New York is fast, it's vibrant, it's brassy, it's gritty, it's glamorous and it's artistic, but let's face it, if you're a visitor, it can be downright intimidating.
How to navigate, where to park, what to tip, to walk or try the subway? A visitor's list can scroll for miles.
Luckily, the following apps have come to the rescue. They've done the dirty work for you, so you can focus on living it up in New York!
6 Apps for Tourists in New York City:
1) HopStop: Need directions from your hotel to the Museum of Natural History and then down to the 9/11 Memorial? No problem, Hopstop has got you covered and will have you navigating the city like a local. Simply type in the address of your departing location and the address of your destination to receive step by step, easy to follow directions either by car, subway, bus or on foot. If you choose the subway option, you'll get a full report that takes into account track work, delays and the latest train schedule.
2) ParkWhiz: So you've decided to drive into the city, but you're nervous about street parking. Park whiz to the rescue! Find discounted parking garages in your desired neighborhood or in close proximity to a specific location. Whether you're looking to park your car for the weekend near your hotel, or simply need to have a secure parking spot by Rockefeller Center for three hours, Park Whiz will find a lot close to your destination and will conjure up a discounted price. No worries about feeding meters, getting towed, or getting dents or scrapes.
3) Uber: There are certain times where it's impossible to hail a taxi. Certain neighborhoods (ahem, Greenpoint, Brooklyn) tend to have fewer cabs and hailing one can be a time consuming fight. Let's not even get into the misery of hailing a cab in the rain, or howling wind, or freezing snow. With Uber, you can relax and summon a cab through your phone at your convenience. Be prepared for quick and easy door to door service. Call your cab the same moment you ask your waiter for the check, by the time you're finished paying, your cab should be outside waiting. Time spent awkwardly pacing the sidewalk with your arm outstretched- none.
4) Seamless: So you've spent the day walking through crowds, you're too exhausted and hungry to wait for a reservation to open up and you're tired of the same old room service from the restaurant in your hotel...time to order from Seamless. Simply type in your hotel's address and a list of participating restaurants will pop up. You can browse hundreds of fabulous, ethnically diverse menus and place an order from some of the most delicious restaurants in the city. Within 45 minutes (max) your food will arrive and yes, they deliver to hotels and hostels. Just because your opting for a night in, doesn't mean you need to settle. One of the greatest joys of New York is taking full advantage of the city's many culinary options. If you can crave it, someone will make it.
5) Exploration Dining: Not sure how to score last minute reservations or even where to eat, Exploration Dining is a mobile concierge service designed to solve that problem. Browse hundreds of dishes from local restaurants, find what inspires you and make reservations (if needed) directly from your phone. Just like that, you're in! Bon Appetit.
6) RelayRides: Leaving your car behind while you take your New York vacation? Make money with your car by participating in RelayRides! Say what? Break even on that gorgeous handbag you saw at Macy's by using RelayRides. RelayRides is a car sharing service that will pay you, to rent your car while you're gone. They take care of insurance and the legalities, you get to make money while you travel. Since your car will just be sitting there, you might as well let it serve someone else and bring home some bacon.
So there you have it, six apps that will help with the logistics of your next trip to New York, so you can focus on more pressing concerns such as which museums to visit, what shoes to buy and what shows to see.
Mmmmmm....
Concrete jungle where dreams are made!