Best Apps for NYC

August 5, 2014 7:49 PM

I just moved to NYC, successfully thanks to my last ask. I downloaded the basic apps on my iPhone (Seamless, Uber, Yelp). Is there anything else that will make my life easier?

I am into fashion, food (eating and cooking), and art. I'm single but not really looking for dates just yet. I know some people in the city but don't have best friends here, so info about events that I wouldn't feel weird about going to solo would be awesome.

posted by elvissa to Society & Culture (10 answers total)

I lived in NYC for three weeks last summer, and was not particularly familiar with navigating mass transit there. Embark NYC and HopStop were a huge help to me.

I was there for an improv class at the Magnet Theater. If that's your thing, they have some great weeknight shows where you pay $7 or $10 for a whole night of improv. I don't think you'd stand out at all as a solo attendee. They also offer a free intro class, which could be a fun way to meet people when you're ready.
posted by booksherpa at 8:04 PM on August 5, 2014

Oh, duh, I forgot meetups! The NYC MeFite crowd was warm and welcoming at the couple I got to while I was there.
posted by booksherpa at 8:07 PM on August 5, 2014

If you like theater, the TKTS app is worth a download.
posted by SisterHavana at 8:26 PM on August 5, 2014

ExitStrategy is my go-to subway app, it shows you which car to be in to get off nearest the stairs.
posted by nicwolff at 8:38 PM on August 5, 2014 [2 favorites]

Google Maps
Dark Sky (push notifications for when it starts to rain)
iTrans NYC or Embark (push notifications of train delays Mon-Fri during commute hours)
OpenTable
Menupages
Way2Ride & RideLinQ (to pay for cab rides)
Foursquare, Swarm
The Scoop by the New York Times (restaurants, bars, coffee, art, theatre, music, etc)
FreshDirect (if a user)
ZipCar (if a member)
posted by kathryn at 9:37 PM on August 5, 2014 [1 favorite]

For art & music events:

NYC-ARTS (by WNET public tv)
New York Art Beat (by nyartbeat.com)
Goings On About Town (by The New Yorker)

An odd one - TreesNY uses the city's street tree database to identify any sidewalk tree.

And I like CityMapper for transit planning - it sometimes comes up with good routes that google maps doesn't find, and integrates realtime bus tracking.
posted by moonmilk at 9:43 PM on August 5, 2014

I like kickmap - a subway map that doesn't need to be connected to the internet. It helps once you get underground - no more searching for the one map in the traincar.
posted by Shebear at 2:53 AM on August 6, 2014

NYC Bus Maps will tell you how far away the next bus is through gps. As buses in NYC are far less reliable than the subway, this has improved my life by at least 25%.
posted by dysh at 5:09 AM on August 6, 2014

If you find yourself getting coffee, lunch or what have you from a lot of places that support it, using LevelUp is pretty handy.
posted by ursus_comiter at 6:37 AM on August 6, 2014

For figuring out exactly where you need to be on a train to get out at the best exit for where you're going, Exit Strategy. For general subway direction planning, Itrans NYC.

If you're going to be biking around, Ride the City.

I used to use EventWire for finding all kinds of events going on right now or in the next few days throughout the city, but it looks like it may no longer be updated? Try the New York Times The Scoop app.

Unfortunately, it looks like some of my old favorites (IParks, for info on NYC parks, and ArtNear, for info on current exhibits and gallery shows) are no longer available for download. Tranquilicity for finding little spots of quiet to chill out in the city close to where you are at any given point.
posted by tigerbelly at 12:20 PM on August 6, 2014