miami Beach for Art Basel, knowing how to properly store your work will ensure it stays in good shape. At Safeguard Self Storage in the Design District, our climate controlled self storage units in Miami are here to help you keep your art intact daily. Give us a call today to reserve your unit, or feel free to reserve your space online at any time!

What are the benefits of riding a bike? Why is riding a bike good for the environment? Now is a great time to ask and answer both questions because May is National Bike Month. All across New York, people are pulling their wheels out of their Safeguard self storage unit and gearing up for beautiful riding weather.

Why Is Riding a Bike Good for the Environment?

Your bike doesn't run on fossil fuels, so it doesn't emit greenhouse gases. When you ride it out of self storage, you don't have to stop and buy gasoline to fill it up and that helps reduce global fuel consumption!

Riding a bike expands your eco-friendly footprint by keeping you off the city's congested streets. It also helps hold down noise pollution. Every time you take your bicycle instead of the car, you're giving the planet a much-needed break.

What Are the Health Benefits of Riding a Bike?

At its core, riding a bicycle is so much fun! It's also easy to forget that it's great exercise, too. Riding your bicycle helps improve balance, flexibility, and muscle strength. The cardio workout keeps your circulatory system in top shape. Think about your bicycle as a gym on wheels. A cruise down one of the city's bike paths lowers stress, increases resistance to heart disease, and even helps you sleep better.

Beneficial Bike Rides with a Bonus

You enjoy knowing that you're doing your best for the environment and your health. Make it even better by adding these extra benefits that come with riding your trusty bicycle out of self storage.

• No fuel costs, low maintenance, and affordable repairs
• Easy parking close to your destination's front door
• Waving at traffic jams as you cruise down the bike lane
• The fun of riding your bike with friends and family

How Can You Raise Bicycle Riding Awareness?

Make the most of May by spreading the word about National Bike Month. Round up fellow cyclists and form a riding club. Take advantage of the beautiful spring weather by exploring new bike trails in city parks. Share the fun with a hashtag that celebrates bicycle appreciation.

Why Do You Need Bicycle Storage in New York?

Your bike deserves a better home than your apartment foyer or the cramped corner of your studio. Here at Safeguard Self Storage in New York, we can keep your wheels in tip-top shape with climate-controlled units and facility-wide security features. We're always just around the corner with 24 convenient New York locations, too. Cruise on by the nearest Safeguard facility to discover our convenient self storage solutions!

Running a small business from home puts you in charge of every detail, including carving out space to efficiently manage your inventory. And, without knowing how to properly manage your merchandise, it can be easy for your growing enterprise to overrun your house or apartment. Through a combination of inventory strategies, management software, and affordable small business self storage in Chicago at Safeguard, you can take control of your inventory with ease.

Size-Up Your Inventory Needs

Storing inventory at home doesn't leave much room for expansion. Whether you're selling handcrafted jewelry, specialty pet products, or smartphone gadgets, you need extra space. Setting up an inventory system for a small business starts with an honest assessment.

How many square feet do you need? Are climate controlled storage units best for your inventory? Will a drive-up unit make it easier to move? Safeguard in Chicago offers all the storage features and amenities you need to securely store your inventory near you.

Set Up Smart Self Storage

After you rent your unit and start transferring inventory, prioritize everything. Give bestsellers prime spots near the front of your space so that they're easy to access and restock. Set up smart storage strategies like clear, lidded bins and easily movable rolling shelves. You want to see exactly what you have with one look around. When you need to rotate seasonal stock, roll and reposition your shelving.

Stay on Top With Inventory Apps

If you're unsure about how to manage your inventory on your own, there's an app for that! Small business inventory management software streamlines the process. The benefits of real-time analytics quickly add up, allowing you to:

• Access centralized inventory data from your smartphone or tablet.
• Focus on instant sales information instead of time-consuming paperwork.
• Let POS connections track and auto-adjust inventory counts.
• Customize features to include bar code scanning capabilities.

Stay Ahead With Flexible Self Storage Units in Chicago

Taking control of inventory storage helps fine-tune your business strategies, especially with month-to-month leasing at Safeguard. When sales take off, you're positioned to expand capacity on-site.

