Stretching the definition of 'digital nomad'
April 5, 2020 5:25 PM Subscribe
Lately, I've been trying to stave off cabin fever by virtually touring cities via Google Street View. Basically, I've been picking a place, setting the little icon down in a neighborhood, and following the streets in whichever direction seems interesting.
So, where should I go next? Please give me your recommendation for neighborhoods/areas that are picturesque, unusual, or just places you've loved walking around in more normal times. Anywhere in the world (that the street view cars have gotten to, at least) is fair game.
Best answer: Maybe the Angels Landing trail in Zion National Park?
posted by fedward at 5:42 PM on April 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by fedward at 5:42 PM on April 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Kolkata or Omkareshwar or Varanasi, India
Siwa or Alexandria, Egypt
Lisbon or Porto, Portugal
Toledo, Spain
Ninh Binh or Hanoi, Vietnam
Haputale, Sri Lanka
Axum, Ethiopia
Bagan, Myanmar
all of Malta
Taupo or Napier (ETC), NZ
posted by maya at 5:45 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Siwa or Alexandria, Egypt
Lisbon or Porto, Portugal
Toledo, Spain
Ninh Binh or Hanoi, Vietnam
Haputale, Sri Lanka
Axum, Ethiopia
Bagan, Myanmar
all of Malta
Taupo or Napier (ETC), NZ
posted by maya at 5:45 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I was really charmed by Kuressaare, Estonia. But pretty much any older European town will have its points. Just remember to start in the central, densest parts of the layout.
South America's also got a lot of fascinating spots. The poorer parts of São Paulo for example.
(I've never visited these places – I think I was first thrown in by the older version of Geoguessr.)
posted by zadcat at 5:50 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
South America's also got a lot of fascinating spots. The poorer parts of São Paulo for example.
(I've never visited these places – I think I was first thrown in by the older version of Geoguessr.)
posted by zadcat at 5:50 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: You can also tour a bunch of museums.
posted by fedward at 5:51 PM on April 5, 2020 [4 favorites]
posted by fedward at 5:51 PM on April 5, 2020 [4 favorites]
Best answer: I’ve loved walking in a bunch of places, from my old neighborhood in Grandview Heights, Ohio to the streets around my old office in Andover, Mass. Both are interesting to me for various reasons, but for more general recommendations, I’ve got two.
Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s huge and there’s a ton of stuff to see. Just based on where I lived in STL, I would enter at the northwest corner at Skinker and a Forest Park Boulevard, and then walk up toward the Art Museum and then back down into the basin.
The residential neighborhood behind the Lion and St. Leodegar in Luzern, Switzerland. My wife and I just started strolling after visiting the Lion, and found our way into this cute little neighborhood. There are little Stations of the Cross throughout, which can make for a nice hunt.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:22 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. It’s huge and there’s a ton of stuff to see. Just based on where I lived in STL, I would enter at the northwest corner at Skinker and a Forest Park Boulevard, and then walk up toward the Art Museum and then back down into the basin.
The residential neighborhood behind the Lion and St. Leodegar in Luzern, Switzerland. My wife and I just started strolling after visiting the Lion, and found our way into this cute little neighborhood. There are little Stations of the Cross throughout, which can make for a nice hunt.
posted by kevinbelt at 6:22 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: The Cerro Bellavista neighborhood of Valparaiso, Chile is beautiful and full of character and include the Museo a Cielo Abierto (Museum of the open sky)
posted by arachnidette at 6:36 PM on April 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by arachnidette at 6:36 PM on April 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: Leaving out really big international cities, a few places that have surprised me by the amount of google coverage are: Ulaan Bator (Mongolia), Irkutsk including the big road through Olkhon Island (Russia), Guaymas and Cholula (Mexico), Annecy (France), Cucso and Machu Picchu (Chile; the later's obviously not a contemporary city, but is astonishingly well covered compared to most sites), Iguazú (Argentina). All of which have pretty fun centers to explore.
If you want someone else to give you goals, the Wanderer's Union was a game that challenged contestants to walk to a set of specific non-touristy neighborhoods and surprising places in US cities over a span of time ranging from 4 hours to 24 hours. It definitely takes you to neighborhoods you wouldn't otherwise have thought of visiting. I've never tried it virtually, but it could be fun in that context. Sadly, the main website now points to unrelated things. There are several preserved facebook groups and a shared online drive containing many tens of maps for the SF bay area and a few other cities. I'm not sure if the people who created it want it posted publicly as a link, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind me sharing it individually with anyone who is specifically interested. (Disclosure: the people who created it are friends. I helped make a few maps long ago.)
posted by eotvos at 6:48 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
If you want someone else to give you goals, the Wanderer's Union was a game that challenged contestants to walk to a set of specific non-touristy neighborhoods and surprising places in US cities over a span of time ranging from 4 hours to 24 hours. It definitely takes you to neighborhoods you wouldn't otherwise have thought of visiting. I've never tried it virtually, but it could be fun in that context. Sadly, the main website now points to unrelated things. There are several preserved facebook groups and a shared online drive containing many tens of maps for the SF bay area and a few other cities. I'm not sure if the people who created it want it posted publicly as a link, but I'm sure they wouldn't mind me sharing it individually with anyone who is specifically interested. (Disclosure: the people who created it are friends. I helped make a few maps long ago.)
posted by eotvos at 6:48 PM on April 5, 2020 [1 favorite]
Best answer: France's Ile de Re, including the pretty harbor towns, the lighthouses, including this one, and the salt flats.
