I empathize greatly with these complaints - honestly, this is one of those threads I'm kind of happy to see appear on HN since I know some of the feedback might

I empathize greatly with these complaints - honestly, this is one of those threads I'm kind of happy to see appear on HN since I know some of the feedback might actually make it back to people who can make an impact. I also feel like Google Maps has spent the last few years in a backslide from a really incredible example of the promise of the web to surprisingly frustrating and not useful. I'm somewhat mystified that while the "discover around you" section of the app has been iterated on nothing has been done to improve the actual experience of searching for places on the map. I really hope someone builds an alternative like you suggest - I want to be able to look for bars near a music venue and see the walking distance within the results, for example. Why can't I search for a lunch spot within 5 blocks of the office I'm meeting in and without any steep hills on the way?