Check your unit regularly. Audit exactly where you stand. A business slowdown might be a good time to stock up on discounted inventory. If your sales follow the seasons, keep your options open. Stay flexible with enough self storage space to fit your needs now and grow with your success.  And, if your inventory does outgrow your original storage unit, transferring to a larger one is very quick and easy at Safeguard.

Trust Us With Your Business Inventory

It's exciting to watch your home business take off. It's even better when that success doesn't spill out of closets and fill up the garage. Safeguard is ready to help with the best small business self storage in Chicago. From climate controlled storage units (both air-conditioned and heated) to high-tech security features, you can trust Safeguard with your small business inventory. Find your neighborhood Safeguard Self Storage facility now.

So What is May Day?

You have heard of May Day, and you know it is on May 1^st every year, but do you know what it is?  Do you know why we call May 1^st “May Day”?  There are a number of reasons, and they all are reasons to celebrate!

The Beginning

In ancient Ireland, the Celts measured the year by the path of the sun.  They divided the year into four quarters, called Quarter Days (the solstices and equinoxes), then divided each section in half, which gave them cross-quarter days.  These divisions not only echoed the four seasons, but they fit the sequences of their farming cycle.

What we now know as May 1^st was the Celts Beltane, which marked the halfway point between spring equinox and summer solstice, and was considered the beginning of summer.  Seeds had been planted and were beginning to sprout, so May Day became a day to celebrate. 

May Day Traditions

After Roman Catholicism swept through Europe and the British Isles, May Day evolved into more than just a celebration of the sprouting crops.  As the old saying goes, “April showers bring May flowers”, so the first day of May became a day to celebrate the beauty of spring flowers.  Dancing around the maypole was part of festivals, which would include plays, dance performances, and the crowning of a “May Queen”.

Christianity also introduced the “May crowning”, where artists would create works featuring the Virgin Mary wearing a crown of flowers.  In 1955, Pope Pius XII chose May Day as a feast day to honor St Joseph the Worker. 

Another tradition, which has faded over the years, is the tradition of giving “May baskets”.  These small baskets were filled with flowers or sweets, or a combination of both, and left on a neighbor’s doorstep anonymously.  The person giving the basket was to knock on the door and yell, “May basket!”, then run off.  If the neighbor caught the person as they were fleeing, the recipient was entitled to a kiss.

How Will You Celebrate May Day?

Now that you know what May Day is and how it was observed in the past, what will you do to honor this long-standing holiday?  If you are an outdoor enthusiast, you could go for a walk and enjoy all the beautiful flowers in your neighborhood.  Maybe this year would be a good time to bring back the May basket tradition.

Another option to welcome summer is to pack up all of your winter items and pull out the summer stuff! If you need a place to put those coats, skis, and sleds, look no further than Safeguard Self Storage.  We have a variety of sizes available to suit just about any need and with over 73 locations, we are likely located in your neighborhood. 

At Safeguard, we do our part to help our planet every year by expanding our number of green storage centers, including our self storage facility in East Williamsburg. But we’re here to tell you that it doesn’t take expensive solar panels, LED lighting or major life changes to make a positive impact on our planet. If you're wondering how to celebrate Earth Day on April 22, we have some great, environmentally friendly ideas for you. Join us in making these 10 earth-friendly resolutions, and we promise you’ll leave the world a better place.

1. Choose Green Transportation

Whether you’d like to ride a bicycle or hop on the public transportation system, the less you drive a car, the better. Individual passenger vehicles contribute multiple metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions each year. By choosing green transportation, you are eliminating a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions. Plus, if you ride a bike, you will get a great workout, too!

2. Grow Your Own Food

Have you ever thought about why the non-native produce you eat is in season all year long? The answer is simple: transportation. Because the produce industry relies heavily on fossil fuels to transport food all over the country, it contributes to a significant amount of carbon emissions. By growing your own produce—including things like tomatoes, cucumbers, or peppers—you can incrementally reduce the amount of shipping that’s necessary to get those ripe veggies to your local grocer.

3. Plant a Tree

Trees are like nature’s filters, not to mention they provide habitat to 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. By planting a tree, you’re helping to clean the air we breathe, as trees absorb harmful pollutants and release clean oxygen back out into the atmosphere. Plus, if you plant one near your home, you can enjoy watching it grow over the years and take pride in your accomplishment.

