Get to Know Your Neighborhood

Sitegeist is the name of the fascinating new app from Sunlight that was produced in consultation with design firm IDEO and with support from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. The third in Sunlight's series of National Data Apps (Sunlight Health and Upwardly Mobile are the other two), the app draws on free APIs such as the U.S. Census Bureau and Yelp! to provide data on such topics as local age distribution, political contributions, average rent, how people commute, and popular local spots. 

Although the app might not "tell you much you don’t already know about your neighborhood," try taking it for a spin somewhere you haven't been. As Schwartz notes, "Like Walk Score, it’s another tool in the arsenal for prospective renters, buyers, and neighborhood explorers."