As many can attest to, I am a serious coffee-drinker, oftentimes much too serious of a coffee drinker. Naturally, I chose to analyze the locations of certain coffee house locations throughout Los Angeles County. To analyze the spatial autocorrelation of these locations, I had to geocode the data using ArcGIS. The first task was to input 100 addresses into an Excel spreadsheet. In ArcGIS, I had to create a create an address locator based on the data of my Los Angeles County shapefile. After this step, I could then match my addresses to the map, and they would be clearly marked. I encountered several difficulties throughout this process. For one, many of my addresses were not recognized by the address locator. My shapefile may have been out of date, or the listed addresses may have simply been incorrect. Despite this problem, all of my addresses were eventually matched, and my geocoded GIS revealed some striking phenomena.
For this exercise, I thought that it would be fascinating to map and analyze which communities within Los Angeles are best served by Coffee Bean and Teal Leaf coffee house chain. As we can tell from the GIS, Coffee Bean explicitly chooses to focus on certain communities while neglecting others. For instance, the Coffee Bean chain represents itself very well in West Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, and Torrance, while much of South Central Los Angeles contains very few, if any, stores. It is clear that Coffee Bean has chosen its locations based on the affluence of the community that it serves. There are almost zero stores in the poverty-stricken communities of Compton and Watts, whereas it seems as though almost every block in Beverly Hills has multiple stores. It also becomes clear that the chain tends to only open branches on major streets. On the map, one can clearly notice such major streets as Wilshire Blvd, Ventura Blvd, and Sepulveda Blvd.
Working through this lab, I soon discovered the limitless possibilities of geocoding. In this lab for instance, I began with a serious question - Do coffee houses appear more frequently in affluent communities than in poorer communities? After finishing the geocoding, my map revealed my answer. In a broad sense, geocoding visually provides the answer to questions and hypotheses. It can be used as evidence, similar to what I have used my map for. Further, geocoding and GIS in general reveal patterns in data. While an excel spreadsheet filled with addresses is completely useless upon first glance, the manipulation of this data in software such as ArcGIS visually reveals the aforementioned patterns that can ultimately be used to answer countless serious questions. While my question may be simple, it is still legitimate, and GIS provided me an answer. With this lab, the many benefits and far-reaching influence of GIS software become apparent.
Below is my list of addresses:
| ID | NAME | ADDRESS | ZIP |
| 1 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 801 W. 7th Street | 90017 |
| 2 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3183 Wilshire Blvd | 90010 |
| 3 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3726 S. Figueroa St | 90007 |
| 4 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 670 S. Western Ave | 90005 |
| 5 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3810 Wilshire Blvd | 90010 |
| 6 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 2081 Hillhurst Ave | 90027 |
| 7 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 135 N. Larchmont | 90004 |
| 8 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 209 S. Mednik Ave | 90022 |
| 9 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 5555 Melrose Avenue | 90038 |
| 10 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 6255 W. Sunset Blvd. | 90028 |
| 11 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 260 S La Brea Blvd. | 90036 |
| 12 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 7235 Beverly Blvd. | 90036 |
| 13 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 5979 W. Third Street | 90036 |
| 14 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 6922 Hollywood Blvd. | 90028 |
| 15 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 7257 W Sunset Blvd | 90046 |
| 16 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 7502 Melrose Ave | 90046 |
| 17 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 6333 West 3rd Street | 90036 |
| 18 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 700 Fair Oaks Ave | 91030 |
| 19 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8328 Wilshire Blvd. | 90211 |
| 20 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 7915 W Sunset Blvd | 90046 |
| 21 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 300 S La Cienega Blvd | 90048 |
| 22 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1200 N. Central Ave | 91202 |
| 23 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8500 Beverly Blvd. | 90048 |
| 24 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1500 Canada Blvd. | 91208 |
| 25 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8793 Beverly Blvd | 90048 |
| 26 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8735 Santa Monica Blvd. | 90069 |
| 27 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 18 S Fair Oaks Ave | 91105 |
| 28 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8789 W Sunset Blvd. | 90069 |
| 29 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 415 S. Lake Ave. | 91101 |
| 30 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 9541 W. Pico Blvd. | 90035 |
| 31 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 233 S. Beverly Dr. | 90212 |
| 32 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 445 N. Beverly Drive | 90210 |
| 33 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 160 N. Lake Ave | 91101 |
| 34 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 10121 Riverside Drive | 91602 |
