HousingMaps was the very first Google Maps mashup, created before there was a Google Maps API. It overlaid Craigslist apartment and housing listings on a map, for some 30 US cities plus London.

When it launched, in popularized the idea that real estate was best browsed on a map -- before that, real estate sites only showed lists of properties! It also introduced the idea that you can build a new website or service by borrowing pieces from existing sites, without asking for permission. The web is open, and we can shape it to our needs.

Now that Craigslist has a map view for all its housing listings, HousingMaps is currently taking a break.

Here's my original post on Craigslist in 2005 asking people to test this little project I was working on: https://forums.craigslist.org/?ID=26638141

A few fun articles about the site: