I suspect that like me, most everyone has used Google Street view to check up on all their various former addresses to see if the houses and/or neighborhoods have changed and if the view is intrusive or troublesome.
As Google Street View launched in the UK this week to much fanfare and consternation, I thought it would be nice to see if anyone had stories about using the service for something useful, like identifying a destination or learning a fact.
So if you have a good story, please leave a comment below.
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Update: The Input
I asked for responses to this question on Twitter, Facebook, and here on the blog. You can read the rich comments to the blog request below.
The two most interesting responses came from David de la Peña and Cory Doctorow.
David is an architect living in Davis, California. Here is what he wrote me when I asked him to elaborate in an email:
GSV is a very useful tool that I use regularly on community design and streetscape projects. It saves me from the drudgery of taking hundreds of photographs of a site, and the user interface is more intuitive than flipping through, say, 100 photographs of a street. For community design projects, it allows designers to see a neighborhood scene more or less from eye-level perspective. When we see a neighborhood from this experiential level, rather than from an aerial photograph, we have a better shot at creating more livable environments. The eye-level views also allow us to verify elements of a streetscape that just aren't apparent from a plan or an aerial photo, such as architectural character, yard and porch layouts, and tree types. For streetscape projects, the eye-level views give a very realistic view of a street's character, which are comprised of building facades; types and varieties of street trees; locations of street lights and power poles; and arrangements of drive lanes, bicycle lanes, parking and sidewalks.I started using it as soon as it was available. I immediately saw it as a useful tool to be added to my toolbox. Before GSV, we relied primarily upon aerial photographs, MS Live 3d aerials, and photos we would take ourselves. Of course, none of these replaces on-the-ground research. I have been using GSV, for example, on a project near Sacramento that is located 30 minutes from my office. We are trying to locate a new community center and park within a low-income neighborhood on foreclosed fourplexes that the city owns. GSV gave me a better sense than any other visual tool about the feel of each of the potential sites. Today I visited the sites to confirm our intuitions and to take more photographs. While walking the neighborhood, I was approached by eight different neighbors asking what I was doing. People naturally get suspicious when you're taking pictures of their homes, but if you're open to talking with them, other doors will open. I met a few single mothers who had great suggestions for locating a tot lot, and an on-site building manager who had suggestions for how the city deals with code compliance. These chance encounters gave me more information than any visual tool could, and more important, they helped me to establish as sense of trust.
And Cory, who many of you know, hipped me to the fact that he had written his successful young-adult novel, Little Brother, while hopping around the globe. Much of it was composed while he was living in Los Angeles. Yet he needed to generate a detailed vision of San Francisco:
I used it while I was living in LA and working on my novel Little Brother. I needed to visualize the street here:"I picked up the WiFi signal with my phone's wifinder about three blocks up O'Farrell, just before Hyde Street, in front of a dodgy "Asian Massage Parlor" with a red blinking CLOSED sign in the window. The network's name was HarajukuFM, so we knew we had the right spot."
I think I was writing from Heathrow that day, or possibly Croatia. I
know O'Farrell pretty well, but it had been a few years. I zoomed up and
down the street with GSV for a few seconds until I had refreshed my
memory, then wrote.
Here are some of my favorite responses from my Twitter request:
And here are some of my Facebook responses:
RSS Feed
Comments (11)
When my husband and I were house hunting in another state - before we considered asking a realtor for more information on a listing we checked out the neighborhood and surrounding areas. We also used a few crime stats mashups which helped a lot.
I use google street views to help with holiday planning, so that I can get an idea of the area before I arrive.
Helps also with trying to find out the exact location of the hotel or places I wish to visit.
I use it a lot with google maps.
Like Jane, I've found Street View wonderful for house hunting. Craigslist pics will show you an exterior shot if you're lucky, but Street View helps you "walk around" a neighborhood and get a sense of what else is there.
I've also used it for driving in New York, since it can give one a good sense of how many lanes a road has, whether it's one way, and other things like that which help me prepare for the evil task that is driving in New York City.
Mostly put it to the use you suggest. But I have also used it in NYC to locate addresses. That sounds kind of dumb, but it only takes me a second to see what my target is, and that's easier than spending a lot of shoe leather. My dentist and my cable company have kindof out-of-the-way doors, and it was nice not having to wander back-and-forth trying to find where they were.
Did the same on a recent trip. Knew I was going to be driving from the airport late at night, and wanted to get a gut feel for the twists and turns at the very end of my trip. Particularly for those who feel more comfortable navigating by landmark (and I think there is some research that suggests gender differences in that regard), it might be helpful.
I also don't want to discount the sort of virtual walking a neighborhood--even if it is not one you have been to before. It's nice to have the lay of the land more generally before you show up somewhere.
I work as a librarian in Milwaukee, and we are digitizing historic photos for digital collections. I use Google Street Views on a fairly regular basis as one tool to confirm the identity and placement of a building or location.
