NYC Area Link is a mobile guide for New York City residents that provides quick access to neighborhood and citywide services.

The application presents an aggregated list of service locations (e.g. libraries, police stations, parks) available to inhabitants of a particular area. Residents can select a nearby service location and find it on a map, place a call or contact the organization via email. In addition they can see the hours of operation, services offered and visit corresponding websites for more information.

The problem this service tries to solve is to provide New York City residents with information about and access to available municipal services in the place that matters most for them: their immediate vicinity. This application is ideal for both longtime citizens of a given neighborhood as well as those who have just moved to a new area or borough. Currently any inhabitant that has a simple neighborhood question in mind (e.g. "What is my police precinct?") may need to search and navigate their way through multiple municipal websites that are inconsistent and loaded with other irrelevant information. This straightforward resource aims to connect neighbors with their local service infrastructure.

Our team researched many of these community services and assembled a limited deployment of the application that addresses two zip codes: 10009 (East Village) and 11215 (Park Slope). This mobile website application is optimized for the iPhone and other touchscreen smartphones (Android, Web OS). Our design is a simple, valuable resource that takes advantage of a smartphone's capabilities to empower New York City residents. If we win a prize, we would like to use the money to develop further this "neighborhood interface" by  covering all communities and integrating additional services in the five boroughs.