Most of the places (cafés, restaurants and the like) I am working with on OpenStreetMap are [nodes](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Node) (like [this one](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5919670289)). However I've recently seen cafés (like [this one](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/492846792)) being mapped as [closed ways](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Way#Closed_way) - more specifically as [areas](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Area). Areas seem to make sense: a café or restaurant is never a single point in space but a certain geographical area. However, the [OpenStreetMap default browser editor](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/ID) recommends: - a **point (node)** to "add restaurants, monuments, postboxes or other points to the map" - a **line (way)** to "add roads, streets, ways, canals or other lines to the map" When I contribute new places to OSM, should I add a node or a way? This is key when using the [Overpass API](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Overpass_API), where nodes and ways are treated very differently.

Most of the places (cafés, restaurants and the like) I am working with on OpenStreetMap are [nodes](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Node) (like [this one](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5919670289)). However I've recently seen cafés (like [this one](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/492846792)) being mapped as [closed ways](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Way#Closed_way) - more specifically as [areas](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Area). Areas seem to make sense : sense: a café or restaurant is never a single point in space but a certain geographical area. However, the [OpenStreetMap default browser editor](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/ID) recommends: - a **point (node)** to "add restaurants, monuments, postboxes or other points to the map" - a **line (way)** to "add roads, streets, ways, canals or other lines to the map" When I contribute new places to OSM, should I add a node or a way? This is key when using the [Overpass API](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Overpass_API), where nodes and ways are treated very differently.

Most of the places (cafés, restaurants and the like) I am working with on OpenStreetMap are [nodes](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Node) (like [this one](https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5919670289)). However I've recently seen cafés (like [this one](https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/492846792)) being mapped as [closed ways](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Way#Closed_way) - more specifically as [areas](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Area). Areas seem to make sense : a café or restaurant is never a single point in space but a certain geographical area. However, the [OpenStreetMap default browser editor](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/ID) recommends: - a **point (node)** to "add restaurants, monuments, postboxes or other points to the map" - a **line (way)** to "add roads, streets, ways, canals or other lines to the map" When I contribute new places to OSM, should I add a node or a way? This is key when using the [Overpass API](https://wiki.openstreetmap.org/wiki/Overpass_API), where nodes and ways are treated very differently.