Wikipedia:Wikipedia Takes Manhattan/Fall 2008

Wikis Take Manhattan (WTM-2) was a scavenger hunt and free content photography contest coordinated with Columbia University and New York University students and The Open Planning Project, aimed at illustrating Wikipedia and Streetswiki articles covering the wondrous sights of the isle of Manhattan, and all across the Five Boroughs of New York City

We had over 650 photo-goals on our list, located throughout the city; the strategy to get as many as you can in one afternoon!

Held on October 4, 2008, the event is a sequel to last spring's Wikipedia Takes Manhattan (WTM-1) event. Everyone met up and checked in at one of the two starting points located at Columbia and The Open Planning Project, and after an afternoon of subways, street rambles, photography and free culture goodness, the night will conclude with a party back at The Open Planning Project's fantastic event space in the West Village.

The event's name was changed to Wikis Take Manhattan because it is intended to generate free content for use on both Wikipedia and StreetsWiki.

The day was sponsored by Free Culture @ Columbia, the Columbia University chapter of Students for Free Culture, in cooperation with the NYU chapter Free Culture @ NYU, The Open Planning Project, Wikimedia New York City and Wikipedia volunteers.

All Wikipedians and non-Wikipedians were invited to participate in team of up to three (no special knowledge was required at all, just a digital camera and a love of the city). And many brought their friends too.

The grand prize, of course, was dinner for three with Jimmy Wales, founder of Wikipedia, at Pure Food and Wine. There were a lot of other great prizes too; see the main homepage for the project.

This was third event of its kind on the Wikipedia Takes The City model (the first was also in NYC, the second was in Nashville, and the fourth was in Berlin).

For updates
Check out:


 * Wikis Take Manhattan main website

This will have a posting if the event is delayed due to weather or other exigency.

Volunteering to help upload
If you want to volunteer to help with the uploading and scoring, you should be back at TOPP by 5:00, earlier than everyone else at 6:30.

Volunteering to help with uploading will in no way preclude you from competing in the contest, but you will be at a a slight disadvantage by having to come back earlier. If you are interested in volunteering, please e-mail Pharos with your details.

Attention volunteers: If you've got one, please bring your laptop and, even better, your compact flash/SD/etc card readers.

Sign-up
''This sign-up list is just for fun. The proper place to register your team is here. It's also possible to register the day of, but it will be easier for us if you register beforehand.

If you want to meet other Wikipedians in the morning, your best bet would be to do check-in at TOPP, but feel free to choose Columbia if that's more convenient for you.

Likely

 * --Pharos (talk) 21:17, 17 September 2008 (UTC)
 * futurebird (talk) 05:35, 24 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Jim.henderson (talk) 13:29, 24 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Mitch 32(UP) 01:16, 29 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Jeremyb (talk) 01:54, 2 October 2008 (UTC)
 * Daniel Case (talk) 15:45, 2 October 2008 (UTC) I may not get there until later, but maybe my son, my mother and I could form a team and work around her weekend place on East 78th Street. Sounds like she would enjoy it. Or we could just meet you all in the Village for dinner.
 * Oh, but it would be so much better if you could compete too! Your team name could be "Cases on the Case" or something.  I'd definitely hang around to give you the packet, if you can't come till later.  And then of course, there's still food at the uploading party.--Pharos (talk) 21:08, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Possible

 * I'll try to make it. JAF1970 (talk) 03:26, 24 September 2008 (UTC)
 * What time of day? I'm at synagogue 2 hours away until 12:00 noon.  Sam  Blab 19:41, 24 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Check-in will be a 1:00 PM, but there's a 95% chance we can take you later, if we make an arrangement beforehand. I'll get back to you on this.  Thanks.--Pharos (talk) 20:12, 24 September 2008 (UTC)

Regrets

 * Out of town this weekend. Definitely in next time with a little bit more notice. Newyorkbrad (talk) 01:54, 23 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Sorry - I'll be in Florida that day. Raul654 (talk) 00:51, 24 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Sorry, I will be in Smallbany that weekend, but will be in The City the following that weekend. Bearian (talk) 00:57, 24 September 2008 (UTC) ... but my digital camera has no battery; more to come. Bearian (talk) 19:55, 29 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Negatory. - Penwhale &#124; Blast him / Follow his steps 22:42, 24 September 2008 (UTC) Still can't do it. >< I live in Rochester. -.-- Penwhale &#124; Blast him / Follow his steps 23:46, 25 September 2008 (UTC)
 * I'm out of town of weekends but many, many, many thanks for the detailed photoless. If you don't get any takers I will try to complete at least the midtown list.  Thanks. Americasroof (talk) 18:25, 26 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Still stuck in Florida, and have no chance of returning until the Summer of 2009. DanTD (talk) 03:58, 27 September 2008 (UTC)
 * It's Shabbos. &mdash;Elipongo (Talk contribs) 04:51, 28 September 2008 (UTC)
 * Yeah, sorry about that. When we organize the Wikipedia/Wikimedia meetups, I do avoid Saturdays.  But we're doing this event with partners, and frankly I have a limited say in the matter.--Pharos (talk) 01:15, 29 September 2008 (UTC)
 * No apology needed, I was just giving a reason for my non-attendance. My wishes for a successful event! &mdash;Elipongo (Talk contribs) 03:28, 2 October 2008 (UTC)

Wikipedian attendance
(the great majority of attendees were actually not Wikipedians or Wikimedians, which is pretty cool)


 * User:Becksguy
 * User:Daniel Case
 * User:Jeremyb
 * User:Jim.henderson
 * User:Mblumber
 * User:Mitchazenia
 * User:Pharos

Articles illustrated
This is more or less complete for now.


