General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe Saddest Spots in New York City
A new research paper from the New England Complex Systems Institute, titled Sentiment in New York City (PDF), attempts to pull off something that would have been impossibleor at least mind-bogglingly difficultbefore the invention of online social networks: figure out the block-by-block happiness level of the biggest metropolis in the United States.
In order to generate their sentiment map of New York City, the researchers analyzed data from 603,954 Tweets (collected via Twitters API) organized by census block. This method, combined with geotagging provided by users, enables us to gauge public sentiment on extremely fine-grained spatial and temporal scales, read the papers abstract. The study took emoticons and word choice into account when deciding whether particular Tweets were positive or negative in sentiment.
According to that flood of geotagged Tweets, people are happiest near New York Citys public parks, and unhappiest near transportation hubs. Happiness increased closer to Times Square, the declined around Penn Station, the Port Authority, and the entrance to the Midtown Tunnel. People were in a better mood at night and on weekends, and more negative about the world between the hours of 9 A.M. and 12 P.M.
None of this is surprising: who wouldnt be happy amidst the greenery of a public park, or borderline-suicidal while stuck in traffic or waiting for a late train? The correlation between happiness and Times Square is almost certainly due to that neighborhoods massive influx of tourists, all of them Tweeting about their vacation. But as with previous public-sentiment studies, using Twitter as a primary data source also introduces some methodology issues: for example, a flood of happy Tweets from tourists could disguise a more subdued and longstanding misery among a neighborhoods residents, many of whom probably arent tweeting every thirty seconds about a Broadway show or the quality of Guy Fieris food.
Twitter is also vulnerable to temporary bursts of outsized negative sentiment. If the map shows Hunter College High School as a wellspring of misery of which the world has never seen, its probably because the study was conducted during the two-week period in April 2012, which overlapped with students returning from spring break. A couple thousand students wailing on Twitter could surely skew the final results.
http://slashdot.org/topic/bi/the-saddest-spots-in-new-york-city/
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)New Years.
dflprincess
(28,129 posts)but, if it wasn't for the convenience of the location (from a tourist perspective), it's the one part of the city I wouldn't care if I ever saw it again. Last time I was there my friend and I agreed it's become a combination of the Mall of America and the State Fair.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)FarCenter
(19,429 posts)It's a complete let down. I can't imagine why tourists keep coming.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)FarCenter
(19,429 posts)Unless you are going to the theaters in the district there is no reason to go near the place
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)But no there is nothing to do there.
JI7
(89,355 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Go see ground zero. Trinity Church and it's cemetery. Lincoln center. The Transit Museum in Brooklyn and the Brooklyn Museum of art are just a few places to go.
JI7
(89,355 posts)i think most places i would like to visit in NY are not in TS.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)I do think the wax museum is there. But no other major landmark that I know of.
JI7
(89,355 posts)onehandle
(51,122 posts)But whenever they close it off, it gets much worse.
So many Elmos... So many Elmos...
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)PoliticAverse
(26,366 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)JI7
(89,355 posts)hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)JI7
(89,355 posts)from the pics it just looks like one huge corporate billboard.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)It really is for kids. But you might want to check out some online sites about times square because new things move in all the time.
JI7
(89,355 posts)it will be kind of like hollywood in california and some other tourist trap type places. maybe a little bigger. mostly chains and big name brands in big flashy signs.
hrmjustin
(71,265 posts)Juniors Cheesecake is a gift from God.
Recursion
(56,582 posts)Also, last time I passed through there there was an Olive Garden. An Olive Garden. What the hell is the matter with people?