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Here Are Our Favorite Data Visualizations From 2015

By Nigel Chiwaya | December 29, 2015 10:16pm

NEW YORK CITY — Border wars over neighborhood dividing lines, green taxi service deserts and a map of the buildings where the loudest sex was reported are just a few of the data projects DNAinfo New York created in 2015.

With dozens of maps, charts, timelines, and other interactives, it's easy to lose track of all of the ways we displayed New Yorkers' shared experiences.

In case you missed any, here are some of our favorites:

NEIGHBORHOOD LINES ARE SKETCHY - In August, we asked you help us settle the centuries-old debate over New York's neighborhood boundaries by drawing where you think your neighborhoods begin and end. More than 12,000 of you participated, and from that we were able to get a fascinating view into how neighborhoods look to new residents compared to long timers

REASONABLY PRICED APARTMENTS STILL EXIST - It felt like every week we wrote a new story about how apartment prices reached a new record high. But that doesn't mean living in New York is completely impossible. In fact, after looking at data from StreetEasy, we were able to find several neighborhoods were a New Yorker earning the median city salary would be able to afford an apartment without breaking the bank. Some of them were even in Manhattan. 

BAY RIDGE IS HAVING VERY LOUD SEX - They say New Yorkers complain about everything, but this might just take the cake. After looking at the city's 311 Service Request database, we were able to find an apartment building in Bay Ridge that recieved the most complaints about loud sex in the entire city. It also gave us the chance to write the words "carnal cacophany."

GREEN CABS HOVER NEAR MANHATTAN - The city's Boro Taxi progam was created to give outer-borough residents better access to transit, but it didn't really play out that way during the program's first year. After mapping out 30,000 taxi pickups during the first, sixth and 11th months of the program, we found that green cabs tended to cluster close to Midtown. Pickups were plentiful in places like Washington Heights, and Downtown Brooklyn, but farther away neighborhoods like Red Hook and Jamaica saw few cabs.

A LOT HAPPENED WHILE WE WAITED FOR THE SECOND AVENUE SUBWAY - The Second Avenue Subway was first proposed 96 years ago. Since then we've built JFK Airport, LaGuardia Airport and Yankee Stadium (twice!), but we're still waiting for that subway.

SEGREGATION IN GIFTED & TALENTED PROGRAMS - Critics of the Department of Education's Gifted and Talented schools say the programs fast-track White and Asian students at the expense of the general population. In September we looked at data from the DOE and found that Black and Hispanic students were underrepresented in the city's 103 G&T programs, include those in predominantly Black and Hispanic neighborhoods.

Other Highlights Include: 

► ARE YOU MIDDLE CLASS - Everyone likes to say they're middle class. We'll tell you for sure.

 DeBLASIO EXCUSE GENERATOR - Out Perpetually-tardy mayor had an excuse for every lateness this year. Now you can, too.

 PIZZA RAT: THE GAME - The only thing tougher than dragging a slize of pizza down steps might be getting a high score in this game.