Does anyone else use google maps for location research?

wrombola · Nov 30, 2010

There is this icon of a man in the upper left hand corner. You can drag him onto the street corner and it gives you still photos of the street scene. You can then move click on the street ahead and virtually walk around most big towns.

Very handy for research.

Chris P · Nov 30, 2010

Google Maps and Google Earth are ace. I also like the photos and videos in both applications. I was also able to Youtube some locations. Travelblog.org and TripAdvisor.com are also very handy websites.

Jean · Nov 30, 2010

Oh! I've never known that. I have to try.

ChronicSelfEditor · Nov 30, 2010

How current are these street scene photos. I guess I always understood them to be a few years old. I know the one for my house is 3-4 years old because of the vehicles sat in front of the house. I don't know how important that would be to anyone but yes it is useful.

Phyllo · Nov 30, 2010

I'd noticed that little icon but had no idea you could make him "take a walk". Very cool. Thanks for posting.

karlb · Dec 12, 2010

You can also get distances easily using Google maps. Type "from:<location> to:<location>" and Google will work out a route with the distance travelled.

Captcha · Dec 12, 2010

I honestly have no idea how anyone wrote anything before Google.

Maybe that's why 'write what you know' used to be such common advice, but has recently dropped out of favour. With all the incarnations of Google - you can know whatever you want!

Marlys · Dec 12, 2010

karlb said:
You can also get distances easily using Google maps. Type "from:<location> to:<location>" and Google will work out a route with the distance travelled.

Do it as walking directions and it will even tell you how long it would take to get from point A to point B on foot. Great stuff.

Calla Lily · Dec 12, 2010

Constantly. I swear by it.

Maryn · Dec 12, 2010

It can be helpful, but I don't rely on it entirely when getting the detail right matters.

Where I live, the street views are about 3 years old. They're older in cities where this launched earlier. (San Jose is at least 5.) Houses seen from the street change fairly slowly, but I could never trust businesses not to change hands or close over a period of years.

I do find street view invaluable for spotting landmarks and such. Where exactly is the hotel in Unfamiliarville? Right here on the map. But where is its driveway? Just past the restaurant with the big yellow sign and past its driveway, but before the hotel. Information like that is really helpful.

Maryn, not happy in strange places (except for AW!)

Drachen Jager · Dec 12, 2010

Google stretview is great. Is it up in Germany yet? I know they had some legal issues there.

lulzy · Dec 12, 2010

I use it, as well as google earth, mapquest, and photos. But I never knew that it could take a walk, interesting. Will be using it in the future, thanks!

Ferret · Dec 12, 2010

For a previous manuscript, I used Google Moon. That was handy.

johnnysannie · Dec 13, 2010

ChronicSelfEditor said:
How current are these street scene photos. I guess I always understood them to be a few years old. I know the one for my house is 3-4 years old because of the vehicles sat in front of the house. I don't know how important that would be to anyone but yes it is useful.

I don't think some are very current for the same reason - the truck my husband sold three years back is still sitting in front of my house on Google maps.

It's not a bad way to get a feel for the location but I personally prefer to write about locations I have been and know well. That said, I often use Google maps to refresh my memory.

Zelenka · Dec 13, 2010

This is my first time writing about a location I don't know that well (not counting fantasy world type things or SF, of course, where it's all imagination anyway), so it's been pretty good for me. Things like, just looking for the right-looking kind of street for a certain character's house to be on, or seeing roughly how long a walk it is from the police station to the metro, something like that. Since it's a couple of months till my research trip when I can go see the actual places, it's a good interim measure.

shadowwalker · Dec 13, 2010

I've used it when I wanted to be in a certain area, but couldn't tell from a regular map exactly what the terrain was like. The street view is great because even though satellite might show a forest, street view will show that it's not so much that as just huge trees, and that can make a difference if you're writing a chase/fight scene.

mtrenteseau · Dec 13, 2010

I've done my best to actually go to the places mentioned in my books, but I do use Google Streetview to round out descriptions when people are going from one place to another.

My first book has a lengthy scene at the 21 Club (21 W. 52nd Street, New York). I had forgotten something about what the front of the building looked like, and I discovered that all of Midtown Manhattan was on Streetview, except for 52nd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue.

In addition to the 21 Club, this stretch includes the headquarters of CBS. It's fixed now, but for many years if you followed the line down the middle of the street from E. 52nd across 5th Avenue, you'd find yourself several blocks away.

anydayshirley · Dec 13, 2010

That's what I mainly use. I get a general feel for the place through Google Maps, and make up the details.

Debbie V · Dec 14, 2010

I've toured half of LA and gone from Switzerland into France this way. Used close in satelite views for where my character went off road. I'll need a local to read and verify or fill in some details as part of the revision process, but Google rocks.

Elias Graves · Dec 14, 2010

Travel forums are handy as well. Folks post their pictures and stories of visiting places. It can give a very personal view of a place.
Not so great for what it's like to live there, but the photographs are terrific. You often find shots of out of the way places.

EG

WriterKos · Dec 15, 2010

I always use it...

Does anyone else use google maps for location research?

wrombola

Chris P

Likes metaphors mixed, not stirred

Jean

New kid, but beat me hard

ChronicSelfEditor

F.K.A. NolaBlue

Phyllo

Still sitting

karlb

Captcha

Marlys

Resist. Love. Go outside.

Calla Lily

On hiatus

Maryn

At Sea

Drachen Jager

Professor of applied misanthropy

lulzy

thinking

Ferret

Dook!

johnnysannie

Zelenka

Going home!

shadowwalker

empty-nester!

mtrenteseau

Mild-mannered accountant by day...

anydayshirley

Debbie V

Mentoring Myself and Others

Elias Graves

Unrealistically Optimistic

WriterKos