| 35 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 10401 Venice Blvd. | 90034 |
| 36 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1940 Century Park E | 90067 |
| 37 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 340 N. San Fernando Blvd. | 91502 |
| 38 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 4444 Lankershim Blvd | 91602 |
| 39 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8550 Firestone Blvd. | 90241 |
| 40 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 10401 Santa Monica Blvd. | 90025 |
| 41 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3470 S. Sepulveda Blvd. | 90034 |
| 42 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 10800 W. Pico Blvd. | 90064 |
| 43 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3701 Ocean View blvd | 91020 |
| 44 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 10897 W Pico Blvd. | 90064 |
| 45 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 12050 Ventura Blvd | 91604 |
| 46 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8824 Sepulveda Blvd | 90045 |
| 47 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 5300 Lankershim Blvd | 91601 |
| 48 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1500 Westwood Blvd. | 90024 |
| 49 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 574 Hilgard Ave. | 90024 |
| 50 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 11049 Santa Monica Blvd. | 90025 |
| 51 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 10861 Le Conte ave | 90024 |
| 52 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 950 Westwood Blvd | 90024 |
| 53 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 12930 Ventura Blvd. | 91604 |
| 54 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1001 Gayley ave | 90024 |
| 55 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 2675 Foothill Blvd. | 91214 |
| 56 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3601 E. Foothill Blvd. | 91107 |
| 57 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 11727 W Olympic Blvd | 90064 |
| 58 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 8601 Lincoln Blvd | 90045 |
| 59 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 11913 W. Olympic Blvd. | 90064 |
| 60 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 400 S. Baldwin Avenue | 91007 |
| 61 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 4700 Admiralty Way | 90292 |
| 63 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 4020 Lincoln Blvd | 90292 |
| 63 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 7201 Greenleaf ave | 90602 |
| 64 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1644 Cloverfield Blvd | 90404 |
| 65 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 14006 Riverside Dr. | 91423 |
| 66 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 11698 W San Vicente Blvd | 90049 |
| 67 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3008 N Sepulveda Blvd | 90266 |
| 68 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 2700 N Sepulveda Blvd | 90266 |
| 69 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 2901 Main St. | 90405 |
| 70 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1413 Hawthorne Blvd. | 90278 |
| 71 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 14440 Burbank Blvd | 91401 |
| 72 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 200 Santa Monica Blvd | 90401 |
| 73 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 321 Manhattan Beach Blvd. | 90266 |
| 74 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1133 Artesia Blvd. | 90266 |
| 75 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 102 South Myrtle Avenue | 91016 |
| 76 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 20301 Hawthorne Blvd. | 90503 |
| 77 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 4105 Atlantic Ave | 90807 |
| 78 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 702 E. Huntington Dr | 91016 |
| 79 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1227 Hermosa Avenue | 90254 |
| 80 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 12560 Artesia Blvd. | 90703 |
| 81 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 15278 Antioch St. | 90272 |
| 82 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 21300 Hawthorne Blvd. | 90503 |
| 83 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 3455 Sepulveda Blvd | 90505 |
| 84 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 17301 Ventura Blvd. | 91316 |
| 85 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 17840 Ventura Blvd | 91316 |
| 86 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1617 s Pacific Coast Hwy. | 90277 |
| 87 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 6344 E Spring Street | 90808 |
| 88 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 25345 Crenshaw Blvd. | 90505 |
| 89 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 18505 Ventura Blvd. | 91356 |
| 90 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 1212 n Bellflower Blvd | 90815 |
| 91 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 19732 Ventura Blvd. | 91364 |
| 92 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 20060 Ventura Blvd. | 91364 |
| 93 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 4925 E. Second St. | 90803 |
| 94 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 18010 Chatsworth Street | 91344 |
| 95 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 6471 East Pacific Coast Highway | 90803 |
| 96 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 5780 Canoga Ave. | 91367 |
| 97 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 21851 Ventura Blvd. | 91364 |
| 98 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 18705 Devonshire Street | 91324 |
| 99 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 21909 Ventura Blvd | 91364 |
| 100 | Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf | 6600 Topanga Canyon Blvd. | 91303 |
