YouCity, previously known for its high-quality interactive maps of New York, announced a new "hyper local social network website based on a unique 3D virtual New York City platform".

The idea behind the concept is to help users connect and share interests with local people, thus creating underlying communities in an immersive (sic!) virtual environment. In his description of the platform, the company's COO and co-founder Bin Li also states that the focus of the application will be on people, with the goal of creating a trustfull network of reviews and references about places, events and other city-related information one can rely on.

The map of NYC involved in the application is surely a bright point. A kind of a Google map, browsable and zoomable, but built upon relatively high-detailed 3D models, in a style that makes the browsing feel like a game. Another cool thing is the fact that, just like Google maps, YouCity maps are easily embeddable in external web pages. Here's an example, enjoy!

[ via BusinessWire ]