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I dunno. I am surprised that there isn't something like "walk score" for a "visit score" - especially one where the score is based on what you want to do on you

I dunno. I am surprised that there isn't something like "walk score" for a "visit score" - especially one where the score is based on what you want to do on your visit. I get that when you're traveling to a new city, you usually have an idea for what neighborhood you want to stay in. A lot of cities - there's only 1-3 neighborhoods that are walkable and good for tourists. Still, I'm surprised there's not an easy way to see what things there are nearby with some sort of ranking order based on what things you want to do.

kipchak 5y ago
It didn't do much in terms of ranking or customizing things based on your interest but Niantic's Field Trip app was somewhat like that. I think if it hadn't been killed off it might have evolved into something like that.
silverpepsi 5y ago
As someone who travels full time, Google's introduction of yellow blobs on the maps in the past year or two has been an absolute game changer for me. I used to look up the name of a known walking street and then try to make sure I'd mastered all that was worth seeing by doing the perimeter including ended up spending hours on alleys that lead to nothingness (car coridors or residential areas of 0 interest at the edge of the area worth exploring) Now, I just make sure I've walked the yellow blobs and I can be sure I've seen it all. It's a joy. Way less FOMO at the end of my trips as well.
- mikevm 5y ago
  what are these yellow blobs?
  - silverpepsi 5y ago
    Does Google track everyone's phone location with Android to be able to give traffic info? Well I guess similarly they track the foot traffic and can indicate where in cities there is extremely concentrated foot traffic ... I.e. perfect areas to walk and explore.
  - llampx 5y ago
    https://blog.google/products/maps/discover-action-around-you-with-updated/ https://blog.google/products/maps/discover-action-around-you... > As you explore the new map, you’ll notice areas shaded in orange representing “areas of interest”—places where there’s a lot of activities and things to do. To find an “area of interest” just open Google Maps and look around you. When you’ve found an orange-shaded area, zoom in to see more details about each venue and tap one for more info. Whether you’re looking for a hotel in a hot spot or just trying to determine which way to go after exiting the subway in a new place, “areas of interest” will help you find what you’re looking for with just a couple swipes and a zoom. We determine “areas of interest” with an algorithmic process that allows us to highlight the areas with the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops. In high-density areas like NYC, we use a human touch to make sure we’re showing the most active areas.
TuringNYC 5y ago
Since you mention this, could you provide thoughts on our project if you have a moment? SAFEROUTE: WALK ROUTING VIA BEST LIT PATHS: https://github.com/kineticadb/saferun/blob/master/start-here.ipynb https://github.com/kineticadb/saferun/blob/master/start-here... We're in the process of app-ifying this, though as a fun project and not a business. The idea would be to identify walking routes optimized by a variety of factors: - best lit (for safety) - most beautiful - best mobile phone coverage Would this be useful?
- Breza 5y ago
  This would be really useful as an app! I moved to Washington DC back when illuminated pedestrian paths were in weirdly short supply. People were getting mugged on the National Mall in the dark.

kipchak 5y ago

It didn't do much in terms of ranking or customizing things based on your interest but Niantic's Field Trip app was somewhat like that. I think if it hadn't been killed off it might have evolved into something like that.

silverpepsi 5y ago

As someone who travels full time, Google's introduction of yellow blobs on the maps in the past year or two has been an absolute game changer for me. I used to look up the name of a known walking street and then try to make sure I'd mastered all that was worth seeing by doing the perimeter including ended up spending hours on alleys that lead to nothingness (car coridors or residential areas of 0 interest at the edge of the area worth exploring) Now, I just make sure I've walked the yellow blobs and I can be sure I've seen it all. It's a joy. Way less FOMO at the end of my trips as well.

mikevm 5y ago
what are these yellow blobs?
- silverpepsi 5y ago
  Does Google track everyone's phone location with Android to be able to give traffic info? Well I guess similarly they track the foot traffic and can indicate where in cities there is extremely concentrated foot traffic ... I.e. perfect areas to walk and explore.
- llampx 5y ago
  https://blog.google/products/maps/discover-action-around-you-with-updated/ https://blog.google/products/maps/discover-action-around-you... > As you explore the new map, you’ll notice areas shaded in orange representing “areas of interest”—places where there’s a lot of activities and things to do. To find an “area of interest” just open Google Maps and look around you. When you’ve found an orange-shaded area, zoom in to see more details about each venue and tap one for more info. Whether you’re looking for a hotel in a hot spot or just trying to determine which way to go after exiting the subway in a new place, “areas of interest” will help you find what you’re looking for with just a couple swipes and a zoom. We determine “areas of interest” with an algorithmic process that allows us to highlight the areas with the highest concentration of restaurants, bars and shops. In high-density areas like NYC, we use a human touch to make sure we’re showing the most active areas.

TuringNYC 5y ago

Since you mention this, could you provide thoughts on our project if you have a moment? SAFEROUTE: WALK ROUTING VIA BEST LIT PATHS: https://github.com/kineticadb/saferun/blob/master/start-here.ipynb https://github.com/kineticadb/saferun/blob/master/start-here... We're in the process of app-ifying this, though as a fun project and not a business. The idea would be to identify walking routes optimized by a variety of factors: - best lit (for safety) - most beautiful - best mobile phone coverage Would this be useful?

Breza 5y ago
This would be really useful as an app! I moved to Washington DC back when illuminated pedestrian paths were in weirdly short supply. People were getting mugged on the National Mall in the dark.