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Explore NYC Waterfront with Mobile Maps and Apps

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When biking and walking throughout the New York Metropolitan area last year, I made extensive use of my iPhone and the included Google Maps application. The ability to use the phone’s GPS (global positioning system) capability to pinpoint my current location at any given moment during my travels was invaluable as I explored new neighborhoods and waterways.

In this post I’m including an introduction to a handful of mobile applications that, I believe, are invaluable to navigating and learning about different parts of the city and waterfront. And, with the increased popularity of social networking applications for mobile devices such as Foursquare, it is now easy to share your discoveries with friends in real-time.

Google Maps for iPhone

Below is a screen shot I took of the Google Maps for iPhone application when I was on the Hudson River between 130th and 131st Street (West Harlem Piers Park) last Sunday. The built-in GPS system has identified my location by placing a blue pin on the map. With Google Maps, you can also search for locations, generate routes (for walking, driving and public transportation) and access street-level views.

Google Maps - GPS Map View

Google Maps - GPS Map View

You can also view maps and your GPS position in satellite mode:

Google Maps - GPS Satellite View

Google Maps - GPS Satellite View

Google Goggles

Another Google application I experimented with on Sunday is Google Goggles. To use Goggles, I took a picture of a landmark and then had this application analyze the picture so it could tell me what I had just taken a snapshot of.

A few blocks south of West Harlem Piers Park is the General Grant National Memorial (Grant’s Tomb). I pointed my iPhone camera at the front facade of this famous mausoleum. And then Goggles started analyzing my picture. When this image-identification process is taking place, you will see, as pictured below, a series of squares running vertically from the bottom to the top of the screen:

Google Goggles - Analyze Picture

Google Goggles - Analyze Picture

Once Goggles has identified the image, it returns matching results, which you can click on to learn more about the venue:

Google Goggles - Image Match

Google Goggles - Image Match

Finally, you are taken to the Google results page with links and a map:

Google Goggles - Display Profile

Google Goggles - Display Profile

Google Goggles is an intriguing application. Picture-based searches, as opposed to text-based searches, allow users to find information about sites of interest even when you don’t know the name or have any information about the venue you want to learn more about.

Tour Guide App: cultureNOW – Museum Without Walls

I found one app for my iPhone that includes public art and architecture tours of the Manhattan waterfront. I purchased the premium version ($1.99) of cultureNOW: Guidebook for the Museum Without Walls (application link in iTunes App Store). As you can read on the following screen shot, the cultureNOW app covers public art around much of Manhattan’s periphery:

Museum Without Walls - Manhattan Waterfront Tour

Museum Without Walls - Manhattan Waterfront Tour

Once I selected the “Around Manhattan by Bike or Boat Tour,” I choose “West Harlem Piers Park” to learn about the public art in the park and to listen to an audio podcast with the park’s landscape’s architect:

Museum Without Walls - Harlem River Piers Park

Museum Without Walls - Harlem River Piers Park

As more people use mobile devices–both smart phones and tablets, I’m sure that the number of apps for tourists and explorers will continue to grow at a rapid pace.

Foursquare – Social Networking for Mobile Devices

Foursquare is a popular location-based social networking application for mobile devices (Wikipedia profile). The free Foursquare app for the iPhone (iTunes link) uses the phone’s built-in GPS to allow you to view a list of nearby locations and to “check-in” to the locations you visit. Once you have invited friends to join you on Foursquare, they can see where you have checked-in and you can see their current whereabouts as well.

Before taking the following screen shot, I checked-in to the West Harlem Piers Park–there was one other person who had just check-in on Foursquare. Then, as you can see below, I posted a short message and added a picture of the park. (Sunday morning was the first time I used Foursquare so I hadn’t added a profile picture yet):

Foursquare - Check-in and Post

Foursquare - Check-in and Post

When I clicked the “Places” button at the bottom of the Foursquare app, I was presented with a list of nearby sites including Fairway Market, where I went shopping:

Foursquare - Nearby Sites and Venues

Foursquare - Nearby Sites and Venues


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