Photo by malias (Creative Commons)

If you’re a fan of Google Earth– vanity googling your own address or using the site to check out places you’ll be visiting–check out www.everyblock.com.

Where Google Earth gives you a visual zoom on almost any block in the world, Everyblock zooms in on what’s happening on the ground.

Though the service is only available for Chicago, New York, and San Francisco, type in any address in one of these cities and a list of recent neighborhood activity– crime reports, restaurant inspections, and garden variety news–pops up for your perusal.

Still more evidence that the guide book may be headed towards oblivion!