14 DAY TRIAL // In what the mayor of New York City, Michael Bloomberg, terms a fruitful collaboration, Google and the municipality of the largest city in the United States have just finished their joint project – an Internet Age map of the entire city, which allows users to carefully plot their course through the Big Apple before actually going out on its busy streets. A new website, NYCgo, was also made available to the public, as well as a high-tech information center on Seventh Avenue near 52nd Street in Manhattan.
"This dynamic site uses Google Maps to help you plan your New York experience. So, whether you are a visitor or a resident, we invite you to explore New York City from your home computer, your mobile phone – and of course, in person," the official said in a posting on Google's website.
Needless to say, the extensive and elaborate maps feature all the information someone could require about New York City. Everything is noted on the maps, from the most elegant restaurants to the least-famed establishments, and the systems allow people accessing it to go on a virtual tour of nearly every region of the city, including ill-famed districts such as Harlem.
All events are also listed, as are the quickest ways to get there from any location in town. All bus, commuter train and subway stations are also listed, along with a list of connections that can be taken underground to go in parts of the city that are not directly linked to each other.
Everything people learn while browsing the site can then be transfered to mobile platforms, which allow visitors to better understand where they are, and what points of interest are nearby. These maps will also help tourists know if they are lost, as well as the shortest way to get to their destination.
The Seventh Avenue information center features computerized map tables with touch-screen interfaces, which allow users to pull up images of the streets they are interested in, during a very pleasant and relaxing experience. All neighborhoods can thus be scoped, before one ventures onto their streets.