Since some recent Android SDK update from the SDK downloader (might be platform tools, or the emulator image), the emulator is working really bad.
It will start, then blink back and forth into a full black screen, or just a transparent screen (with only the home screen background), so I'm unable to develop using it.
I use OS X Mavericks.
I have a suggestion, Try to use Genymotions for testing maps/places app. it is faster than emulator and you can build and check maps application.
www.genymotion.com/