With many mobile applications (apps) catering specifically to New York City, users can walk down a digital 3D version of the city to find their spot of interest before actually hitting the pavement. And that’s not all. They can also see where in the city their friends are, book last-minute reservations, buy tickets and even report harassment on the street.
Some people’s immediate response to many everyday situations is to whip out their smart phone and look up the desired information or share it with friends on the spot. Mobile apps have become the tools of daily life.
Anyone who has become accustomed to using a GPS to guide their every turn only to discover that they are completely lost when it is on the fritz may deduce that relying on technology too heavily can have its downfall. On the other hand, technology can open up a wealth of information, allowing people to discover events or venues they never knew existed. It can provide a crutch to the directionally challenged or serve those many busy New Yorkers simply looking for the quickest way to get from A to B.
Getting Around
Subway riders have several apps to choose from. Many bloggers praise the iPhone app iTrans NYC Subway as the best place to get timetables, service advisories, and walking directions to stations—all in one place.
Getting down to the fine details, iPhone’s Exit Strategy NYC Map shows which subway car a rider should board to be closest to the desired exit. Fair Fare, also on the on iPhone, helps the user sort out which Metrocard best suits his or her needs, and iPhone’s NYC Subway Snooze Lite sounds an alarm when the train has reached the rider’s stop—no more waking up five stops down the line and extending an already long and tiring day by waiting for the next train back.
While iPhone offers a wide range of subway apps, Android’s Wayfinder won the grand prize in the NYC BigApps Competition in 2009. This app allows users to hold up their phones as though taking a picture of their location and receive directions to subway stations and more through digital interaction with what they see directly on the street. They can also toggle back and forth between street view and a traditional map with directions.
Various apps have also been designed to aid those looking for a cab or a parking spot within city limits. The Android app CabSense points out the best spot to get a taxi, and even whistles to hail one when the phone is given a shake.
Drivers can mark where they’ve parked using iPhone’s Take Me to My Car app. Visitors can use the same app to mark their hotel.
The PrimoSpot app, which is available for iPhone, Android, and via the Web browser on BlackBerry, tracks down parking spots, providing all the information a driver could want—the permitted parking time interval, street cleaning schedules, insider tips for free parking, garage rates and photos, and even a timer to remind the driver to move his or her car at the appropriate time. Cyclists have not been forgotten either: PrimoSpot shows bike rack locations with photos included.
