Deserializing a JSON into a C# List of Objects

Question

I am trying to Deserialize a JSON from google places api. My custom class is set up as follows and my code looks like this. My Program throws no errors when running but my places object is null.

class PlacesDictionary
{

    public void placesDictionary()
    { }

    public Places GetPlaces()
    {
        Places places = new Places();

        string apiKey = "I have an apiKey";
        string googleUrl;
        googleUrl = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?location=43.038902,-87.906474&radius=500&type=restaurant&name=cruise&key=" + apiKey;

        WebRequest request = WebRequest.Create(googleUrl);
        request.Method = "GET";
        request.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
        WebResponse response = request.GetResponse();
        Console.WriteLine(((HttpWebResponse)response).StatusDescription);
        Stream dataStream = response.GetResponseStream();
        StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(dataStream);
        string responseFromServer = reader.ReadToEnd();
        places = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Places>(responseFromServer);

        Console.WriteLine(responseFromServer);
        Console.ReadLine();
        reader.Close();
        dataStream.Close();
        response.Close();

        return places;
    }
}

public class Places
{
    public List<Place> places { get; set; }

    public class Place
    {
        public Geometry geometry { get; set; }
        public string icon { get; set; }
        public string id { get; set; }
        public string name { get; set; }
        public OpeningHours opening_hours { get; set; }
        public List<Photo> photos { get; set; }
        public string place_id { get; set; }
        public int price_level { get; set; }
        public double rating { get; set; }
        public string reference { get; set; }
        public string scope { get; set; }
        public List<string> types { get; set; }
        public string vicinity { get; set; }

        public class Location
        {
            public double lat { get; set; }
            public double lng { get; set; }
        }

        public class Northeast
        {
            public double lat { get; set; }
            public double lng { get; set; }
        }

        public class Southwest
        {
            public double lat { get; set; }
            public double lng { get; set; }
        }

        public class Viewport
        {
            public Northeast northeast { get; set; }
            public Southwest southwest { get; set; }
        }

        public class Geometry
        {
            public Location location { get; set; }
            public Viewport viewport { get; set; }
        }

        public class OpeningHours
        {
            public bool open_now { get; set; }
            public List<object> weekday_text { get; set; }
        }

        public class Photo
        {
            public int height { get; set; }
            public List<string> html_attributions { get; set; }
            public string photo_reference { get; set; }
            public int width { get; set; }
        }
    }
}

Answer 1

1.Just have Place class only.

2.Initialize List<Place> places=new List<Place>()

3.Deserialize using places

places = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<places>(responseFromServer);

Answer 2

I think you should use

List<Place> places = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<List<Place>>(responseFromServer);

instead of

places = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Places>(responseFromServer);

and don't forget remove following line

 Places places = new Places();

Edit: Full Answer

     static void Main(string[] args)
     {
           string apiKey = "your api key";
           string googleUrl = "https://maps.googleapis.com/maps/api/place/nearbysearch/json?location=43.038902,-87.906474&radius=500&type=restaurant&name=cruise&key=" + apiKey;

            WebRequest request = WebRequest.Create(googleUrl);
            request.Method = "GET";
            request.ContentType = "application/x-www-form-urlencoded";
            WebResponse response = request.GetResponse();
            Console.WriteLine(((HttpWebResponse)response).StatusDescription);
            Stream dataStream = response.GetResponseStream();
            StreamReader reader = new StreamReader(dataStream);
            string responseFromServer = reader.ReadToEnd();
            //StreamWriter wr = new StreamWriter("json.txt");
            //wr.WriteLine(responseFromServer);
            //wr.Flush();
            //To see what it is inside json
            Result results = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject<Result>(responseFromServer);

            Console.WriteLine(responseFromServer);
            Console.ReadLine();
            reader.Close();
            dataStream.Close();
            response.Close();

        }
    }

    public class Result
    {
        public List<HTMLAttribution> html_attributions { get; set; }
        public string next_page_token { get; set; }
        public List<Place> results { get; set; }
        public string status { get; set; }

        //Definations of Classes
        public class HTMLAttribution { } //I don't what it is. It is empty for your url.

        public class Place
        {
            public Geometry geometry { get; set; }
            public string icon { get; set; }
            public string id { get; set; }
            public string name { get; set; }
            public OpeningHours opening_hours { get; set; }
            public List<Photo> photos { get; set; }
            public string place_id { get; set; }
            public int price_level { get; set; }
            public double rating { get; set; }
            public string reference { get; set; }
            public string scope { get; set; }
            public List<string> types { get; set; }
            public string vicinity { get; set; }

            public class Geometry
            {
                public Location location { get; set; }
                public Viewport viewport { get; set; }
            }
            public class Location
            {
                public double lat { get; set; }
                public double lng { get; set; }
            }
            public class Viewport
            {
                public Northeast northeast { get; set; }
                public Southwest southwest { get; set; }
            }
            public class Northeast
            {
                public double lat { get; set; }
                public double lng { get; set; }
            }

            public class Southwest
            {
                public double lat { get; set; }
                public double lng { get; set; }
            }
            public class OpeningHours
            {
                public bool open_now { get; set; }
                public List<object> weekday_text { get; set; }
            }
            public class Photo
            {
                public int height { get; set; }
                public List<string> html_attributions { get; set; }
                public string photo_reference { get; set; }
                public int width { get; set; }
            }
        }
    }

Answer 3

I would try something (if I were you) :

delete Places places = new Places();

replace places = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(responseFromServer); by Places places = JsonConvert.DeserializeObject(responseFromServer);

and add a default constructor in your class Places like you have add in PlacesDictionary.