 * Schermerhorn Hall
 * Harperly Hall
 * Olcott Hotel
 * Bennett Park (New York)
 * Fourth Universalist Society of New York
 * 79th Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
 * Collegiate School (New York)
 * Public School 9
 * Audubon Terrace
 * Jewish Theological Seminary of America
 * Columbia University School of Social Work
 * Bank Street College of Education
 * Lincoln Towers
 * Mitchell Square Park
 * Delacorte Theater
 * Alice Tully Hall
 * Jewish Community Center
 * Café des Artistes
 * Ramath Orah
 * Society for the Advancement of Judaism
 * High Bridge (New York City)
 * Little Red Lighthouse
 * 740 Park Avenue
 * Congregation Kehilath Jeshurun
 * Lenox Hill Hospital
 * Riverton Houses
 * Asia Society
 * Church of St. Vincent Ferrer (New York)
 * Unitarian Church of All Souls
 * Park Avenue Christian Church
 * Church of the Resurrection (Manhattan, New York)
 * Union Club of the City of New York
 * Seventh Regiment Armory
 * Avatar Studios
 * Film Center Building
 * Sony Music Studios
 * Hallo Berlin
 * Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater
 * Playwrights Horizons
 * The Orion
 * Westside Theatre
 * 28th Street (IRT Broadway–Seventh Avenue Line)
 * First Zen Institute of America
 * Congregation Talmud Torah Adereth El
 * Luhring Augustine Gallery
 * The Epic (New York City)
 * The Wilbraham
 * The Camera Club of New York
 * Herald Square
 * New York City Museum School
 * Dia Art Foundation
 * Tibet House
 * Chelsea Art Museum
 * Atlantic Theater Company
 * Dance Theater Workshop
 * Pedestrian scramble
 * 131 Charles Street
 * White Columns
 * Church of St. Luke in the Fields, Greenwich Village
 * University Settlement House
 * New York Theatre Workshop
 * The Bitter End
 * Lucille Lortel Theatre
 * Film Forum
 * Theater for the New City
 * Mercury Lounge
 * Blue Note (jazz clubs)
 * Classic Stage Company
 * Children's Museum of the Arts
 * Rent (musical)
 * Jane Street Theater
 * Meseritz Synagogue
 * Congregation Chasam Sopher
 * Angel Orensanz Center
 * Fischbach Gallery
 * Bleecker Street Cinema
 * Abingdon Square Park
 * Astor Place (Manhattan)
 * High Line (New York City)
 * Mulry Square
 * Sara Delano Roosevelt Park
 * Center for Architecture
 * Michael Cresap
 * Albert Gallatin
 * James Lawrence
 * Francis Lewis
 * Walter Livingston
 * Charles McKnight
 * John Morin Scott
 * Silas Talbot
 * John Watts (politician)
 * Franklin Wharton
 * Hugh Williamson
 * 359 Broadway Landmark
 * 60 Hudson Street
 * Art in General
 * Teardrop Park
 * Cary Building (New York City)
 * Metropolitan College of New York
 * New York Law School
 * Continental Bank Building
 * Juan Pablo Duarte Square
 * Down Town Association
 * Soho Repertory Theatre
 * One Liberty Plaza
 * 37 Wall Street
 * Marine Midland Building
 * Home Insurance Plaza
 * Barclay Tower
 * The Flea Theater
 * 1 Wall Street Court
 * Manhattan Bridge
 * Williamsburg Bridge
 * 110 Livingston Street
 * Duff's Brooklyn
 * Gage and Tollner
 * Brooklyn Historical Society
 * Jewish Children's Museum
 * Kurdish Heritage Foundation of America
 * Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts
 * Old Stone House (Brooklyn, New York)
 * Hotel Bossert
 * Montague-Court Building
 * Commodore Barry Park
 * Kehilas Yetev Lev D'Satmar (Williamsburg, Brooklyn)
 * Brooklyn Brewery
 * Brooklyn Hospital Center
 * Long Island University
 * Athletic, Recreation & Wellness Center
 * Saint Joseph's College, New York
 * Montauk Club
 * Saint Cecilia's Catholic Church (Brooklyn, New York)
 * Grand Army Plaza
 * New York Transit Museum
 * East River State Park
 * DUMBO, Brooklyn
 * Fisher Landau Center
 * Noguchi Museum
 * Socrates Sculpture Park
 * Long Island City Courthouse Complex
 * Silvercup Studios
 * Kaufman Astoria Studios
 * Museum for African Art
 * Una O'Connor
 * Robert Augustus Sweeney
 * Crotona Park
 * Fort Schuyler, Bronx
 * Bronx Park

Categories illustrated
See the full list at commons:Commons:Wikis Take Manhattan.

Results
We had 23 teams and certainly over 50 participants, a huge step up from last time. There are certainly thousands of photos to go through, and we didn't have time to upload them all that night, but we'll be getting to them over the coming days.


 * See the photos in progress at Commons:User:WTMuploader/gallery, or Commons:Category:Images from Wikis Take Manhattan by participant/team for the individual team categories.

The grand prize winners were Erin and Ian of Team "Ex Post Photo". Congratulations!

Video and a fun blog
There's a great short video of the event created by Streetfilms here.

And here is a fun blog entry from one one our participants.

Also, please see our main homepage for this project on the Livable Streets Network.