The latest city to jump on the open government data bandwagon is the Big Apple. A few months ago, New York City launched a competition in partnership with the startup ChallengePost to spur development of applications that turn government data sets into practical citizen and business tools. Following cities like San Francisco and Washington DC, New York has opened up some 170 data sets to civic-minded developers. If Gov 2.0 can make it here, it can make it anywhere, right?

The nominees are flowing in — see the full list of entries in the NYC Big Apps gallery. The winner, who will receive $5,000 in prizes and dinner with Mayor Michael Bloomberg (presumably his treat), has yet to be announced.

Here's an early look at some of the coolest apps to surface:

(Note: these are in no particular order, since we haven't had a chance to fully test-drive all of them for ranking)

1. Data Turf

This online app generates rankings for areas to live based on the availability of Recreation, Transportation, Restaurants and Services for New York City addresses. Though the numerical scores (shown as percentiles) are not a very robust way of comparing something as complex as neighborhoods, the corresponding lists with adjacent map display are nice to have when checking out what's where nearby. Anyone who's lived in New York can appreciate the laundromat listings. Available on the Web.

2. ParkShark

This is one of two apps I like that address the perennial New York frustration of finding a good parking spot. ParkShark taps into municipal data about public and private garages, but its best feature is the ability to link up and coordinate with friends to share parking spaces. Available as an iPhone app.

3. Primo Spot

If you're going it alone, Primo Spot is a primo way to search for potential parking spaces. And the emphasis is on potential. The app tracks parking signs and regulations across the boroughs (Boston too!) via a Google Maps overlay, so you can see where spaces may be freeing up and for how long they'll be legal. It also provides info on alternatives to street parking such as parking garages and bike racks. You can even set reminders for yourself. Very nifty if you're (un)lucky enough to have a car in the city. Available on the Web or as an iPhone app.

4. Ride the City

For anyone looking to get around Gotham by bike, Ride the City maps out the fastest and safest routes from Point A to Point B. Simply dragging your starting location and destination onto the large city map will calculate the best route. Cyclists who have favorite street segments can save those and all riders are invited to comment on the routes they've taken. Available on the Web for New York and a handful of other U.S. cities.  

5. BldgBeat

If it sometimes feels that New York is one giant never-ending construction project, BldgBeat just may be the app to help you keep track of it all. Billed as a tool to "stay on top of construction and visualize the myriad factors that drive development in your neighborhood," the app is not yet available to test-drive though a video preview can be found here. It will bring together statistics on active job sites, development envelopes and potential, and zoning, as well as offer community interaction. Available as an iPhone app (January 2010).  

6. Blocks and Lots

This is a fairly basic app providing building and owner info for New York addresses. Available on the Web and as an embeddable widget.

7. BookZee

Want a library book, but don't know which city branch might have it? The New York Public Library site is a good place to check, but there's also BookZee, which is a handy mobile app that lets you search for authors and books and library branches across the city. See a video demo here. Available as an iPhone app.

8. NYC Way

New Yorkers want everything, their way, and this app aims to please by combining more than 30 apps into one. Covering everything from WiFi hotspots to dog runs to restaurant inspections, NYC Way is the mother of all apps. (It even has an app for coffee listings... where was this when I lived in New York!) Speed and stability were fine for me during a brief outing on the iPhone version. Here's a video overview showing off more of the features, and there's a web version you can try out before downloading the mobile app.   

9. Snap311

There are a number of cities now boasting apps that enable citizens to report 311-style problems like potholes and broken parking meters to city officials. Snap311 has an easy-to-use interface for reporting these public safety and nuisance issues from a mobile phone, with the option of adding a photo too. It's not much more than an email service, but if those emails get to the right place in the municipal bureaucracy, and action is taken, then it is a fine service indeed. Available on the Web.

10. OMB Executive Dashboard

Love city budgets? This is the app for you. Actual historic revenue data and planned revenue for future years is shared and displayed in charts and graphs. Available on the web (though fair warning: I had trouble accessing it a few times).

11. PlayAround

Parents want only the best for their kids, and in the urban jungle of NYC, it's sometimes hard to find a little patch of green in which to roll around. This straightforward app aims to show which areas of the city are best supported by public playgrounds, taking into account factors such as major and minor truck routes. It's a bit lacking as a one-stop shop, since the pink map overlay is about all that is easily found here. Available on the Web.

12. OASIS Map

What PlayAround lacks in depth, the OASIS map from the Center for Urban Research at CUNY makes up for in volume of data. The problem here is that the deeper you dive into the fantastic data overlays, the less appealing the interface becomes. Still, the OASIS map has plenty of interesting and useful urban data, broken up into several categories. I found the environmental overlays to be the most interesting: seeing where the brownfields, hazardous waste remediation sites, sewer outfalls and other pollution centers were near my old neighborhood were certainly a wake-up call. Available on the Web. 

13. Graffiti Fanz

What's New York without a little wall art. The app called Graffiti Fanz tracks some (but clearly not all) the tagging that goes on in the city, and gives residents and business owners the ability to request graffiti cleanup. Available on the web (note: I saw some NSFW links on the page)

And for reading this far, the final app has the potential to be a real conversation starter...

14. Map of the News, specifically "Universities and People Reporting 3 or More Sexual Partners per Month"

This app offers a selection of map overlays in the categories of Emergency Services, People, Business, Recreation and more. But a fascinating combination that might raise some eyebrows — or point you to where you should go out this weekend — was the presentation of data on sexual activity. (Note: Staten Island does better than you'd think.) Available on the Web.