New York City websites

I found a myriad of websites on various topics related to New York City and I thought it might be a cool idea to create this blog as a database of these websites. For starters, I thought I might list, in this first post, my favorites, the ones I visit every day as a New York resident. In subsequent entries, I may list them by topic, by who might use them, or by type of website, be it a database itself, or another blog.

So, favorites as a New Yorker:

Not for Tourists
This one is a great resource for the new resident who wants to learn about places to go see and things to do without feeling like too much of an obnoxious tourist. They print guide books on a number of metropolitan areas and also have guides online that write about their favorite haunts.

EveryBlock New York
On EveryBlock New York, one can search by zip code, neighborhood, or address for news stories concerning specific areas of New York City. I check this one daily for everything from news stories to crime reports, etc.


NYPD Crime Prevention Statistics
And speaking crime reports, this site is invaluable, mainly for the over-paranoid but it's also a good resource for researching neighborhoods to live in, if you're concerned with crime rates. Click on precinct maps for an interactive map showing precinct boundaries. Each precinct has a downloadable pdf of crime statistics going back several years but also including the current week to date.

Hop Stop
For transportation needs, most everyone knows about this site who's lived in one of the major metropolitan areas that it covers and has ever needed to catch a bus or a train. In my opinion, this site is indispensable unless you own, not only a good subway map, but a city street map for all five boroughs and you feel comfortable whipping that bad boy out in the middle of a crowded city sidewalk. Put in starting and destination addresses and it will give you a quick itinerary (I mean quick) including which trains to take, where to connect and where to walk, and also the option to reroute if you don't like the way it tells you to go.

MTA Trip Planner
The MTA actually has its own such tool on their website as well, similar in function but with the added feature of having a route preference option at the bottom of the page.

The Brooklyn Paper
Back on the topic of news related to New York City, for my own borough of Brooklyn, I stumbled on this gem. Loads and loads of not only current events, politics, arts and entertainment, sports, but also links galore on all things Brooklyn, plus a section called the Brooklyn Wire that "scours the web for all things Brooklyn."

That's really just a taste of my favorites, to be honest. Stay tuned for more info.