4. Create a Compost Bin

If you start to think about the amount of trash humans produce, you can get overwhelmed extremely quickly. As the third-largest source of human-related methane emissions in the United States, landfills are contributing to the degradation of our planet rapidly. Rather than tossing out food waste or organics for them to end up in the nearest dump, you can create a compost bin at home. You can put things like fruit scraps, old vegetables, and coffee grounds in your compost bin, which will benefit the soil and prevent harmful greenhouse gases from damaging the atmosphere.

5. Shop Smart

At this point, you know how bad plastic is for the environment. Plastic has become such a widespread problem that most wild-caught seafood has microplastics inside them! Fight plastic pollution by shopping with reusable bags, avoiding plastic take-out containers, and choosing not to use plastic straws. Buy fresh, non-packaged food at the grocery store, and support local organic farmers markets that don’t pack their foods in plastic wrap.

6. Bottle Your Water

Don't contribute to the 50 billion water bottles headed for our landfills and oceans every year! Resolve to always use reusable water bottles. Make sure to keep a backup with you in your office or car so you’re never without one.

7. Save Energy

If you have a faulty, outdated HVAC system or improperly sealed windows and doors, your home is contributing to higher-than-average carbon emissions; not to mention you’re likely paying a fortune in utility bills. Consider servicing or upgrading your HVAC system, installing an energy-efficient thermostat, and ensuring all the openings in your space are properly sealed.

8. Pick Up Trash

Trash is everywhere, and many of the discarded items you find on the street are recyclable. If you see litter, do your part by picking it up and placing it in the nearest trash can or recycle bin. There’s strength in numbers, so try to organize a litter patrol in your neighborhood. Your team could offer to pick up trash around a local school or adopt a nearby park. Remember, try to recycle as much litter as applicable!

9. Make Connections

Connect with local organizations that support earth-friendly activities. Learn about events happening online or ask neighbors for information about groups that need your help.

10. Create Awareness

Start your own Earth Day awareness movement with a catchy hashtag. Mobilize social media to promote planting trees, recycling, and showing our planet the love it deserves. It’s important to let others know that even small acts of earthly kindness will go along away, and there’s no better way to promote this message than on Earth Day!

Our Green Self Storage Solutions

Since 2014, Safeguard Self Storage has done our part to celebrate Earth Day in a big way. That's when we transitioned to green solutions with solar panel installations at our storage facilities in New York and New Jersey—including our East Williamsburg self storage facility.

Ongoing, we're committed to this green policy, as solar panel installations at our self storage sites continue to expand with our Illinois facilities being next in line to go green. Our solar panels meet over 90% of our energy needs with clean, renewable power, which makes us the perfect place to store your belongings while protecting the environment.

If you’re in need of self storage in East Williamsburg, NY, Safeguard is proud to provide you with energy-efficient storage solutions. Join us in celebrating Earth Day this year!

What is Fleet Week? New York City marks this celebration at the end of May by honoring our nation's maritime services. Let's take a closer look at the details, and find out how Safeguard Self Storage goes the extra mile to help our active military personnel and veterans across New York and all our services areas.

What Is Fleet Week?

It became official in 1982. New York City Fleet Week was designated as an annual recognition of maritime military members deployed on the high seas. The celebration stood as a salute to those serving in our country's Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard. During 1988's NYC Fleet Week, military ships in New York harbors were open to the public. Onboard tours showcased the expertise of the different branches of our country's maritime services, and Fleet Week became a favorite city tradition.

Where Does NYC Fleet Week Happen?

It kicks off with the annual Parade of Ships starting out from Battery Park. As military vessels head toward the George Washington Bridge, crew members are cheered by thousands of New Yorkers lining the shore. You don't have to look far to find a docked vessel. Many of the ships, cutters, and patrol boats dock at the New York Passenger Ship Terminal. Other pier locations can include the Brooklyn Cruise Terminal, Homeport Pier, and Kings Point.

How Do We Celebrate NYC Fleet Week?

Fleet Week offers a wonderful variety of activities that bring civilians and military personnel together. All New Yorkers are invited to enjoy free tours of the docked ships. Military performances and displays take place at Miller Field, Fort Hamilton, Washington Square Park, and Times Square. Members of our maritime service visit area schools, volunteer in soup kitchens, and help at senior centers. From local parades to revitalization projects, thousands of marines, sailors, and coastguardsmen take time to give back to the citizens who appreciate their hard work.

