We could have included this with our post on Chicago maps, but Chicago Neighborhoods includes so much beautiful photography that we thought it was worth the individual attention. Click on any of the neighborhoods in blue (it’s a work in progress) to see dozens of street-level views of architecture.
We found a slew of useful Chicago maps this weekend:
Chicago Census 2000 maps from the University of Chicago, local maps of data generated by the last census, including housing age, income levels, demographic makeup, population changes, and transit use.
CTA Google Maps overlaid with all the CTA stops let you pinpoint exact locations and transfer points with all the useful features of Google Maps.
HousingMaps, another Google Map hack that overlays craigslist housing rental, sublet, and for sale data. Lets you search by price point.
A zip code map from The Chicago Reader.
Chicagocrime.org, a database that lets you search for criminal activity by street address, zip code, ward, landmarks, and travel routes.
Chicago Menu Pages is more than just maps of restaurants, it’s a complete search engine for food in the city. You can search by a particular type of cuisine, even down to a particular dish, by neighborhood, and even by which spots are open late night. Searches turn up full menus of the restaurants, and if they don’t have your favorite, just tell them and they’ll add it to their database.
Search for the lowest gas prices at ChicagoGasPrices.com
Homeowners with a taste for the cutting edge are creating “smart homes” with computerized climate controls, lighting, security systems, and networked appliances.
The web never ceases to amaze, but lately there’s been an explosion of innovation in mapping services. Google’s new mapping service and Amazon’s A9 maps have raised the bar on Map Quest and Yahoo! Maps. One of the most amazing things you can do now comes from A9, with their Block View images, actual street level pictures that let you “walk” the street to find what you want. Check out this view of the North & Damen intersection.
