Shout-out: Everyblock.com

For many years, the site Chicagocrime.org has been an indispensable tool for checking up on the nasty goings-on in the Windy City. You type in your street, zip code or ward, and you get a nice map showing you where someone was held up, verbally accosted or received a dirty phone call. Oh, and murder too. I didn’t realize someone had been offed on a friend’s little street in Ravenswood Manor until I saw it on Chicagocrime.

That site is now defunct, having been replaced by the more ambitious everyblock.com. You should check it out, it’s better than reading the neighborhood free weekly, and with no pictures of politicians and handshakes besides. It currently covers Chicago, New York, and San Fran, with more cities planned, I’m sure. At everyblock, you can find not only crime reports, but patron reviews of restaurants, bars and stores, local news, photos, lost & found, and even liquor license applications. It takes a stern constitution to peruse the listings of health department reports, but maybe that’s better entertainment than actually eating out. The Chicago site has a great collection of pictures from the Ravenswood water main break two weeks ago. One of the designers of the site is my friend Dan O’Neill, who helped us with the design of BARDBALL last spring.

Hats off to everyblock.com! Now I can get the full taste of city living without ever leaving my house.

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