This article examines a form of functional shift that has not been given much attention so far, to wit the use of hashtags outside of social media in contexts of public/urban space. Based on a self-collected dataset of such urban hashtags, qualitative analysis discloses varying degrees of commodification, professionalization and deictic status in their use. The article concludes by linking this semiotic practice to other emerging appropriations of hashtagging in non-digital modes, like spoken discourse and gesturing.