Street View has been with us since 2007, and allows us to spy on our old neighborhoods, see our Internet gateway, and generally travel the world without getting up from the couch.
Street View’s ever-expanding digital library of weird and wonderful locations has more uses than you think, and here are some of our favorites.
1) Take a look at complicated intersections
That’s what we do all the time: check out the design of the city’s tricky intersections before a road trip, to make sure we know where we’re going. Even with the best mapping technology on your phone, it can be all too easy to get lost driving through multiple lanes and multiple intersections when you’re in a strange city, and even more so abroad. Take a look at the intersection in Street View first, and at least you’ll know what’s going on.
2) Travel by walking in advance
Speaking of checking your trips in advance, the walking directions you get from current map apps don’t always reflect the paths and trails that are actually on the ground. Okay, you won’t go all the way to Street View; you can also stay home if you do, but you can use it to spy on some turns and key points along the way, to minimize the risk of getting lost while outdoors.
3) Find out if there is parking (but not direct parking)
You go to a restaurant, a bar, or any other place, and you need to find out if there is a place to park: Google Maps and Apple Maps can help you with that to some extent, and you can probably find information. also on the site’s website, but a quick visit to Street View can give you a good idea of whether or not you’ll spend a lot of time looking for parking (and if there’s parking, you can check where the entrance is).
Please note that Street View does not offer live parking images. Cars parked on the side of the road? Yes, these cars were probably parked there two years ago, when the photos were taken.
4) Decide if you want to move to a neighborhood
If you’ve ever had to relocate, you’ve probably already thought about it – using Street View to make reconnaissance of the areas you’re planning to relocate to.
Of course, it’s not as useful as visiting the place, but Street View will show you the state of the neighborhood: how many green spaces there are, what kind of food and drink establishments are around, how busy the traffic can be, and other snippets of information. Keep in mind, though, that Street View photos aren’t regularly updated, and the tool’s photos may be a bit outdated.
5) Find out if you really want to try a new place
Sure, site reviews can give you an idea of what to expect, but you can’t always trust the general public: visiting a bar, restaurant, or park early on Street View gives you more information to work with. when you decide to visit or not. You can see how well presented the place is, what is on both sides, the type of neighborhood where it is located, etc. (Some places also offer a 360-degree inside view).
6) Find the best views
This is another use we have of personal experience: knowing when to stop for photos on a road trip through spectacular scenery. You don’t want to miss the best views and photo points just because your eyes were on the road or buried in a map. If you want to know where to get the best views of, say, Yosemite National Park or Sydney Harbor Bridge, Street View can help you find out before you leave home.
7) Take a test for a job interview
You just have to be more discriminating with the help you render toward other people, so make sure you know where you are going and what building you need to be in (and which building to use): not all of this information is available. on the web. Street View can tell you if you’re dealing with a gated or multi-story property, or if you need extra time to find a business among many others, or if the location is easy to get to.
8) Explore the wonders of the world
You may not know how many different sights and landmarks Google Street View now covers. Of course, it’s not the same as going there, but you can still admire the natural or architectural wonders from the screen of your phone or laptop: look at the view from Mont Blanc, the bottom of the Grand Canyon, the interior of the ‘International Space Station, the streets of Disney World, the Gold Coast and many, many more interesting places.
9) Have fun with your friends
The next time you find yourself doing something wrong, upload a random image of Street View to your phone or laptop and see if your friends can guess what country it is from; or choose a place in your country and see if they can name the city or state.
In fact, there is a website that does it for you and with which you can test your own geographical knowledge: upload GeoGuessr and see if you can guess where in the world you are.
This article has been updated since it was first published.