Lavender Unveils Friends of Community Map
The Twin Cities doesn’t have a “gayborhood” like Boystown or West Hollywood, but it doesn’t mean we’re missing out on thousands of businesses and organizations that support the GLBT community. The trick, of course, is finding out where these places are. Sure, you can peruse Lavender’s advertisers and community listings to search for addresses, but wouldn’t it be nice to have a visual? Oh, I don’t know, maybe a Google Maps-style application?
Ta-da!
We heard you loud and clear, and now, Lavender has launched an interactive Web-based application that puts more than 1,000 GLBT-supportive businesses and nonprofits in your hands: The Friends of Community (FOC) Map
Friends of Community is a Google Maps-driven application that unearths points-of-interest in an easy-to-use locator. All Lavender advertisers, Community Connection listings, and distribution sites are represented here.
You don’t have to be a seasoned Google Maps user or techno-head to use it, either. Friends of Community enlists search filters to get to the businesses you’re looking for. You can search by type of business/organization, name, address, zip code, and even URL.
Not sure if you’re looking at the right place? Friends of Community previews businesses and organizations for you. Just hover your cursor over a place of interest, and a succinct description will appear.
Lavender is constantly evaluating and improving what we offer. We’ve made the magazine more fun in print by offering cleaner copy and crisper format, and amping the content you love. In technology, we stay on the cutting edge, boasting the biggest gay news service on Twitter (Big Gay News), the first-ever digital edition of a GLBT magazine, and the first-ever iPad app for a regional GLBT magazine.
We’re proud to deliver this content, because we’re proud to serve you and the Twin Cities GLBT community.
Which reminds me—Happy Pride!
*If you’re in the dark about QR codes—as I was until January (blush)—using one is easy: Simply scan the QR code below using a free app on your smart phone, such as RedLaser, MobileTag, or NeoReader. Friends of Community automatically appears on your phone, and you’re on your way to where you want to be.