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:50 PM on April 5, 2020
posted by BlahLaLa at 6:50 PM on April 5, 2020
Best answer: I enjoy Streetviewing places that are kind of remote, or have a sense of remoteness to them, e.g., Vladivostok, The Faroe Islands, or Resolute.
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:53 PM on April 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
posted by mandolin conspiracy at 6:53 PM on April 5, 2020 [2 favorites]
Best answer: You could set Mapcrunch to "stealth" and it'll plunk you in a random place anywhere on the globe. There is an old game that has you do that, and then try to find the nearest airport. Very difficult if you get dropped in the middle of the taiga.
But you can also control a lot more on Mapcrunch, tweak settings.... I swear I was hooked on Mapcrunch for a good two years, and that was when I had STUFF to do. i ... am resisting... mapcrunch... so far.
Mapcrunch also has a Gallery of the best scenery submitted by its users, and you can use those as starting points to take virtual tours of cities or countries.
MUST NOT... o no now I have a tab open. See you all this Fall!
posted by not_on_display at 7:14 PM on April 5, 2020 [7 favorites]
But you can also control a lot more on Mapcrunch, tweak settings.... I swear I was hooked on Mapcrunch for a good two years, and that was when I had STUFF to do. i ... am resisting... mapcrunch... so far.
Mapcrunch also has a Gallery of the best scenery submitted by its users, and you can use those as starting points to take virtual tours of cities or countries.
MUST NOT... o no now I have a tab open. See you all this Fall!
posted by not_on_display at 7:14 PM on April 5, 2020 [7 favorites]
Best answer: It's pretty incredible what Street View has expanded to in recent years. It's not just footage from Google's cars -- pretty much anybody can upload linked 360-degree imagery now. I've got a first-gen headset for VR and have spent dozens of hours exploring places around the world in Google Earth.
For starters, Google has a page of curated tours of various places
As for standard Street View stuff, some highlights from my bookmarks:
Itsukushima Island south of Hiroshima, Japan. Start at the Daishoin temple complex nestled in the foothills near the coast, then follow the nearby hiking trail southward which has imagery leading all the way up to the observation deck at the top of Mount Misen. Includes some beautiful landscapes, autumn foliage, and another temple structure near the top you can wander around (there's even a deer!). And the views from the summit are lovely.
The hiking trail overlooking the iconic Italian village of Manarola, which continues on to the graffiti-covered Walk of Love tunnel
In the crowd jostling to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre (make sure you turn around to see the wonder they're missing!).
The Great Sphinx and Pyramids at Giza - at the base of the Great Pyramid
Hidden or hard-to-access places: Inside the clock face of Big Ben - On the hidden balcony inside the US Capitol dome - Inside Mecca's Great Mosque, and the view from inside the sacred Kaaba - inside the Well of Souls at the Dome of the Rock temple in Jerusalem
Wandering the grounds of Mont Saint-Michel in France, or the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Legoland!
Pretty much any random street (or canal!) in Venice
Remote Pitcairn Island (population: ~50) has surprisingly extensive coverage, including the town hall and the surrounding hillsides
In the audience at the United Nations General Assembly for a speech by Pope Francis
The observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, although the ground-level views are almost as cool. Or how about hanging off the side, Tom Cruise style?
Streetside markets in central Lagos
Angkor Wat has extensive coverage
The iconic Greek island of Santorini, including the ancient ruins of Thera nearby
The gardens of the Alhambra palace in Spain
The garden and grounds of the Taj Mahal
On the rim of the Grand Canyon, hiking into it, or rafting the Colorado River
posted by Rhaomi at 7:46 PM on April 5, 2020 [14 favorites]
For starters, Google has a page of curated tours of various places
As for standard Street View stuff, some highlights from my bookmarks:
Itsukushima Island south of Hiroshima, Japan. Start at the Daishoin temple complex nestled in the foothills near the coast, then follow the nearby hiking trail southward which has imagery leading all the way up to the observation deck at the top of Mount Misen. Includes some beautiful landscapes, autumn foliage, and another temple structure near the top you can wander around (there's even a deer!). And the views from the summit are lovely.
The hiking trail overlooking the iconic Italian village of Manarola, which continues on to the graffiti-covered Walk of Love tunnel
In the crowd jostling to see the Mona Lisa at the Louvre (make sure you turn around to see the wonder they're missing!).
The Great Sphinx and Pyramids at Giza - at the base of the Great Pyramid
Hidden or hard-to-access places: Inside the clock face of Big Ben - On the hidden balcony inside the US Capitol dome - Inside Mecca's Great Mosque, and the view from inside the sacred Kaaba - inside the Well of Souls at the Dome of the Rock temple in Jerusalem
Wandering the grounds of Mont Saint-Michel in France, or the Hall of Mirrors in the Palace of Versailles
The Hagia Sophia in Istanbul
Legoland!
