Gelf recently questioned Metro International's bona fides; could a company with free commuter daily newspapers in some 80 cities really know those cities like a local paper should? We found that the New York paper didn't seem to know that New York has five boroughs. In response to our criticism, Metro New York has started running a feature called "Cool in Your Code," which is produced as a page in the paper and also a local TV show. The idea of the feature is to spotlight a New York City zip code's shopping, cultural attractions, and food. It's a respectable idea; too bad Metro lost its map again.

In Tuesday's paper, Cool in Your Code (also at coolinyourcode.com) was ostensibly about the zip code 11211, in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The feature story focuses on Didi Conn (IMDB), who played Frenchy in Grease. That'd be a nice touch, if Didi visited places in Williamsburg. Instead, she starts in Midwood and pretty much stays there, grabbing a slice at the famed—and far from Williamsburg—Di Fara (Slice), zip code 11230. Check the Brooklyn bus map to see just how far apart 11211 is from 11230; pretty much all of lower Manhattan is closer to Williamsburg.

Then, underneath "code quickies," we learn that "The name DUMBO is an acronym created in the 1980's that stands for Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass," which is true but an entire Brooklyn Navy Yard away from Williamsburg; most of DUMBO is in 11201. It's like if under "Gelf quickies," we listed the fun factoid that "Slate Magazine was originally owned by Microsoft." Come to think of it, "Gelf quickies" sounds like fun.

By this point we're realizing that despite the supposed mission to spotlight a zip code at a time, Cool in the Code is really going to lump each "outer borough" into a couple of episodes, alongside features on specific Manhattan neighborhoods. On the feature's episodes page, Chelsea gets equal billing with a feature on Staten Island and "what makes 5 of it's [sic] 12 codes so distinctive."

Perhaps the tagline above this feature in the Metro says it all (or maybe it's just funny):

Get Hip to Your Zip

Cool In Your Code is a hot new "infotainment" show that brings you right into the hood to share what's cool in the various zip codes throughout the city.

Another proud moment for journalism.