Olfactory Cartography: A Tour of New York City by Scent

New York City is a melting pot, and the steam rising from that pot carries a heavy scent. Though New Yorkers may resound with a unanimous cry of “Garbage!” when asked what their city smells like, a closer inspection of the individual neighborhoods reveals a more nuanced answer to the question.

Explore the map below to take a truly scentillating tour of New York.

Unfitered map

Author Annotation:

In this Atomization on the theme, we created an illustration perfect for social media platforms like Pinterest or Tumblr. These platforms have a large built-in audience of users who are always searching for inspiration, and who respond to images that pop and tell a story, like the one above. In addition, with a unique style and point-of-view, relatable graphics like these are optimized for social sharing. There is perhaps nowhere more polarizing than New York City, where everyone has an opinion on everything from the fastest way to travel crosstown to where to get the best bagel. People who agree with our opinion here are likely to share the graphic, just as people who don’t agree with it are likely to share it as well, creating a playful dialogue with our audience.

Editorial by Ysabel Yates, Creative Strategy 

Top image illustrated by by Joelle McKenna, Visual Designer, map illustration by Frances Matos, Visual Designer.

Explore this issue

Whoever smelt it: Photographing scent in New York City

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Letter From The Editor

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I Can’t Smell Anything: Living Without the Most Powerful Sense

Is Scent Storytelling Stinky Or Sweet?

Whoever Smelt It: Photographing Scent in New York City

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Olfactory Cartography: A Tour of New York City by Scent