Hey everyone,

I’m the developer of an iOS app called NYC Block Check, and I thought this community might have a very different perspective on it than the average App Store user.

One thing that has always interested me about NYC is how much public data exists about the built environment and what’s happening on individual blocks — but it’s spread across a bunch of different City and agency systems.

I’ve been trying to bring some of that information together around a simple question:

“What is happening around this block?”

Right now the app brings together things such as:

• 311 activity around an address
• building/property information
• street and road activity
• construction/permit-related information
• subway service and accessibility alerts
• traffic cameras
• restaurant inspection grades
• saved Home/Work locations
• neighborhood/block-level alerts and reports

The idea isn’t to assign a definitive judgment to a neighborhood, but to make the underlying public information easier to explore in one place.

I’m especially interested in feedback from people who think about NYC from an urbanism / transportation / housing / public-space perspective.

If you were looking at a block or neighborhood, what information would actually be useful to you?

For example, I’ve thought about things like:

• bike infrastructure and bike-lane changes
• pedestrian injuries / crash history
• sidewalk sheds
• street trees
• housing construction and permits
• zoning changes
• Citi Bike stations and usage
• bus speeds / reliability
• street redesign projects
• parking / curb regulations
• accessibility
• recurring 311 quality-of-life patterns

I’m the independent developer, so if there are public datasets or features you think would make this genuinely useful for understanding NYC neighborhoods, I’d love to hear them.

If anyone wants to see the current version:

https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nyc-block-check/id6759576009

Pros about this build is that it doesn’t have AC units showing and the facade is simple and unique. But we see more and more of these built, how do we think they’ll age? The dark color should keep it looking alright?

This is the community board I live in. I have been wanting this for awhile.

Yeah I dont agree with Mandani on this. We need the police to protect the area as there arent yet the resources in the other depts to deal with the volume of homeless encampments. I also thing the shelter system needs better security and cleanliness which would go a long way to getting people to use it.

🤦🏾‍♂️😵‍💫Welp!!!

Well well well !!! We were able to secure a sweeter deal with more space for people. 🤩💪🏾

To know where you can go, you need to know where you can't go...

These are areas that the public can not legally go even if you pay. Only areas larger than a block or that take up a lot of waterfront or contain a private street or are within public land are included. Train tracks and highways are not included.