In New York City during Connect Live, the buzz was electric- bright lights, laughter spilling out of bars, and crowds weaving through the streets. But for me, immersion was in the quiet folds between the noise- those pauses where the city slows down just enough to breathe and the moments where a close connection is formed.
I found this immersion through the eyes of Google Maps in the most unexpected but beautiful ways…
Let me start with the event happy hour, feeling sleepy post-flight, I craved a cup of coffee to stay awake. Feeling introverted, I slinked around trying to find the coffee station on my own but quickly realized I’d have to ask for help.
Luckily, @Denise_Barlock, a fellow Guide I’d worked with on trivia, pointed me toward the community manager @Kristen_NYC. Though shy at first, I took on the kind offer to get coffee together, and she was kind and welcoming. She showed me exactly where to find the coffee, and we connected over our shared love of caffeine and customer care. That simple moment became an immersion- not just in the city or the event, but in the heart of the Google Maps Community itself.
Later, my phone battery died just as I planned to head out early in my introvert-stealth-ninja mode. No phone battery meant no access to Google Maps, and I needed Maps like a plant needs water to navigate. I scanned the room to see who I could leave with, and I was drawn to @Nubiamarquez. We ended up walking back together, chatting easily and genuinely. It’s rare for me to click so well with someone new, but Nubia made me feel at home and welcome that day and throughout the whole event. Using her navigation and local knowledge of NYC, we found our way back, turning a moment of vulnerability into one of connection.
As I lay down early that night while the city nightlife was just waking up, I thought something was missing- I don’t want to leave without having immersed myself more in the city itself. And I wanted to explore the city in a way that felt true to me- quiet, reflective, and a little off the usual path.
The night before, I searched for nearby places on Google Maps and found Hudson River Park. I used Google Maps’ Immersive View to preview the walk- checking the weather, lighting, and overall vibe. I’d heard there might be rain, but like someone that can teleport into the future, Immersive View showed me the forecast projected onto the route. If I woke up at 5 a.m., I could avoid the rain coming at 6:30 a.m. And I’m no morning person, but I knew I would be in the morning.
Note + Steps
Immersive view is currently only available in these locales.
The above side by side images show how you can access the immersive view:
- Input your destination that you want to walk to.
- Ensure you select Walk.
- From there, you’ll see an image on the bottom left.
- Click on that image, and then you’ll see a timeline view that shows the weather and lighting overlayed on your route.
- It will most likely autoplay the route with the weather and lighting, showing you the minute by minute breakdown of what the weather and lighting are like on your route.
- You can manually drag the timeline to see the weather and lighting conditions a specific time, allowing you control of the exact timed segment(s) you want to see.
Though sleep felt more tempting in the morning, there was no excuse for my usual trigger-happy snooze button pressing. After trying and failing to silence the alarm multiple times for an hour, I finally gave up and took it as a sign to get going.
The city was quiet. The world felt paused. I thought I must be crazy to be trodding through the street this early. At first, I tried navigating with just the audio directions, but I quickly got turned around. The thing is, the closer you are to your destination, the more granular your steps have to be- turn here, veer slightly there- and paradoxically, the easier it is to get lost.
The bleachy smell of fog drifted up from the sewer grates, and I realized I had already passed the same idling garbage truck twice. I almost turned back, but then I thought of Google Maps’ Live View. Navigating these unfamiliar winding streets gave me a reason to use this tool for the first time.
I turned on Live View, and suddenly, it felt like I was seeing the world through Google Maps’ eyes- the buildings unfolding on my screen projected from my camera lens, like a quiet city within the city. Live View helped guide me step-by-step through busy intersections and unfamiliar turns- the floating arrows pointing the way, and the turn-by-turn steps written below..
Steps
To access Live View:
- Input your destination that you want to walk to:
- Ensure you select Walk.
- From there, you’ll see Live View to the right of the Start Button.
- Click on Live View and hold your phone up so the camera can scan the surroundings and based on image recognition can better know the exact spot you’re standing on.
- Arrows will appear to show you exactly which direction to walk.
There was one particularly tricky crossing near the water where the floating arrows kept me from getting lost or walking in circles. It was a wide, busy street, and Live View helped me find a safe spot to cross.
Making it to the other side, the floating arrows guided me to the pier. The river shimmered under soft light. A few joggers passed by, but otherwise, it felt like the city was holding its breath. It was New York City without makeup- unfiltered, fog-draped, and serene in its rawest form.
I had initially planned to film a simple thank-you video from my hotel room for @AdrianLunsong Connect Live music video project. But standing there at the river’s edge, it felt right to record it at that moment. Almost magically, I noticed a ferry drifting by in the background- with the words “Thank You” emblazoned on its side. I didn’t have to say much, and started my video pointing at those words.
#ConnectLive