23 replies to this topic

[Nolli]

jencoleslaw, on Feb 16 2007, 12:24 PM, said:

sorry, it is a great idea. Just too cold right now and icy and dark! WBNA actually has a cool business mappy thing called The West Side Guide....I just checked but it isn't online.

The West Side Guide is a great idea, but is also utterly useless...

Let's say I am a visitor to the West Side, and am hungry. I go to "FOOD", and get a name and address of something that sounds good. Only the color code gives me a rough clue as to where it is, which puts me within a 6- or 8- block radius. Fine if I am on a Situationist-style "derive" and want to experience randomness, but quite aggravating if I am hungry.
Not all of the street names are on there, either...

I hate to complain, but when I picked it up I thought I could learn something new about the West Side neighborhood(s).

[lauram]

hey there.

i designed the map.  haha, dont worry, as a graphic designer i get alot of criticism and dont take it personally.

BUT- wondering, does anyone have any suggestions for improvement?  

i mean, the addresses are on there, right?  even given the colors AND addresses, you couldnt find businesses??

it would be IMPOSSIBLE to place each and every business in its location on that map given the size.  the size was dictated by cost of printing.

lately ive been designing LOTS of maps, its a hard challenge; constructive comments welcome.

Nolli, on Feb 16 2007, 02:55 PM, said:

The West Side Guide is a great idea, but is also utterly useless...

Let's say I am a visitor to the West Side, and am hungry. I go to "FOOD", and get a name and address of something that sounds good. Only the color code gives me a rough clue as to where it is, which puts me within a 6- or 8- block radius. Fine if I am on a Situationist-style "derive" and want to experience randomness, but quite aggravating if I am hungry.
Not all of the street names are on there, either...

I hate to complain, but when I picked it up I thought I could learn something new about the West Side neighborhood(s).

[Nolli]

lauram, on Feb 16 2007, 04:44 PM, said:

hey there.

i designed the map.  haha, dont worry, as a graphic designer i get alot of criticism and dont take it personally.

BUT- wondering, does anyone have any suggestions for improvement?  

i mean, the addresses are on there, right?  even given the colors AND addresses, you couldnt find businesses??

it would be IMPOSSIBLE to place each and every business in its location on that map given the size.  the size was dictated by cost of printing.

lately ive been designing LOTS of maps, its a hard challenge; constructive comments welcome.

I like the colors. What's nice is that your eye goes towards an area. Maybe then a number for each BLOCK, so our radars could zero in on which stretch of Broadway we should be walking on? I am sure the size was restricting for all that info.
I realize this is off-topic, so apologies.

[lauram]

more off-topic (sorry people)  

there are 123 blocks on this map.  would numbering really make it easier??  (or just busier?)

really for real, please suggest.  for the downtown map, we did grids, but the squares were so large i thought color was better/easier to read..

do we need a map thread?

Nolli, on Feb 16 2007, 06:16 PM, said:

I like the colors. What's nice is that your eye goes towards an area. Maybe then a number for each BLOCK, so our radars could zero in on which stretch of Broadway we should be walking on? I am sure the size was restricting for all that info.
I realize this is off-topic, so apologies.

[matt]

Yay Maps!

[mental757]

Maps are you friend - they, like, get you places and stuff...

[MapmanNo1]

I've won! Hahahaha! Maps take over!

But seriously folks...

I'm not familiar with Laura's West Side and Downtown maps, but I can say an excellent map is the RIPTA-produced, RI Monthly-designed placemat-shaped map of Newport - showing public bathrooms, attractions, trolley/bus routes, etc. I used to work at the Gateway Center and it was the only map I'd ever use with tourists.

And welcome to the forum, Laura and Nolli. I'm a Newport groupie, so I hadn't seen you yet.

PS: Nolli.  

[Nolli]

MapmanNo1, on Feb 17 2007, 07:14 PM, said:

PS: Nolli.  

Yeah, I picked my avatar because I likes maps, too. And cities. And Rome.

[lauram]

does the map you speak of have ads around the edges?  ill have to look for it.

MapmanNo1, on Feb 17 2007, 07:14 PM, said:

I've won! Hahahaha! Maps take over!

But seriously folks...

