Google Street View lands in Lower Ninth Ward

Jackson West — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 10:20:00 EDT

Feared and loathed Mountain View ad firm Google got a lot of deservedly good press for being a font of telling data in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, especially the satellite imagery provided by the Maps team. Now the company has added Greater New Orleans — from Metairie to Algiers, Shreveport to Baton Rouge — to street view. You can check in on every parade turn, strip joint, turtle souper and streetcar turnaround you might remember. But anyone might notice that the time disparity between the satellite and street-level photographs of the region are striking in visual contrast.

The satellite imagery shows a nest of buildings further ramshackled in the wake of the flood, while the curbside angle shows thick, expansive verdure where ensuing demolition has left empty lots. YouTube footage provides heart-wrenching narrative counterpoint. I think I just shed a single, sincere tear for Google's seemingly earnest altruism. Nice work.

Crash this bash: Sunday Google party in New Orleans

Nick Douglas — Fri, 23 Jun 2006 17:25:04 EDT

Google is throwing a big party in the Big Easy as part of the American Library Association conference. (Sergey can't lobby Washington, but he knows how to lobby librarians.) A reader says, "I'm going to the conference, but nobody seems to know exactly when/where/how to get in to the party." Well, we wouldn't want that! Here's the deets. No fair attending if you're not invited, ya hear?

When: Sunday, June 25th 6:30pm-9:30pm
Where: Muriel's Jackson Square, 801 Chartres Street, New Orleans, Louisiana 70116

Sez the tipster, "Looks like a swanky 5 star restaurant with (most importantly) an open bar!"

Gawker: valleywag, new orleans

Google Street View lands in Lower Ninth Ward

Crash this bash: Sunday Google party in New Orleans