In 2013, Queens native Becky Cooper handed outlines of Manhattan to strangers and asked them to map their memories. What she got back were a series of funny, inspiring and touching stories told through illustrations and captions scrawled across the pages.
Cooper, who published them in "Mapping Manhattan: A Love (and Sometimes Hate) Story in Maps by 75 New Yorkers," teamed up with LinkNYC and the city’s Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DoITT) to launch a citywide call for mapped memories this spring.
"We know that all New Yorkers have strong feelings about the boroughs they call home," said Ruth Fasoldt, Link’s director of external affairs, in March.
New Yorkers submitted their drawings and moments on blank maps of the five boroughs to be featured on the LinkNYC kiosks found throughout the city.
A range of styles and memories came flooding in, including a simple map of Queens by Katie Marie Anderson, who used hearts for her first kisses, an "x" for every last kiss and three exclamation points to mark where she found out she won the "Hamilton" ticket lottery.
Another maps the birds of Manhattan with illustrations of each, including a red-winged blackbird, a common yellowthroat and an evening grosbeak.
Another map illustrates doughnuts, ramen noodles, pizza and friends on a map of Queens.
LinkNYC, DoITT and Becky Cooper chose 15 submissions and maps by second graders from P.S. 199 in Manhattan to feature on the links.
You can see more at @MappingManhattan on Instagram.