How Does Safeguard Support Our Military?

Maritime service members regularly deal with cramped quarters and sudden relocations. At Safeguard, we do our part to help with affordable military storage options and secure storage units across the city. Our self storage solutions provide both active military personnel and veterans with convenient online account management, automatic payment programs, and just the right amount of space for your belongings. Whether you need to store your vehicle or the contents of a one-bedroom house, we have a variety of storage unit types and sizes to ease your deployment or living situation.

Choose Safeguard for your Military Storage Needs

The men and women in our military services deserve our support during NYC Fleet Week and year-round, too. If you’re in need of self storage solutions you can trust in New York City and the surrounding boroughs, Safeguard has your back while you have ours. All of us here at Safeguard Self Storage salute the brave men and women who selflessly serve our country every day.

We are all living in a different world now. Social distancing and self-quarantine are today's norms. Wearing gloves and a mask to the supermarket is as common as wearing shoes and a shirt. The value of hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes has never been greater.

Safeguard Self Storage completely understands the worries and concerns that this pandemic has caused, and as society is changing, so is the way we are doing business. We have always approached self storage a bit differently than others in our industry, but today, more than ever, our differences are lending themselves to a better storage experience.

Contactless Storage Unit Rentals

Safeguard has always felt that business should be conducted in a manner that is the most convenient for our customers. Now, we are taking it a step further. For over a decade, we have offered the ability for our customers to rent a storage unit on our website. Out of an abundance of caution, we are now urging all customers to rent online. When you complete your rental online, your rental agreement and all appropriate forms will be sent to you electronically. There is no need to ever step into the office.

If you’re not comfortable renting your storage space on our website, simply call us and we’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, recommend the perfect unit for your storage needs, and complete your rental on the phone. Again, your rental documents will be sent via email, so there are no required face-to-face interactions.

Touchless Entry

At all of our facilities, we offer touchless access to the building and each storage area using an access fob. The fobs are sold in our office and are programmed with a unique code, which will provide access to the building and allows access to the storage area where your unit is located. Our system also records the access activity of each entry for security purposes. 

At some of our facilities, we have gone a step further by installing the latest Bluetooth or iCloud access. All our newest locations are being built with new access systems that allow customers to use an app on their smartphones to gain access. These high-tech systems can be found at the following locations:

• Valley Stream, NY
• East Rockaway, NY
• Chicago – Edison Park, IL
• Metairie – I-10 Service Road, LA

Property Cleaning

We have always held cleanliness to a very high standard. Now, it is more important than ever.  We have added greater focus to cleaning processes and frequency, making it our top priority.  Directives have been sent to all our facility personnel with new and improved cleaning duties, all to keep our customers and our team members safe and healthy.

All personnel has been instructed to wash their hands at least once an hour and after every exit from the office. We have provided antibacterial soap to each facility for both the manager’s service area and the customer restrooms. We have also placed hand sanitizer in every office for customer and manager use.

In the storage facility, we have instructed that any common areas be wiped down with disinfectant wipes, especially frequently touched places, such as keypads, cart handles, and elevator buttons. While customers are at the facility, managers are urged to stay in the office with the doors locked and to conduct as much business as possible through locked doors.  Whenever that is not possible, social distancing is to be practiced by keeping all individuals a distance of at least 6 feet apart.

Our Commitment

Even during these trying times, we remain open and available to solve the essential storage needs of our community. At Safeguard Self Storage, we are committed to the safety and well-being of our customers and our staff. Please remember to stay safe and together we will make it through these tough times.

Homeownership is a major step in your life, especially if you've never bought a home before. Buying a house isn't always a simple thing to do, and the costs can skyrocket and drive buyers away. Thankfully, it's the perfect time to buy a home in the Chicago, IL, metro—whether you're doing it for the first time or you've purchased one before. Safeguard Self Storage on North Northwest Highway has a few reasons why buying a house now is in your best interests.

Why Buying a Home Now is a Great Idea

Homes cost less right now.

That's one good thing about the housing market: It fluctuates. One year it's down; the next year it's up. If you want to get the best deal on a home, now's the time to buy. You can find a great deal on a house and finally stop renting an apartment or someone else's property.

Renting means throwing your money away.

That's right. Renting someone else's house or an apartment is like giving your money away. You're not actually paying someone for something that will eventually be yours. You can lose it at any time. When you mortgage a home, you're paying for something that will be with you and your family for generations.