I'm not familiar with Laura's West Side and Downtown maps, but I can say an excellent map is the RIPTA-produced, RI Monthly-designed placemat-shaped map of Newport - showing public bathrooms, attractions, trolley/bus routes, etc. I used to work at the Gateway Center and it was the only map I'd ever use with tourists.

And welcome to the forum, Laura and Nolli. I'm a Newport groupie, so I hadn't seen you yet.

PS: Nolli.  

[MapmanNo1]

lauram, on Feb 19 2007, 07:12 AM, said:

does the map you speak of have ads around the edges?  ill have to look for it.

There are two maps that most tourists in Newport use: the Resort Map advertising vehicle, which is good only for shopping, and the RIPTA map. If you're trying to get anywhere, the Resort Map is not to scale and doesn't give you much useful information; it has ads on the edges. The RIPTA placemat map has ads, but not really on the edges. It has one or two ad panels - usually from Newport Grand, the Tennis Hall of Fame, the Preservation Society, or the Bridge Authority.

EDIT: The RIPTA map is not ground-breaking, edgy design...but it serves its purpose very well, in my opinion.

Edited by MapmanNo1, 21 February 2007 - 06:44 PM.

[jencoleslaw]

i don't find i need RI maps much, but i do love maps, and i buy lots of them, kind of like window shopping for vacation trips that i never go on. The ones i like the best are the booklet style that fold up, and are laminated, and the ones (especially for europe) that look exactly like a small book and unfold to be several different kinds of maps, and include a compass.

[Recchia]

Don't anyone forget about The Map Store on North Main.  That guy has everything, including large aerial printouts.

[Cotuit]

When I lived in New York I had two credit card sized maps of the subway system in my wallet. They were lifesavers!

[Frankie811]

Cotuit, on Feb 22 2007, 10:47 AM, said:

When I lived in New York I had two credit card sized maps of the subway system

Talk about small print!  

[riari]

Cotuit, on Feb 22 2007, 10:47 AM, said:

When I lived in New York I had two credit card sized maps of the subway system in my wallet. They were lifesavers!

When I first moved to New York, I had a compass, so when I climbed out of a mole-hole subway tunnel, I could orient.  

The best city to not get lost in is Philadelphia.  Their numbered streets and numbered blocks make it impossible to get lost.  Don't even need a map!

[runawayjim]

riari, on Feb 22 2007, 04:23 PM, said:

When I first moved to New York, I had a compass, so when I climbed out of a mole-hole subway tunnel, I could orient.  

The best city to not get lost in is Philadelphia.  Their numbered streets and numbered blocks make it impossible to get lost.  Don't even need a map!

i love the numbered blocks in philly!  and the physical bus stops (at least in center city) have maps for pedestrians showing points of interest in addition to the usual SEPTA system map (which RIPTA lacks).

Edited by runawayjim, 22 February 2007 - 03:29 PM.

[matt]

I prefer the charm of the new england cities that follow the rivers and hills that used to be there.  I like being of the priveledge minority that know the secrets of getting around.  Probably the wrong attitude, huh?

[runawayjim]

matt, on Feb 22 2007, 05:00 PM, said:

I prefer the charm of the new england cities that follow the rivers and hills that used to be there.  I like being of the priveledge minority that know the secrets of getting around.  Probably the wrong attitude, huh?

cities should be navigable... let the country roads follow hills and rivers.

i like grids... and hate driving in the JD.  hopefully that'll change when 195 is moved... maybe they'll extend the downcity grid to the JD.  

[matt]

runawayjim, on Feb 22 2007, 05:05 PM, said:

cities should be navigable... let the country roads follow hills and rivers.

i like grids... and hate driving in the JD.  hopefully that'll change when 195 is moved... maybe they'll extend the downcity grid to the JD.  

I believe the JD mostly is a grid.  Instead of rivers and hills, there is 95 and 195.

EDIT: except for Elbow St, which is aptly named.

Edited by matt, 22 February 2007 - 04:34 PM.

[runawayjim]

matt, on Feb 22 2007, 05:33 PM, said:

I believe the JD mostly is a grid.  Instead of rivers and hills, there is 95 and 195.

EDIT: except for Elbow St, which is aptly named.

elbow, ship, and dyer confuse me... and then anything that runs into 195.