It may be tempting to keep your secrets to yourself — guard the location of the taco truck with the best carne asada ever, never reveal the location of your favorite hidden gem of a bike path — but keeping secrets is rude. This country is bursting with places you may have never even heard of, from unknown small towns to secret restaurants in your own hometown, and with Airbnb, you can easily get to know all of them.
Find yourself in Phippsburg, Maine with no idea where to get the best lobsters? Let a local tell you that you can drive right to the source by heading off the main road to Seahorse Lobster & Fish. Want the best mexican food in Palm Springs, CA? Head to El Taco Asado in the corner of an otherwise unexciting strip mall. Looking to get your thrift store fix in Columbus, Ohio? Volunteers of America is great.
So spill it: where are the unknown treasures in your city? Annotate the map above with all of your secret spots — nothing is too small, no place too hidden. The highlighted cities like New York and LA have those little fences just because we know so much about those cities and want to hear about lesser-known destinations — but the fences don't mean you can't share that super secret used bookstore in your neighborhood — just make sure your tips are really special.
Once you've added your tips to the map, you can take it a step further by entering the 2014 Airbnb Shorts Video contest. Here's how it works: make a 15-second video on your phone, capturing the hidden gems and inspiring quirks that made you fall in love with your favorite city. Upload that video to Instagram with the hashtag #Airbnbshorts and a hashtag with the name of your city.
The winner will receive a $500 per night credit toward an Airbnb stay in London, airfare, a seat at the April's Shorts Workshop held by the Sundance Institute, and a video camera. For complete contest rules head to Airbnbshorts.com.
Maud Deitch is a Senior Content Producer at Studio@Gawker. She has written for SPIN, The FADER, MTV.com and others.
This post is a sponsored collaboration between Airbnb and Studio@Gawker.
[Image by Justin Cross & Ramona Udvardi, Studio@Gawker]