You'll make a profit in the future.

One good thing about buying a house when the market is just right is the fact that you can make money in the future. Since the market is down, you can purchase a home for much less than what it would normally be listed at. If you plan to sell later and the market is just right, you can list it for much more and make a profit. It's a good idea to speak with an agent to make sure you're making the best purchase for a future home sale if that's why you're buying now.

Ready to Move? Get Moving Storage With Safeguard

Homeownership is wonderful but does come with its own share of ups and downs. No matter if it's your first or fifth home, we can help with affordable moving storage when you plan to make the jump to a new home. Our storage facility on North Northwest Highway in Edison Park is a fantastic place to get storage whether you’re renting or buying. Stop by and reserve a Chicago storage unit today!

It's always good when people in their communities unite. If you live around East Tremont and Bronx, NY, you can make a difference in the lives of those who live around you. Safeguard Self Storage has the scoop on green living and how it can benefit you and the community in which you live.

A Guide to Make Your Community Green

Why make your community green?

Let's face it: Nothing lasts forever. So why not make things last as long as they can by helping others in our community embrace the green initiative? By reducing paper consumption, turning off the lights when we're not in the room, and recycling materials for reuse, we can save our world's natural resources and make the Earth a better place for future generations.

How you can help make it happen.

What better way to make your area green than to create a community taskforce? Think about it—everyone working together to work on green initiatives like growing a community garden or cleaning up the litter from the streets and alleyways. Start by gathering like-minded people and creating a community organization. You can make daily, weekly, and monthly plans for recycling, decluttering, garden tending, and performing community cleanups.

What are the benefits of green living?

Green living benefits everyone in your area and the world, as it helps to conserve natural resources and prevent the damaging effects of climate change. You can help save the environment by making small changes at first, such as using less water and electricity or recycling bottles—all of which help offset your carbon footprint. If you get everyone in your community to do the same, you'll make an even greater impact.

Safeguard Self Storage Leads the Green Initiative

Safeguard Self Storage knows how important it is to live as green as possible in East Tremont and Bronx, NY. We've implemented eco-friendly storage facilities using solar panels to reduce our overall carbon footprint. If you're looking for an environmentally friendly storage facility that has you and your community's best interests in mind, check us out on East Tremont Avenue and reserve one of our storage units today!

When your neighborhood is unkempt, it can be tough to be prideful of where you live. From litter on the streets to excessive yard clutter, a messy town can leave you feeling defeated. But what if you could take the revitalization of your neighborhood into your own hands? Thankfully, you can make a difference in how your neighborhood looks, acts and reacts to the things around it. If you want to transform your neighborhood, Safeguard Self Storage Garfield, NJ, has five ways to make it happen.

5 Ways to Revitalize Your Neighborhood

Clean up the litter.

Litter hurts everyone and everything—especially the planet. It's an eyesore and not only damages the landscape but paints a negative picture for those visiting the area. Do your part by cleaning up the litter and keeping your neighborhood clean and beautiful.

Start a neighborhood watch.

Want to help with crime prevention? Get your neighbors together to form a watch group. With more eyes on what's going on, you'll deter criminal activity in your neighborhood.

Take time to meet your neighbors.

Not enough neighbors take the time to meet up and introduce each other. Taking the time to greet your neighbors not only creates a union with those around you but also makes the community stronger and more capable of dealing with misunderstandings as they occur.

Be active in neighborhood associations.

You can sit in your home doing nothing on a Wednesday night—or, you can take part in a community organization. If you take the time to be part of your neighborhood's function, you can make a greater difference and help the community grow and flourish.

Keep yard clutter to a minimum.

Keeping the community clean starts by reducing the clutter in your own yard. If you have old tires propped up against your house or toys thrown about the side yard, clean it up. You can even put old clutter in a storage unit for safekeeping if you don't want to throw it out. Transform your yard into what you hope your community can be, and everyone else may follow suit.

How Self Storage Can Help

Transforming your neighborhood for the better not only helps with the overall aesthetic but also crime prevention. Our team at Safeguard Self Storage wants to help make Garfield, NJ, clean with affordable, secure self storage units that keep clutter stored away. Whether you're keeping your yard or neighborhood park clean and clear, we can work together to make a positive impact on the entire city.