we also have nifty converted parking meters to use as bike racks now. Looks like Seattle and Berkely have both done this - when the parking was switched over from individual meters to kiosks, some of the old meters were converted to bike racks by taking off the meter heads and attaching a place to put your lock through securely. Berkely put big half circles on theirs. Seattle attached a big cut out bike emblem.

Of course I think the rail racks (a rack that is basically just a railing about 54" long) that are all around the city are the most elegant solution. They park bikes parallel to the street so they take up little space even when occupied and are almost unnoticable when not occupied.