Most expensive Postal Codes outside London, UK

Majority of my maps are US centric. Here's one which relates to United Kingdom. Couple of weeks back Forbes came out with a post on most expensive postal codes in United Kingdom. Here it is and not in this life time will i be able to ever live in these Postal Codes. (BTW this mashup has wikipedia and panaramio layer also).

CEO's who Lose/Gain Millions in Minutes

Forbes takes a look at CEO's who lose/gain millions in minutes. Forbes is reporting in a article published on (9/26/2008)

The annual median household income in the U.S. is about $50,000. A band of 30 of America's richest bosses lost that much money in less than two minutes last year.

The rich get richer a lot faster than most. That also means they can lose their fortune a lot faster, too.

Here's a Google Maps View of 10 "CEO's who lost/gained millions in minutes".

America's Hard Drinking Cities

Forbes is out with its annual list of "America's Hard Drinking Cities". Topping the list this year is Austin, Texas. For a look at the Forbes's 15 most drunk cities in United States check out this Google Maps Mashup. For each of the 15 cities I have also provided links for

• Pubs near that city, in case folks want to bump up the city ranking for next year
• Alcohol related searches on Google since 2004 in and around that city

Related:
Alcohol Related Searches in your State. (for eg: who is searching for "Scotch" in California, New York, Michigan, Texas, Florida etc...

Here's a screen shot from - Alcohol related searches in California:

Mapping the World's Dirtiest Cities

Forbes is out with a list of "The World's 25 Dirtiest Cities". The dirties of them all is "Baku, Azerbaijan" with a index score of 27.6 (compared to New York city as a base with a index score of 100).

Click here for a Google Maps View of "The World's Dirties Cities".

Related: The World's most Polluted Cities.

Celebrity Real Estate Losers - Forbes

The downturn in housing has also affected Hollywood's rich and famous. Here's a Google Maps Mashup showing some of the homes where prices had to be reduced substantially. Some have been sold and some are still sitting there to be sold.

The data source for this Google Maps Mashup is Forbes. The Celebrities whose homes have been listed in the Forbes article and this mashup are - Ed Mcmahon, Avril Lavigne, Brad Garrett, Wilmer Valderrama, Denise Richards, Slash, Vidal Sasson.

America's Smartest Cities - 2008

So which cities are America's Brightest Bulbs? Check out this Google Maps Mashup of Forbes List of America's Smartest Cities. How did Forbes come up with this list? (all are college towns)

To determine their rankings, FORBES used Sperling's BestPlaces and compared the percentages of people ages 25 and up with at least a bachelor's degree.

Professors that live in a school's surrounding area contribute to the increased percentage of informed inhabitants for these cities. Bert Sperling, founder of BestPlaces, explains that these faculty members, in conjunction with ex-students, are the main forces driving up the percentages.

World's Priciest Cocktail at $51,200

Forbes has come out with a list of World's Priciest Cocktails. The most expensive cocktail priced at $51,200 named "DAZZLE" is available at 2nd Floor Bar, Harvey Nichols, Manchester, U.K. For a Google Maps view of the DAZZLE and the rest of the priciest cocktails click here.

What's so great about "DAZZLE"

This brew has rose Champagne and strawberry and lychee liqueur. But the real buzz comes from the18-karat white-gold ring with pink tourmaline and diamond stones nestled below all that booze. Security guards accompany your server as your drink is presented, and you can keep your ring in a safe next to the bar if you're planning on imbibing a few more--less expensive--drinks.

America's Most Expensive Cemeteries

Forbes has just published (10/26/2007) a list of America's Most Expensive Cemeteries. Hmm! Interesting why they chose late October to publish this list.

(Check out the Google Maps View of "America's Most Expensive Cemeteries")

Burial costs in these cemeteries run into thousands of dollars. Quoting FORBES:

Don't expect prices to come down. Though technically real estate, unrelenting demand helps cemeteries avoid the kind of market swings afflicting housing right now. About 2.4 million people in the U.S. die each year, with most buying property beforehand, according to Bob Ward, founder of Finalrestingplace.com, a Web site that provides a secondary market for cemetery plots. Also keeping prices high: Family purchases of burial plots and funeral services aren't done rationally, given the stress levels involved.

"People worry that they did the right thing, not 'Did we spend too much money?,' " says Ward, who thinks the lack of new cemetery building will keep prices rising for the foreseeable future.

Best (Unknown) Retirement Tax-Havens

Forbes has a list out there for Best (Unknown) Retirement Tax-Havens. For a change my home state Michigan fares so much better in this list compared to any other "best lists" I have seen so far. Factors which were figured into this list were (Tax Exemption on Social Security income, Exemption of State Income Tax on Pension Income (includes IRA account withdrawals), No Estate Tax, Additional Personal Exemption).

(Note: The Forbes article came out before the recent tax increase in Michigan. Not sure how this would have affected Michigan's ranking).

Here's the Forbes Map of "Best Places to Die (TAX-WISE)"

Google Mapping Expensive Zip Codes in United States

The most expensive Zip Code in United States according to Forbes is Alpine, NJ where 2006 Median Sale Price of Home was $3,400,000. Who is ranked 100? It is Danville, CA where the 2006 Median Sale Price was $1,005,500.

Here's a Google Maps View of Forbes 100 most expensive zip codes with a link (inside the pop up window above the marker) for latest news, traffic, weather and much more from each of these zip codes.

Think College is expensive? How about $30,440 for Preschool

Forbes has come out with a list of "Most Expensive Preschools". The Tuition ranges from $30,440 to a mere $13,169. Quoting FORBES:

If you're like many new parents, nothing's too good for your little genius, including $30,440 for preschool so your 4-year-old can occupy a few hours each day playing with blocks and finger painting in an organized setting.

Here's a Google Maps View of "Most Expensive Preschools".

Star Studded Zip Codes

Forbes has published a list of Star Studded Zip Codes in America. Here's a Google Maps View of those Zip Codes with a link in the pop up window (above the red marker) to my local news mashup where you can find out more about that zip code (news, restaurants, traffic, weather, golf courses).

World's Most Corrupt Countries

Forbes had come out with an article on "The World's Most Corrupt Countries" back in April, 2007. Here's a look at those Corrupt Countries on Google Maps. Topping the List is Haiti. Click here for Forbes Article.

Google Mapping Top 100 Most Powerful and Best Paid Celebrities

Here's a Google Maps View of Forbes List of World's Top 100 Most Powerful and Best Paid Celebrities. Topping the List this year is Oprah Winfrey, Tiger Woods, Madonna, Rolling Stones, Brad Pitt. (Source Forbes)