
The map, reminiscent of the horizonless landscape from Inception, 3D buildings and all, is just a taste of what Tangram is capable of. What makes Tangram special is its use of WebGL, an esoteric programming library that works directly with your computer’s graphics card, allowing complex 3D visuals far beyond what would otherwise be possible.

This visually striking map was made with the Tangram mapping engine, an impressive new tool from Mapzen. You can read more about the map at the original post by Business Insider. Who knew there were places in New York where Yiddish was commonly used, let alone Mande, Amhario, and French Criole? Census American Community Survey, this map displays each neighborhood’s most commonly spoken language (other than English or Spanish). This multicultural character of New York is clearly apparent when you examine which languages are spoken in the home. Based on data from the U.S. Some, such as the wave of Germans who arrived in the late 1800s, once made up a substantial portion of the City’s population, but have since dispersed throughout the country. Other populations have largely remained in New York, carving out their own local communities in which they retain much of their original culture.

Throughout it’s history, New York City has served as the primary gateway to the U.S. for immigrant populations from all corners of the world. The most commonly spoken language in each neighborhood that’s not English or Spanish But sticking to a “top 10” format, these are, in my opinion, the very best, listed in no particular order. With all the great work that has been done, this list could really be many times larger. Sticking to what I know best, I have compiled my favorite maps of 2015 that cover New York City. Because of its density and diversity of people and culture, its high availability of public data, and its large tech community, New York makes for some outstanding maps.

There are far too many, more than I could ever hope to find, for the list to have any real meaning. Despite spending an inordinate amount of time each day looking at maps, it is beyond me to select a list of the best maps from among everything posted last year on the web.
