EveryBlock

EveryBlock is a local news site that publishes news at a so-called “microlocal” level: type in an address and the site shows you what’s been in the news around that specific address. It’s been lauded in the journalism and technology worlds for its inventive approach to journalism and local information.

The site began in 2005 as chicagocrime.org, one of the very first Google Maps mashups, which was named by the New York Times as one of the year’s best ideas. After founder Adrian Holovaty received a two-year grant from the Knight Foundation, he expanded chicagocrime.org to cover local news beyond crime and beyond Chicago; the site now covers 15 cities. It was acquired by msnbc.com in August of 2008 but the team is proudly staying in Chicago.