# Free wifi / Google Maps mashup?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-wifi-google-maps-mashup/435406>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 29, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-wifi-google-maps-mashup/435406 "2008-01-29T02:47:39Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-wifi-google-maps-mashup/435406/1 "2008-01-29T02:47:39Z")

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Does anyone know of such a thing? What I’m looking for is something I could plug an address into and it’d spit me out the nearest free wifi hotspot with directions. There are plenty of lists of free wifi out there, but the place that I’m going (Manhattan) has enough of them to make individually going through and manually cross-referencing against the location of my hotel/office a bit of a pain.

Alternatively, if anyone just happens to know of a free hotspot in the general area of the Waldorf Astoria (not my hotel, but mine is just the next block over), that’d work too. I’d like to avoid paying the $10/day for internet at the hotel.

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**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\
**Post date:** [January 29, 2008, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/free-wifi-google-maps-mashup/435406/2 "2008-01-29T02:56:13Z")

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Well, i’m sure there’s probably something closer, but you’re only about 6 short blocks up and two blocks across from the New York Public Library, which has free wireless. If the weather is good enough to be outside, you can go out the back of the Library to Bryant Park and get online there as well.

> **[Wireless Internet Access (Wi-Fi)](https://www.nypl.org/help/computers-internet-and-wireless-access/wireless-internet-access)**
>
> All Library locations offer free wireless access (Wi-Fi) in public areas at all times the libraries are open. Connecting to the Library's Wireless Network You must have a computer or other device equipped with an 802.11b-compatible wireless card....

[http://www.bryantpark.org/amenities/wireless.php](http://www.bryantpark.org/amenities/wireless.php)