Google Place Pages Provide Area Information

Just looked somewhere up on Google Maps and want details on the place itself, rather than how to get there? Google’s newly-announced Place Pages gather together information on locations so you don’t have to launch a separate tab just to check minor details.

Place Pages are accessed by clicking on the ‘more info’ button next to search results on maps. Google rather grandiloquently claims that Place Pages collect “all the relevant information” about a particular spot, though coverage varies widely depending on the location. Typical inclusions are Wikipedia entries, photos of the area, a Street View preview, and user reviews of businesses.

There’s still a few rough spots: train stations in Sydney have line information uncomfortably crammed together, while Melbourne stations don’t even offer that basic level of detail. Some of the selections of popular places are also a bit strange — I don’t think the Sydney Hilton bombing needs that much prominence in a listing for Town Hall.

Place Pages for Google Maps: There are places we remember! [Official Google Blog]