What was New York City like before cell phones? We guess people used more maps, and made plans with their friends days in advance.
People probably found out what was poppin' at night from the newspapers or magazines, or from word of mouth.
They definitely didn't have an app like Fever to find out there was a stellar improv show at the St. Mark's Theater, or UrbanDaddy to discover exactly where to bring a 7 p.m. date on a Thursday on the Upper West Side.
Nowadays, everything is more customized and much more apt for explorative New Yorkers.
(By the way, you probably remember our first piece on this topic a few months back. Well, we're back with more technology to crave your smartphone supremacy.)
Now find out what other 7 apps below you need to download right now to explore New York City way better.
1. Cocktails & Curiosities
Are you smart and love drinking? We thought so.
Do you want to get drunk at NYC's best bars while learning all about NYC's history, art, and culture? We knew it!
Cocktails and Curiosities has smashed together NYC's best walking tours, and will chart out a route for you to best discover NYC's history, pop culture, movie and TV sights, food, art architecture, literature, and more.
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If this doesn't sound like it includes enough alcohol for you, never fear. Cocktails & Curiosities are sure to provide a grown-up style bar crawl along the way.
Greenwich Village tour numbers 1 and 2 are available now on Google Play.
2. Hopstop
Some people swear by Embark, which you will find later in this article. Of course Embark has its merits, and might be objectively preferable to Hopstop.
Bu, we will never abandon this app. If it weren't for this nifty piece of technology, we would have probably drowned in the Hudson River by now. Or have gotten lost on a corner in West Harlem at least once.
Here's how Hopstop works: you input your origin location (current location is an option) and then your desired location.
It then tells you what subways to take, and how long it will take you. They also give you walking maps with an estimated ETA, and estimated cab fare and ETA.
3. UrbanDaddy
You tell UrbanDaddy the situation, they tell you the move.
Is it Wednesday around 6:30 p.m.? Who are you with? Friends? An ex? A date? Do you want food and drinks? How about dancing? Dessert?
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Whatever your situation, location, and companionship is, input it into UrbanDaddy's magic situation calculator, and they'll output an itinerary for your evening. And they always nail it.
Do you want oysters by the water to talk business? Well, they'll give you a spot. Do you want to have dinner with your ex and then get it on? You're set.
It's that simple, really.
4. Meetup
Meetup is amazing for making new pals and having a happier life. Whatever you're into, there are groups of New Yorkers who are into the same thing.
Do you like early morning hiking? How about a Wednesday night book club, or Thursday night women's basketball, or Sunday afternoon soccer?
Maybe you're a single parent who's looking for other single parent friends. Maybe you love watching movies that were made in 1993.
Whatever it is, stop making excuses for why you can't follow your passion, and instead download Meetup and start joining other New Yorkers who are doing the same things you love to do.
,5. Fever
Fever has the pulse of NYC on lock.
It's Thursday night, your friend wants to hang, and you're sick and tired of meeting up in loud bars and hearing about each other's trivial issues. It gets old. So you want to know what's really happening in NYC.
Fever is your source. From concerts to comedy shows to deals on ice cream, Fever has it going on. All you do is click the app, and then click tonight (you can also click "later," or "tomorrow).
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You're able to personalize this app as well, so your version of Fever will know what you like to do. And those activities will come up first.
They'll also give you crazy good deals on a lot of activities and restaurants, so you can do the things you love for less money. It's a win-win for everyone.
6. Embark
Embark is superior to Hopstop in a very integral way: it works with or without service.
So if you're halfway through your trip underground, and realize you're on the wrong train, you can reroute yourself with Embark-- even if you're not at Grand Central or somewhere else where there's a Wi-Fi signal.
They present you with several route options, and how long they'll take. They also have plenty of maps, and countdowns to when specific trains will arrive. And they let you know when trains are running late, and what stations are closed when.
They're basically the sixth sense for riding and surviving the subway, which all New Yorkers definitely need.
7. Venmo
Okay, okay, we'll admit it. Venmo isn't a "way to explore the city," per say, but it is definitely an avenue to make exploring the city more enjoyable.
We all know most New Yorkers never carry cash. Well, Venmo is the cure to that problem.
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It won't help you with cash-only restaurants (if none of your friends carry cash), but if one of your friends has cash, you're golden.
Just type in the amount you want to pay them, and Venmo will remove that money from your bank account and put it into your friend's bank account.
Wallah!
Check out 8 Must-Have Apps Every New Yorker Should Download Right Now.
[via Beautiful Decay]