The Movers.com Blog

Want to know what's here? Let Google Maps tell you!

Imagine if you could point to any place in the world, click on it, and get a list of things to do and see. Google Maps just released a new application that makes this possible. Simply right-click on any point of the map, select the “What’s here?” option, and discover what attractions are nearby.

“What’s here?” is a great tool for anyone planning a move, as it lets you know what you can find in your new town. Simply zoom in on your destination and choose the “What’s here?” option. The map will then be covered with user-submitted pictures of nearby sites. On the left-hand panel, you will be given a list of several places of interest, each with its own little Wikipedia-derived blurb. Additionally, you can look at user-created maps, which detail such things as restaurants, bank branches, recycling centers, and even Target locations.  Lifehacker notes its usefulness for those who are better suited to visual markers instead of standard geographic directions.

“What’s here?” is also good for someone who has already moved and is still unfamiliar with their town. Since most of the content is submitted by users familiar with their home areas, you can discover parks, shops, or other interesting places that only locals know about. By performing the search with a wider zoom, you can also find places further outside your town that are worth a visit.

What's near the Movers.com office?

The amount of information you receive depends on your level of zoom. For instance, nothing showed up when I zoomed in really close on my home street, which, as the street is all residential, was expected. After zooming out a bit, I was presented with a list of familiar local attractions. I was surprised to see a picture of the supposedly haunted house in the middle of my town. Again, its user-submitted content allows you to find attractions that aren’t otherwise well known.

Despite its usefulness and originality, there are some flaws with the “What’s here?” application. The main issue is that there isn’t a huge amount of content. As it is still pretty new, this is understandable and probably won’t be a problem for long. Since the information is derived from the point on the map that you click, I think it would be helpful if the application told you the distance between the home point and each site.

While there are still some kinks to work out, the Google Maps “What’s here?” application has a lot of potential and will only get better with time. I especially like the user-created maps: how else can I see a map of Irish pubs in Iowa or find wireless hotspots in Oregon? As it stands now, “What’s here?” is a nice application that can help you find things to do near your new or future home, discover unknown places in your current town, or (as I enjoy doing) explore different parts of the country.