App of the Day: Yelp's New "Word Map" May Be Your Smartest Guide to Local Social Scenes

Yelp has unveiled a swanky application that allows its users to create "heat maps" of major metropolitan areas around the world based on specific keywords or search terms that are found in the customer reviews. While the new map app will undoubtedly guide you in the right direction for, say, the "best noodle shop" in a city you've never been before, the versatile nature of the map can also serve as your personal guide to social scenes and neighborhoods you feel drawn to, or conversely, would like to avoid at all costs. For instance, the maps shown above reveal the geographical distribution of Yelp reviews containing the word "hipster."