City Lights (SM)

So I have one of these in the original black and use it as my every day going out and about bag at the moment. I love it. It is a great bag and can fit a good amount of things in it which helps. I wanted to get one in camouflage to match my messenger bag that is also camouflage and I also got the beautiful glittery burgundy one as well as a birthday present to myself. The glittery burgundy one I am planning to use my next planned special occasion which I hope to be sooner rather than later. Thank you ☺️

I love my bag. It's the perfect size it's durable. I love that. It's a crossbody and can be converted into a fanny pack.

All the compartments are just right

Excellent product!!

My City Lights bag is just what I needed! Great size for the things I need when walking the dog and don't want to weighed down with a lot of junk. Love the green color.

Loyal fan

... and I do mean the same bag. It's only softened a bit with use. Both black. I wear it crossbody under my coat with the Big Apple backpack. Everything I need to get at fast fits into the City Lights bag. I did make one change (sorry, MP). I picked the red label off both bags. Makes it more businesslike and less sporty. Also, without the label, it's harder for a pickpocket to see under my coat.

This bag is well-made, has a vibrant color, and fits within my backpack well!

I had been searching for a small bag to contain my wallet, cell phone, and a kid snack - this is it. I keep those items in this city lights bag then throw it into my diaper bag, work bag, or a nice purse. I can chase my 1 year old around playgrounds with this across my body and not worry about my wallet falling out. If my diaper bag is clipped to the stroller and he wanders off, I can grab the city lights bag from inside and run off to chase him. This is a good bag for moms who need freedom of movement and want to look put-together too.

Looked all over the internet for a compact ipad mini bag with the belt loop strap. It fits, and with a Trident case on it. Ballin' out of control...

I've been using City Lights Bags for several years. I have worn them daily to work, slung cross-body while riding my scooter, on my bicycle, hiking, geo-caching while climbing rock, and just out and about. I have yet to wear a bag out (or even make it look worn, despite scraping it on rocks). I have the bag in black (going on a decade now), brown, and just ordered purple (I love purple!). The bag easily holds my tiny wallet (it's really a business card holder that I use as a wallet), keys, handkerchief, lip balm, individually packaged hand wipes, a pen, emergency cards (I'm a teacher- must carry these while at work), and a couple fold-up bus schedules. In the front zip pocket, I keep my iPhone and my bus card. The size means I don't get carried away and try to take more than my shoulder can handle. It also means that it doesn't get in the way during active adventures. I'm 5'10" and the strap is long enough for me to wear this cross-body style. Can't wait to receive my purple bag!!!

For several years I've been trying to find a bag big enough to hold all the essentials -- cards, cash, keys, sunglasses, lip balm, etc. -- but small enough to be thrown inside a larger bag when necessary. This was the fourth bag I tried and, though I've only had it for a few days, I am optimistic about this being The One.

To previous reviewer Karen: MP makes the bag that you describe! It's called the Urban Bag.

Just need to add a suggestion: If this were a little bigger (9x6 or thereabouts) my Kindle 3G would fit perfectly into it. Very handy having it there for reading on bus rides (instead of having to dig it out of my backpack).

I've had a City Lights bag and its matching black backpack since the late 80s when, I think, Manhattan Portage started making them. They STILL haven't worn out and I carried them every day to work and hiking. I just bought the same two items in black and red vinyl. These things are just great!

I bought this in the black material and another one in the white vinyl. I really like the concept of having a small bag to keep some essentials with me at all times. Ideally this is going to be for my keys, wallet, phone, camera, sunglasses, small Moleskine notebook, and pens. It's going to take some time to get used to the idea of having a small bag such as this, but it's better than carrying everything in my pockets. Overall, I am happy with the quality and style of MP's bags.

I love, love, love this bag! It is perfect for those days when I don't want to carry all my crap, and a super great way to hold onto my valuables when riding my storage-challenged motor scooter. Truly an awesome little bag.

I love this bag. I use it when I want something smaller than my small Timbuk2 and something more than what my pockets can hold. I basically use it as a purse or small day bag. I was surprised at how roomy this bag is: it can easily fit a paperback, wallet, cell phone, inhaler, Blackberry, iPod, keys and sunglasses, and still have room for a tube of lip gloss. The Cordura fabric is very rugged and not shabby looking either (I got mine in brown). I dig how the red MP tag contrasts with the fabric. I am very pleased with this bag and I think it will serve me well for years to come.

Just got this bag delivered to me today. It's an awesome looking bag. I have the camouflage pattern. It just looks incredible. I can't imagine choosing a different colour, but I like how the red MP logo stocks out so prominently from the bag, just for contrast purposes. This is the only piece of clothing (or accessory) I own with a logo on it, but I'll allow it since it actually makes this bag look nicer.

The outside material feels tough and durable, as do the clasps that attach the shoulder strap to the bag. You can't tell from the photos, but it's clearly made from a strong metal. The inside of the bag is nothing special whatsoever, but that's OK. It's not lined, and there are no special organizer details such as a pen holder, or place for a mobile phone. It's just nylon inside, just like the exterior.

The bag may be just tall enough to hold a bottle of water, although it depends on the bottle. It's around 0.5 or 1 cm too short for a typical lglass bottle (which holds a particular kind of popular drink that I won't mention here in case it's not allowed), although one will fit if you tilt the bottle sideways in the bag. I wouldn't normally do such a thing, but I'm trying to give you a feel for the size.

Anyway, for a bag like this, none of this stuff about pen holders or precise sizing really matters. What's important is whether the bag is small, whether it's big enough to still be practical, and whether it looks good. It does well on all these points, so this bag is a winner.

4/5