You've got your smart phone, right? You've got your new emoticons, whatever subway app suits you, and countless text messages streaming in from your friends.
What other apps do you rely on?
Likely, you're constantly clicking on your Venmo app to repay your friends, and to get repaid. Money streaming in from a Venmo transaction is sweet indeed.
Maybe you have apps that manage your budget, apps that let you alter your Instagram photos, and apps that track the weather.
Whatever apps you already use, it's completely possible you're not utilizing your virtual connection with New York City to its highest extent. Likely, there's more you can do with your cell phone to get the most out of this city.
So what apps should you download ASAP? Continue reading to find out.
1. Snapchat
spoiled_nyc look ma, we made it! 😂😂😂 add us on #snapchat: spoilednyc 👻🗽👻🗽👻 #nycshenanigans #nycadventures 🌇🌃🌉 tonight, we're at the #foodpornparty for the 2015 @foodfilmfest 🍔🎬🍕🎥🍜🎬🍝🎥🍟 in two weeks, we're driving #crosscountry from #sanfrancisco to #nyc 😬🚙⛽️🚕🚏🚗🚦 #siliconvalley #herewecome #whynot #YOLO #route66 #onlyonsnapchat #snapchatstories #spoilednyc
Okay, we know you probably already knew about Snapchat. We just wanted to toss this one in the mix to remind you that Snapchat makes users happier than any other social media.
On Snapchat, users reported they're more cheered by their interactions on Snapchat then they are by Facebook or Instagram, which didn't surprise us in the slightest. On Facebook or Instagram you're required to look a certain way and present a certain image.
On Snapchat, the pictures disappear. So there is no such pressure.
Also, we wanted to tell you something you may not already know. We just joined Snapchat. Yes, drop the mic, let the cheers ensure, bring the house down. Our Snapchat name is very simple: spoiledNYC. Please follow us, and we promise we won't send you sexts.
2. Starbucks app
pudrescu Life changing. Order. Pay. Coffee is waiting for you! Best thing ever! #starbucksapp #starbucksrocks #coffeejunkie #starbucks #mobilestarbucks #goldmemberstarbucks #starbucksgold #lifechanging #bestthingever #momswilllovethis #momswillneverlookback #perfectforbusymoms
Have you heard about Starbucks' app? It's completely changing the Starbucks game. It's bringing coffee drinking to whole new levels.
Before the Starbucks app, you'd have to wait in irksome lines. You'd have to squint at the menu, trying to figure out what to order. You'd be put on the spot when you got to the cash register, never quite ordering what you want.
The Starbucks app puts an end to all the woes we just listed. With the app, you don't have to wait in line. You can tap your order on the way to the store, and it'll tell you how many minutes until your order is ready.
So you can basically be entering the store while they're shouting out your name and that your drink is ready. Plus, you'll no longer have to deal with the pressure of deciding on the spot. For once, the whole of Starbucks menu is splayed before you, and you'll have no pressure to decide in any amount of time.
Get the app here.
3. UpOut Insiders
UpOut Insiders is an invite-only membership app with exclusive events for New Yorkers. Maybe you've found yourself getting a little tired of the city. Maybe the nightlife seems humdrum, and the bars and clubs are all one big yawn.
With UpOut Insiders, you'll fall back in love with the city all over again. You'll have weak knees, butterflies in your stomach, and just like any true, great love, you'll never want to leave.
Every month, UpOut Insiders curates hundreds of events; from big names to small ones. The best part is that every month you'll get to pick your best two, and, if you can believe it, UpOut Insiders will send you complimentary tickets to both events.
You'll get access to secret wine tastings, poetry brothers, musicals, and even big name festivals like Governors Ball. Sounds amazing, right? We thought it would. Get started here.
,4. Via
ridewithvia Summer’s end got you down? Fear not, Via-istas! We’ve got an exciting contest to help you kick those back-to-school blues. This Tuesday through Friday, we're stocking a select number of Via-cles with Broad Bean Crisps from our friends at Enlightened. If you spot these goodies in your Via this week, post a photo of yourself on your ride with the crisps and tag @eatenlightened and @ridewithvia. Don't forget the hashtags #spillthebeans and #ridewithvia. At the end of the week, we'll select 5 winners at random to receive a special prize from Enlightened and $20 of Ride Credit on us. Go ahead - spill the beans!
So Uber is great in theory and everything, but holla if you're sick of surge charges! Yeah, we know you all just hollered. All the fun of taking a ride is completely sucked out of the equation when you have to pay double, even triple the price of the ride, right?
What would you do if we told you there was an app through which you could get rides anywhere in Manhattan below 110th Street, for just $5?
Yeah, we'd think we're crazy too, but in fact this is the real deal. It's a true thing. You can ride with Via anywhere south of 110th Street for just $5.
Okay, there are two catches. One: it's only available on the weekdays, from 6:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Two, you may have to share your ride with others going the same way. Still, you might make friends, right?
This app is practically revolutionary, and certainly the end of getting robbed blind by Uber. Download it here.
5. Dine
getflavour 🎶Hello, is it me you're looking for?🎶 Glorious Croque Madame + 📷: @tartinery #getFlavour #NYC #treatyoself #breakfast #yolkporn #foodporn
You're all-too familiar with the scene. You're meeting up with a pal for drinks and neither of you are planners by nature. You google "drinks in the East Village." Your screen is flooded with angry Yelp reviews and hundreds of options. How could you ever pick one?
Now, with Dine, all the pressure of finding a spot to hit on your own is completely lifted. Dine lets you input the details that matter, like, whether this is a first date or a work lunch, and what specific cuisine you're craving.
Instead of barely comprehensible Yelp reviews, you'll be reading pro-tips from chefs, local experts, and notable publication. It distills all the information and tells you exactly what you need to know: where to go.
Basically, it's like having a friend who never leaves you, and this friend knows about all the best places in the city. Get it here.
Check out 7 Apps Perfect for Meeting New People in NYC.
[Feature Image Courtesy Skirt Collective]