Pace Press

Issue date: 9/10/07 Section: Features

Taking between 15 and 18 credits may leave you stuck on campus more often than you'd like. Since you are already in one of the greatest cities on Earth, every minute you're not in class should be spent exploring it. The following websites will help you navigate your way in areas other than Lower Manhattan.

WalkScore.com: After you enter your address, this website tells you how walker-friendly your neighborhood is, looks at the array of amenities (parks, schools, stores) your 'hood offers-taking into account how far they are from your home-and gives the area a

"best" or "worst" rating. For example, a 0-25 rating means there are very few to no worthy neighborhood destinations and it is not possible to get around without a car. A 70-100 rating means your neighborhood has many destinations within walking distance and you'll be able to get many of your errands done on foot, which has become important since living green is way cooler nowadays.

NewYorkSongLines.com: This site begins with explaining how the Aboriginal Australians used song to travel through their countries' deserts, still knowing their way. And being that the culture in New York is the absolute opposite of the Aborigines, New York Song Lines' founder, Jim Naureckas, uses the site as "our technological society's closest equivalent." The site lists a myriad of streets and avenues along with interesting facts and destinations for each block.

Curbed.com: This site covers real estate in most-if not all-neighborhoods in every borough. It looks at "sales, rental prices, celebrity deals, new developments, amusing broker stories, restaurants and neighborhood gossip." The site relies on its readers for news stories and answers other readers' questions about renting, owning and broker companies. Curbed has several off-shoots of the site, such as www.Eater.com,which covers restaurant openings, closings, and reviews; www.Racked.com covers retail news and sample sales; and www.Beach.com is seasonal and covers the beaches in the Hamptons.

BrooklynVegan.com: This is a music blog that, "focuses on international news, live show reviews, pictures, tour dates, gossip, tips, MP3's, and videos." It also offers news about upcoming shows, links to other Brooklyn blogs, sites of the venues in NYC, music blogs and vegan resources.

CityRag.com: This site offers a more pop culture point of view. It features news and gossip, as well as various NYC happenings. It also has lots of photography that documents the randomness that occurs in this city.

TestofWill.com: This is another photo-centric blog, but focuses solely on New York. The photos are high resolution and capture city living, from thunderstorms to street art on pay phones to neighborhood news.

Going.com: Find out where all the parties are using this site. You sign up online, chose the city in which you live (New York, Chicago, Boston, Los Angeles, or San Francisco), and it will show you where the movie screenings, indie rock concerts, gallery shows, and big parties are near you. You can see all of the events happening in one day, a week, or see the future of partying. The site also features an editors' pick of events that lets visitors know which events are a must. This is a good site for those planning excursions during Spring Break or time off.

Page 1 of 1

Article Tools