Does Prospect Heights Have a Cockroach Problem?

Do you know where the cockroaches are? Do you want to know?

While they may be disgusting to think about, cockroaches are a way of life in New York City. The biggest issue for most residents is figuring out a way to avoid them.

Now, there is a new tool to help people across the city to do just that — RoachMap.com.

Using information from the New York City Data Mine, several enterprising New Yorkers put together a weekly update that compiles cockroach violations and complaints from restaurants into a handy map.

The Data Mine is an online repository, accessible to anyone, that holds raw data from hundreds of city agencies, useful for anyone looking to compile statistics about life in the Big Apple.

So what does this newly-minted map tell Prospect Heights residents about their neighborhood? There's good news and bad news.

The good news is that the 11238 zip code, which covers most of Prospect Heights, has a lower density of cockroaches than either Crown Heights or Prospect Lefferts Gardens. The bad news is that Park Slope and Fort Greene have a significantly lower density of cockroaches.

On the scale Roach Map has created, Prospect Heights is right in the middle.