Does anyone use Google Street View ?

[Nick29]

Does anyone else here use Google Street View ?  Because I now live in the N. Cambs / Norfolk borders, I use it quite a lot to look at my old "stamping ground" in SE London, where I grew up.

I used it twice this week - I decided to take a look at a little shop in SE London that I worked in for a while, just after leaving school in the early 60's, to see if it was still there.  It wasn't, and neither was the street - the whole place had been bulldozed, and a dual-carriageway and flyover was there in its place.  I didn't recognise anything at all   

The second time I used it was to look at an area of New Cross in response to a query in RC.  The area was very close to where one of my school friends lived, down a narrow road with Victorian terraced houses either side.  When I looked at it on Street View, the house my friend lived in was still there, but the entire row on the other side of the street had been bulldozed, and now was part of a playing field.

Using Street View always brings mixed emotions - firstly sadness that the places I knew as a lad are no longer there, and then that usually gives way to happiness, because many places were old and tired, and did need replacing with something more bright and modern.  Not always though - some lovely buildings have been replaced by concrete monstrosities 

[ammonite]

I use to find addresses on censuses and see where my ancestors might have lived other than that I haven't used it many times.  There have been a couple of instances I've used it for Building Surveying  but not many and checking where i am driving to. 

Although ten to one with my ancestors it has been demolished and a shopping centre built there!

[Hollander]

I also use Multimap http://www.multimap.com/ as although Google is undoubtedly an excellent tool, the coverage is still limited - certainly in the areas of interest to me.

Finbar.

[Maggie1895]

I often search family addresses on Googlemaps.   Most of the time I'm disappointed because my ancestors were mainly far from well off, so I'm talking about areas where the housing has long gone to be replaced by roads or industrial estates.
Sometimes I strike lucky, but conversly where the address was in the country or a nicer house, they are the least likely to have the photos on line.
Always worth a look though, even if it shows me it's not worth a long train journey to make any sort of pilgrimage - not if it's a now a modern factory!
Maggie 1895

[Nick29]

I also use Multimap http://www.multimap.com/ as although Google is undoubtedly an excellent tool, the coverage is still limited - certainly in the areas of interest to me.

Finbar.

Yes, I'm aware that there are other maps available, but that's not really what I wanted to talk about 

[Ringoroses]

I use it all the time for searching places my ancestors lived.

It'll be a long time before I ever make it to NZ, but I've 'walked' all around the district in Auckland where my Great uncle lived and died.

I've also used it in this country when I couldn't get there 'now' especially around the Glasgow and surrounds.

Love it. 

[johngirl]

Hi Nick

 I also have used it to find where my ancestors once lived but found all the houses they had lived in have all been demolished

Such a shame really that they do this and put great big shopping centres or Dual Carraigeways in their place. Not fair on us that are into Family History and like you wanting to see old stomping grounds.
I know buildings get to the stage that they have to be demolished through old age and decay but it is still sad.

Not sure about anyone else but I get motion sickness travelling up the streets on Google Street View. 

  Johngirl

[Jean McGurn]

I used it to see the house I used to live in in Huyton and discovered the flats had been demolished and the square of grass now house parking spaces in front of the house.

I had already driven along the main A57 road a couple of years ago after visiting the graveyard at Huyton church and was amazed at the changes of some areas but not of others. The graveyard has also changed out of recognision and unfortunately because of damages to the stones the grave I wanted to see was gone, although I am pretty certain as to where it is even though it is just a grass mound now.

I have got a photo of a No 40 tram in the Page Moss area which shows the flats in the back ground so for me all is not lost and as the photo was from the 1950's I can easily identify with it.

Jean

[Selina]

I have enjoyed looking at streets and houses where I have lived and those where grandparents and other relatives etc., dwelt.

It was interesting to see how much smaller the garden in which I played as a child is compared to how it seemed then and how I remember it!

Took a tour around the town centre and there was my son!  Where he should have been and doing what he should have been doing I might add!

Selina