What mapping every storefront in Manhattan teaches us about city living

City Observatory compared shop density across several cities, and the results are stark

City Observatory
City Observatory

What often makes a city great isn’t just the quality or affordability of the housing (though of course that is a big part): it’s the ability to run to the shop for a random ingredient for a last minute gift. That’s one reason people are willing to pay so much to live in Manhattan.

So how much more are you really getting? Let these maps from a recent City Observatory report put it into context for you.

City Observatory mapped the three-mile radius around the central business district of several cities and placed a dot on every storefront (basically any consumer-facing business), according to the Washington Post. Here’s what they found.
Here is Manhattan.

City Observatory

City Observatory

And San Francisco.

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City Observatory

City Observatory

Now look at St. Louis.

City Observatory

City Observatory

And Detroit

City Observatory

City Observatory

[Washington Post] Christopher Cameron

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