Just last week, Sharon from Fremont, Calif., wrote to MSN, wanting to direct her computer equipment to a group or person who can really use it. "I would like to know if you could find a place on your page to designate recyclables," she began. "… It would help eliminate office waste greatly, (do) business, recycle, keep our environment clean, and do a good deed to help others, too!"

Sharon, I, too, wish for an easy way to direct goods elsewhere. Personally, I'm looking to move a still-good computer and speakers out of my New York apartment, and I've got to believe the still-functional keyboards amassed in the MSN homepage team's corner in our Midtown offices could be put to better use than just collecting dust atop the cabinets.

Happily, MSN's expansive new approach to its City Guides may offer relief for such conundrums. Rolled out last week, they centralize information relevant to residents and travelers for more than 130 U.S. cities and regions, from finding outlets for dated goods to finding a date – plus a restaurant, bowling alley or map.

Users have seen plenty of stories on MSN, recommending the top pizza joints, the best places to see a T. rex or the don't-miss spots in the city hosting a Super Bowl or All-Star Game. Those kinds of news-you-can use articles have long been staples of the City Guides. Now, advancements in Microsoft features and technology broaden their usefulness.

The alphabetical list of towns and areas from Albany, N.Y., to Worcester, Mass., now includes Washington, oddly enough a city noticeably absent in recent years.

In 1999, Microsoft sold Sidewalk.com, its city guide endeavor, to Citysearch-Ticketmaster, then entered an alliance with Citysearch.com (The deal disallowed use of co-branded information from the nation's capital, as Citysearch.com had an existing contract with washingtonpost.com). This spring, the MSN-Citysearch.com deal expired, allowing MSN to bundle most advanced features in a new manner.

Strategizing for this rollout, considered V5, or version 5, of MSN's City Guides, began about a year ago. The work got underway in earnest in February and was unveiled May 3.

If you've visited City Guides before, your Internet settings determine your location, allowing the delivery of basic information for your town, like weather and local news. When a ZIP code can be ascertained, more finely tuned information like a movie search or local map appears.

In most cases, by clicking on City Guides from the homepage, first-time users will be directed to their location. (To override that – perhaps to explore a city you may soon visit – click on the "Change City" link near the top right of the page). Some users instead will land on the page listing available cities. If you live in a small town, scan the list for regions like Massachusetts' Berkshires, Northern New Jersey or California's Central Coast.

Channel manager Rick VanderKnyff said the goal was to enrich the user experience by prominently featuring local content and services. As far as content, that includes restaurant and event listings, for example, from top national partners as well as original articles and slide shows. Leveraged services from across MSN and Live include maps, local search, movie information, personals, job listings, classifieds, weather and local news headlines, plus integrated Yellow Pages and White Pages.

"We want to provide coverage that is deep in the big markets but also broad, so that users across the country can find relevant local information – not just the New Yorks and Chicagos of the world," VanderKnyff explains. "Even if you’re directed to the City Guides site for a nearby larger city, you’ll be able to search for maps, movies and more for your ZIP code."

Mike Espinosa, the producer instrumental in getting original content on the site, said he's most excited by the usefulness of the guides.

"It’s all about local relevance," he says. "Our richest feature is the ability to package local information based on the area our users are checking in from. The first time users hit the City Guides site, they’ll be greeted by an interactive map of their area, along with local news headlines, community event information, classified listings and weather data – plus other regional bits and pieces."

Espinosa boasts of the simplicity of the experience. "The Virtual Earth map’s pushpin function is ingenious," he states. "If you type in a query, like 'sushi,' for example, it’ll not only list the sushi eateries nearest to you, but it will actually show you exactly where they are." By then clicking on the Windows Live map, a user can get a hybrid look, which blends a satellite photo with street names, or he or she can choose the street or aerial view.

Sharon, back in the greater San Francisco region, can use the Windows Live Expo search from the City Guides home page. She can click on the "Buy, search, swap" link or put in a search term like "computers" as a way to find someone for her older equipment.

Also last week, Mary Jo of Omaha, Neb., submitted a letter to the editor, asking why her town is missing from the list. "Maybe you've heard, Warren Buffett chooses to work, live and hold his annual shareholders meeting here," she says of the Berkshire-Hathaway guru, the world's second wealthiest man. "We built a convention center a few years back, and we are No. 5 in the U.S for concerts. We are having the Olympic swim trials this fall, had the Final Four volleyball and are home to the College World Series. I could go on, but why? Maybe we ought to keep this Midwest city a secret." 

Omaha is not a secret to many people, Mary Jo, and it may be shortly forthcoming as the City Guide team continues to roll out improvements.

"We have a lot of things on the drawing boards, including richer restaurant and event results, user reviews and ratings, and more," VanderKnyff says. "This is just a start. We’ll be ramping up on editorial content in the coming weeks, but we do have a few new features that are now live and ready to go."

Reflecting the guides' mission to inform, a couple of stories include a piece on how to order a cocktail and seven options for customizing your mom's Mother's Day experience, beyond brunch, although a roundup of more than 30 brunch options across the nation is available.

Not all is perfect within the City Guides yet. Fine-tuning continues daily; this month improvements will be in place for a bolstered presence on the MSN homepage, as well on my.msn.com.

Now or down the road, your feedback is welcome, on all aspects of MSN.  Write directly to the City Guides team or send a general note using the form at the top right of this page.