Where Did Pokémon Go Take You This Week?

Welcome to Friday Open Threads, a new series wherein we'll pass the mic to readers to speak up about topics of interest, distress, horror, etc. Have something you want discussed? Let us know.

This week’s most unexpected urbanism story may very well be Pokémon Go, the mobile game that’s got both kids and adults roaming their cities for virtual creatures in real-life locales. It’s gotten to the point where if you see anyone staring into their phone, you’d suspect they’re playing Pokémon Go, even if they’re just texting or scrolling through Facebook (remember that app?)

The addicting game, which has sent people in the way of dead bodies, into a pond, and down a cliff (thankfully both men survived the fall), is certainly a potentially dangerous game that should be played with caution and a fair amount of manners. But you also can’t deny that it’s got folks exploring their cities in ways that they wouldn’t have done otherwise—starting with unusually long treks around their neighborhoods, often at unusually late hours.

And that’s what we want to talk about today. Where did you go that you wouldn’t have gone if not for Pokémon Go? What was the coolest, strangest, or most surprising spot? Did you discover something new about your neighborhood, town, city in the process? Did you figure out pro-tips for playing the game in your city or in general?

Go ahead, share your best Pokémon Go stories of the week down in the comments.