Street maps were originally designed to help us see where we were and how to get from location to location with ease. On the map, we would see landmarks like bodies of water, playgrounds, highways and bridges. Yet amateur cartographers knew there was much more fun to be had in the mapping community. They could create maps of sightseeing destinations, maps of the city's best pizza joints and "memory" maps of sentimental photographs. Maps have become so much more than just directions, as they are useful guides to all the amenities, services, information, places and experiences our world has to offer, locally and abroad.
If you are in NYC and you want a map of all the celebrity-owned venues so you can poise yourself for a spotting of the rich and famous, then be sure to check www.click2map.com/maps/cityfile/celeb_restaurants. You will find TeaNY, where music artist Moby and his girlfriend sell vegan snacks and tea. You can find Angels & Kings bar, where co-owner Pete Wentz from Fallout Boy sells his goods. You can grab a filet at Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, a bowl of noodles at Robert DeNiro's Ago or sink your teeth into some chicken legs and cornbread at Justin Timberlake's Southern Hospitality. When you are done eating, you may want to party all night at Andrew WK's Soho Bar or hang out VIP-style with Tim Robbins at The Back Room. The best part about reading this in map format is of course the helpful driving directions.
Google Maps is not the only "mashup maker" on the block, of course. A number of non-Google applications have popped up to serve a wide variety of functions. For instance, if you live on a fault line, then visit www.lerdorf.com/php/ymap/yquakes.php, as you may appreciate the "Real-Time Earthquake Map." If you are looking for nearby bloggers, movie showtimes, gas prices or driving directions, then you can see "Atlas" (based on MSN's Virtual Earth platform) at www.atlas.freshlogicstudios.com.
One of the most popular mapping sites is www.flickr.com/map, where amateur photographers can share their pictures and create maps of their favorite places, people and things. Readers have given rave reviews for www.gutenkarte.org, where lit lovers can read full books (such as Jules Verne's "Around the World in 80 Days") chapter by chapter, while viewing a map of the locations discussed in the book. If you prefer news to fiction, don't miss the world and local news at www.mappedup.com or www.poly9.viavirtualearth.com/Poly9/MSNBC (where MSNBC news is plotted out on a map!)
As you can see, street maps are so much more than just compendiums of driving directions. Today's online map is part travel advisor, part photographer, part encyclopedia, part Yellowpages and part friend. You can read reviews of local businesses, learn about tourist destinations in a Wikipedia window or even find bus schedules. Google Maps. MapQuest, Yahoo Maps and MSN Live Earth are all competing sites vying for your attention. The best news is that all of this is easy to use and free!
