A good method of studying the people, places, and other features of the urban environment is by algorithmic psychogeography. This form of urban exploration is accomplished by walking down the streets of a city following a certain pattern, such as first street left, second street left, first street right, repeat...
Walking the streets in a pattern like this will take you to places you never knew existed. This must be done while walking, not driving, as the isolation of sitting in a car's little glass bubble blocks out a lot of the sights, sounds, and even smells of the city.