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I've been studying maps since I was like 7.........geography has always interested me. Another reason I look at a lot of Maps is because My Family travels a lot....so I usually look at the map a lot. ......My freinds like to call me "the human GPS".
To quote one of my parents' legendary euphemisms, I get a "chubby" when I use the street-view of Google Earth! I, too, am a map geek. I even spent over $30 last year to purchase a metro street atlas of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area from Franklin Maps, even though I already know this area like the back of my hand. This local atlas has proven quite handy when I'm on my photo tours so I can be sure to map out my walking route ahead of time to capture every angle of every local town.
In Microsoft Virtual Earth, I present to you New York City:
With all due respect to Google Maps, I think Virtual Earth has put Google in the rear view mirror. There is even a 3D model application called 3DVIA, or something to that effect, whereby you can create a simulation of your own house, geo-reference it to where your address is, and then publish it.
Yup, another map nerd here! I mostly study maps when we're traveling by road, but I can easily get sucked into google earth. I have friends that live in Australia so I like to look at their neighborhoods and towns, which eventually turns into me studying the whole map of Australia.
I especially love the maps that give some demographic information at the top (which I think are Rand McNally). Even though the statistics are off, I like knowing the population of each state.
In Microsoft Virtual Earth, I present to you New York City:
With all due respect to Google Maps, I think Virtual Earth has put Google in the rear view mirror. There is even a 3D model application called 3DVIA, or something to that effect, whereby you can create a simulation of your own house, geo-reference it to where your address is, and then publish it.
I wish I had a computer fast enough to store that.
WOW! I am not alone! You guys dont know how much this makes me feel like I am not the oddest person in the world.
We got an Enclopedia Britannica when I was 5 and it had a huge world atlas that was about as tall as I was. I fell in love with it then. When I entered first grade I amazed my teachers that I knew each state and capital.
I go to the Barnes and Noble and pour over the new Rand McNallys to see what has changed from the previous year. I have about six here at the house. When I am bored, I pull out an old one and get the newest one and see what road has been four laned, what suburbs have annexed land, etc, etc.
I even used to take old metro Atlanta maps and get colored pencils and help the suburbs annex more land to make them look bigger and better. The Atlanta maps always looked sad compared to other metro areas in the road atlases because the counties have such power and keep the suburbs from annexing as freely as can be done in most other parts of the country.
I have a map in my head. When I meet a person, I find where they live and it goes in my brain map. I may forget everything else about them, their name, what they do, etc, but I can remember where they live or where they are from. Once on a trip, I passed thru the tiny town of Gordo, AL. I immediately could see the face of a girl from college that was from there. Couldn't bring up her name to save my life, but I put the face and the town together.
I am a certified map freak. Wish I had a degree that I could put that knowledge to some kind of practical use in a job.
When I was young (starting at 12 or so), I used to love to study maps and our old beat up atlas of the United States. I still pull out the atlas (many years later) for fun. I wonder what brings people to this forum. Most of the people I know would have not the slightest interest in a forum about cities, states, who's bigger, better, more powerful, etc. I'm just wondering if many others took a young interest in these things, as I did.
As a matter of fact I did,probably around when I started driving though.
I also had this attraction to the Weather Channel as well...perhaps because they showed maps,I don't know
I go to the Barnes and Noble and pour over the new Rand McNallys to see what has changed from the previous year. I have about six here at the house. When I am bored, I pull out an old one and get the newest one and see what road has been four laned, what suburbs have annexed land, etc, etc.
I am a certified map freak. Wish I had a degree that I could put that knowledge to some kind of practical use in a job.
Yea I go through atlases pretty frequently also...well I did when I used to travel alot. They'd end up falling apart eventually because I used them so much
As for the map job,there's a couple map companies here in PA
Yea I go through atlases pretty frequently also...well I did when I used to travel alot. They'd end up falling apart eventually because I used them so much
As for the map job,there's a couple map companies here in PA
Im kinda stuck here in TX for the time being. I've looked into it but seems my computer skills are not up to par.
With all the growth here in DFW, I thought the Mapsco Company ought to give me a company car and let me spend all day driving neighborhoods and update their maps. I am sure I couldn't cover all of the streets in this area in a year's time. Sounds like it ought to be at least a $75k a year plus car plus benefits, right? Oh well, a guy can dream can't he?
This has me so emotional I went back to the start of the thread and gave everyone a quick reputation point. Found out the site doesn't like one to be too effusive in point giving. After a couple of pages I now am told I have to wait 24 hours before I can give any more rep points, lol.
I think there's something about the very nature of this website, city-data, that attracts map geeks here in much greater numbers than our proportions in the general population.
I think there's something about the very nature of this website, city-data, that attracts map geeks here in much greater numbers than our proportions in the general population.
Don't let it fool ya,there's plenty of pains on this site to balance us out
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......My freinds like to call me "the human GPS". 
I, too, am a map geek. I even spent over $30 last year to purchase a metro street atlas of the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre area from Franklin Maps, even though I already know this area like the back of my hand. This local atlas has proven quite handy when I'm on my photo tours so I can be sure to map out my walking route ahead of time to capture every angle of every local town. 