I don't use it to find buildings, but it can be a very useful confirmation tool
I've used it to find a public place near a private place to meet people 'in the middle.' For example, I needed to meet leonard somewhere between my therapist's office and his apartment in Queens. Google streetview turned up a nice cafe about halfway between us in a neighborhood neither of us had been to before.
I'm in glasgow on business trip and i pass a cinema on my way from the hotel to the office every morning. Yesterday one of my coleauges said he felt like watching a film and i told him about the cinema i've been passing every day but i could not remember which one it was so he wasn't able to check the listings.
google street view to the rescue! fired it up and got a clear for of the cinema (it was a cineworld) so we were able to check the listings. turns out nothing decent was showing
I've used it a lot to get some visual info to add to driving directions--see what the building looks like, what landmarks there are along the way, whether it looks like there's parking around my destination, etc. Maybe not an important use, but a legitimate one.
I recently used Google Street View to cement what was already an obvious scam, to wit:
I have been searching for temporary housing in the DC area and have been frustrated by the exorbitant costs for closet-sized dumps in the city proper. Ignoring the "it it seems too good to be true..." axiom that I ought to know well enough by now, I inquired after a craigslist ad promising a nice place for a below-market value price.
Upon emailing an inquiry to the anonymized address given in the address, I received the following by way of response:
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It is a great pleasure that to you are interested in my Place.Thanks for your email and it is my gladness to hearing you I am a Single Christain Mother, With no kid, My Husband, Pass by Last 4 Month (got dead). Due to the Fatal Accident we had he got Dead, and I got Dislocation on my Legs and Hand, My name is Pastor Rev Carol lawance The Owner of the 1 bedroom home and its located @ [redacted] Street Nw, Washington DC 20001 I am presently in West Africa due to my transfer that makes me leave the house and also want to give it out for rent and looking for a responsible person that can take very good care of it as I am not after the money for the rent but want it to be clean at the time and the person that will rent it to take it as if it were its own. So for now, i am here in west Africa, My new house and put all my worries off concerning the maintenance of the apartment for, since i am not residing there for now.I left behind some Facilities and electonics which include the rent, and a DVD player, air conditioning, alarm system. The kitchen is fully equipped with all necessary cooking utensils, arefrigerator-freezer, four-hob and oven, microwave,dishwasher and washing machine, My Computer Connected with Internet Acess Also the keys to the House are right here with me, and the lease document. Which i can send to you after all necessary agreement has be accepted. Also i will like you to know that the rent charges is not really the issue ,but your absolute maintenance of my apartment is most important thing so will want you to get back to me with the Application form below
RENT APPLICATION FORM
1)Your Full Name
2)Your Full Address
3)Phone Number
4)How old are you?
5)Are you married?
6)How many people will be living in the house ?
7)Do you have a pet?
8)Do you have a car?
9)Occupation?
10)When do you want to move in?
11)How long do you want to stay in my apartment?
12) Pictures of all the Occupant that will stay in my apartment if you have any
One Mr Brasson called me about the apartment,I told him that I can't give him the apartment because he loves smoking,drinking and dont want him to get drunked and damaged my property one day so If you are still interested, Note that the rent is going to be $600 Per month No extra fees.I will like you to give me a call on this effect to know how serious you are. You can call me at :
+2348082292545 or 0112348082292545 I will be Very Greatful to speak with you.
I personally will actually come visiting you sometimes during the year as my new tenant.
Looking forward to hear from you with all this details so that i can have it in my file in case of issuing the receipt for you and contacting you. Await your urgent reply so that we can discuss on how to get the document and the keys of the house to you. The address of the house is [redacted] Street Nw, Washington DC 20001
HOUSE PICTURES IS BELOW
I wait to Read back your Prompt Respond.
Thanks and God Bless you
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So, did I _need_ Google Street View to confirm that the above was a classic Internet scam, and that the next email would involve me wiring a large sum of money to parts unknown as part of a good-faith showing of intent, or similar? Was I shocked when the address given in the email did not correspond at all the interior pictures given and were architecturally impossible to have been taken in the same building?
No, and no. But it sure was nice to see, anyway.
I use street view a lot when I'm in conferences in foreign countries, particularly Japan, since my host will often also give me "visual directions" to help with confusing street numbering systems. If I'm renting an apartment in a foreign city, I also use it to scope out the neighborhood, so I don't end up committing to living with my kids in a red light district for weeks at a time.
Of course, Google maps is always off a little bit, so I'm usually a half-block away from my real destination, but it's close enough to avoid being either really lost on my way to a talk or really unhappy with my accommodations.
It is great to see so many positive usage of GSV.
It seems that the benefits overcome the security concerns in my opinion.
Here are some more thoughts:
http://www.gilka.co.uk/2009/04/14/google-street-view-is-here-to-stay/