Google Maps: Helping You Explore Your Local Area

Let Google Break You Out Of Your “Usual”

We have probably all relied on Google Maps to help us get from point A to point B. Fortunately, Google Maps has continued to evolve over the years by adding some great new features. In May, Google announced a load of new features coming to Maps. Some of those features are rolling out now to Google Maps on Android and iOS.

While many of us like to explore our local area, it can be difficult to know where to begin. Is that new restaurant worth trying? Where’s the best place to listen to live music? What about interesting attractions? Places to shop? Well, Google Maps now has you covered.

Google Maps redesigned the Explore tab to take the pressure out of planning with restaurants, events, and trending lists. The Explore tab aims to inform you about everything happening in a particular area. So you can discover popular restaurants, activities, and events happening close to where you are. That applies whether you’re there to stay or just visiting.

Within the Explore tab, you can also choose specific categories — such as coffee shops or music venues, for instance—to further narrow your search. The Explore tab also features curated lists of places to eat, whether that’s good cafes to go for lunch with kids, where the locals eat, or the best restaurants for a romantic meal.

The new For You tab personalizes everything, surfacing restaurants, events, and activities Google thinks will appeal to you. There’s also the option to follow a neighborhood in order to stay informed about what’s happening in that area.

Last but not least is the Your Match feature. This acknowledges that aggregate ratings can be flawed or gamed by unscrupulous contributors. So you tell Google Maps what kinds of cuisines and restaurants you enjoy and the app will apply a numeric rating to bars and restaurants based upon your particular tastes.

So, when your friends or parents are in town, you now have just the right tool to plan a fantastic outing that is sure to please the crowd… and make you seem cool and composed in the process.

(Image Source: iCLIPART)