Coordination metal complexes with one-dimensional polymeric structures have long been investigated as materials with unusual properties. Molecular-based ferromagnets, synthetic metallic conductors, non-linear optical materials, and ferroelectrics represent several applications of low-dimensional coordination polymers. It is possible to modify the bulk magnetic, electrical, and optical properties of such materials by tailoring the constituent molecules. This review presents recent examples of each of these applications and focuses on the correlation between the molecular structure and the bulk properties of the materials.