Pretty much any random street (or canal!) in Venice
Remote Pitcairn Island (population: ~50) has surprisingly extensive coverage, including the town hall and the surrounding hillsides
In the audience at the United Nations General Assembly for a speech by Pope Francis
The observation deck of the Burj Khalifa, although the ground-level views are almost as cool. Or how about hanging off the side, Tom Cruise style?
Streetside markets in central Lagos
Angkor Wat has extensive coverage
The iconic Greek island of Santorini, including the ancient ruins of Thera nearby
The gardens of the Alhambra palace in Spain
The garden and grounds of the Taj Mahal
On the rim of the Grand Canyon, hiking into it, or rafting the Colorado River
posted by Rhaomi at 7:46 PM on April 5, 2020 [14 favorites]
OMG pro walk tours !!
Someone with a 360deg go pro walks around beautiful cities for hours. It’s zen peaceful and you can pause and mouse around. Better than street view. Almost exactly like being there.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:21 PM on April 5, 2020 [6 favorites]
Someone with a 360deg go pro walks around beautiful cities for hours. It’s zen peaceful and you can pause and mouse around. Better than street view. Almost exactly like being there.
posted by St. Peepsburg at 8:21 PM on April 5, 2020 [6 favorites]
Best answer: Start at maybe Bridge of Orchy, and follow the A82 north - across Rannoch Moor and down through Glencoe. If you like it, keep going! All the way to Fort William, then turn left & take the A830 to Mallaig.
posted by rd45 at 1:56 AM on April 6, 2020
posted by rd45 at 1:56 AM on April 6, 2020
Check out the Atlas Obscura as a great starting point for discovering the unusual and interesting places.
posted by jgreco at 9:07 AM on April 6, 2020
posted by jgreco at 9:07 AM on April 6, 2020
Best answer: The Azores are beautiful, and I would start in Furnas. Go out to the beach, head up into the hills, and walk around Sao Miguel.
posted by soelo at 11:42 AM on April 6, 2020
posted by soelo at 11:42 AM on April 6, 2020
Best answer: What a very cool idea!
Off the top of my head from places I've visited IRL:
- Gardens by the Bay, Singapore -- one of the most amazing places I have ever been, *definitely* check out Supertree Grove
- St. George's, Bermuda (the Unfinished Church is neat)
- Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
- Vieques, Puerto Rico
- Bosque de Chapultepec in Mexico City (I *loved* the Audiorama park)
posted by wicked_sassy at 11:59 AM on April 6, 2020
Off the top of my head from places I've visited IRL:
- Gardens by the Bay, Singapore -- one of the most amazing places I have ever been, *definitely* check out Supertree Grove
- St. George's, Bermuda (the Unfinished Church is neat)
- Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago
- Vieques, Puerto Rico
- Bosque de Chapultepec in Mexico City (I *loved* the Audiorama park)
posted by wicked_sassy at 11:59 AM on April 6, 2020
Best answer: If you want a very interesting Street View experience, I recommend downtown Christchurch, NZ - but open up the historical images as you go. Many of Christchurch's buildings were destroyed because of earthquakes in 2011 and 2012. Google did a Streetview of sections of the city in 2007. Comparing it to the current one, done in 2018, is dramatic. To get a historical Streetview up, click on the little clock symbol to the left of the words "Street View" under the address in the upper left-hand corner. You can keep it open as you go. The then-and-now around 730 Columbo Street is particularly startling.
Rennes, France. Start at the Marche des Lices and head toward the Place de la Mairie to get a feel for it. It's got a lot of medieval buildings and a great street art scene. Every time I'm there I find new places to see (and I've spent months there).
Luxembourg (city of). Lots of gorgeous old buildings, plus the actual gorge in the middle of the city.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Chiang Mai, Thailand. The area inside the wall has many, many gorgeous temples. Even if you can't tour the insides, the outsides are spectacular.
The old town of Tallinn, Estonia is gorgeous.
posted by rednikki at 2:11 PM on April 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Rennes, France. Start at the Marche des Lices and head toward the Place de la Mairie to get a feel for it. It's got a lot of medieval buildings and a great street art scene. Every time I'm there I find new places to see (and I've spent months there).
Luxembourg (city of). Lots of gorgeous old buildings, plus the actual gorge in the middle of the city.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned Chiang Mai, Thailand. The area inside the wall has many, many gorgeous temples. Even if you can't tour the insides, the outsides are spectacular.
The old town of Tallinn, Estonia is gorgeous.
posted by rednikki at 2:11 PM on April 6, 2020 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Thanks to everyone who replied. All these are wonderful! I've especially been enjoying some of the parks and trails, and I'm looking forward to exploring more this weekend.
posted by eponym at 7:16 PM on April 9, 2020
posted by eponym at 7:16 PM on April 9, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Young Kullervo at 5:33 PM on April 5, 2020