http://codereview.stackexchange.com/questions/63961/searching-for-something-at-a-location/64120#64120

gistfile1.rb

class SearchController < ApplicationController
  def index
    if search_params.blank? && where_params.blank?
      @portfolios = Portfolio
        .includes([:user, :portrait])
        .where(published: true)
        .order('created_at DESC')

    else
      @portfolios = search_portfolio search_params, where_params
    end
  end

  private

  # Construct a search query using search arguments
  def search_portfolio(search: nil, coordinates: nil)
    search_args = [ { include: [:user, :portrait] } ]

    # Find portfolios near a given location if coordinates
    # have been provided
    if coordinates
      search_args.unshift({
        where: {
          location: {
            near: Geocoder.coordinates(coordinates),
            within: '300mi'
          }
        }
      })
    end

    # Filter results with a search query if a search
    # term was provided
    search_args.unshift(search) if search

    Portfolio.search(*search_args)
  end

  # Return `params[:search]` if it is present and non-empty,
  # otherwise return nil
  def search_params
    params.fetch(:search, nil).present? ? params[:search] : nil
  end

  # Return `params[:where]` if it is present and non-empty,
  # otherwise return nil
  def where_params
    params.fetch(:where, nil).present? ? params[:where] : nil
  end
end