women riding on a trail looking at her phone

There are a lot of mobile apps out there and even more blogs telling you which apps are the most essential to survival in New York City. Instead of just repeating some of these other great lists, we have picked our favorites from a few of the lists we love and organized them by categories.

Travel

While our list of favorites may seem succinct, we wanted to cover most major forms of transportation in NYC or at least the ones that can be the most logistically challenging.

  • MTA Subway Time allows you to track your train and provides live updates on service delays and alerts to the 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and L trains.
  • Exit Strategy may be one of our favorites, and the favorites of many others. While Google Maps and other apps can help you figure out which route to take, only Exit Strategy tells you the best place to stand on the train to be close to your exit. There is no easier way to avoid going out the wrong door and being 5 blocks away from your destination.
  • Get There by Bike is a favorite for those looking to avoid the delays of trains, cars, and walking. The app provides directions and maps that account for traffic, hills, and other obstacles that hinder bikers. Powered by Google’s Bike, it’s a must-have in the city.
  • Ride Sharing services are abundant in NYC, and there are a lot of options to choose from. In this case, we recommend downloading a few like Lyft, Gett, Via, and Uber. Each service has its unique benefits, but it often comes down to the best deal and how reliable the services is, so choose accordingly.
Food and Drink

Who doesn’t like food? In a city with as many fantastic options as New York, there are more than a few ways to make choosing, eating, and enjoying food a little easier.

  • Menu Pages makes looking up and downloading menus for restaurants extremely easy and lets you look up places by neighborhood and price range.
  • OpenTable is the perfect app for anyone who loves to dine out. OpenTable allows users to not only search for restaurants and reviews but to make reservations and earn points that are redeemable at participating OpenTable restaurants.
  • Hooch is a good way to get out and see more of New York while helping you save a bit of extra money as you enjoy some of the city’s watering holes. For $9.99 a month, users can choose one drink a day at participating bars around town.
  • Seamless makes ordering take-out a breeze, and you never have to call to place an order either. Add on a few search filters, and you have an app that is essential to a city known for its 24-hour take-out.
Lifestyle

Everyone has seen a movie or two portraying the glamorous lifestyle of those that live in New York, but many of us know that is not reality for many New Yorkers.

  • ShopDrop is perfect for anyone who loves to shop. In a big city, there are too many deals to remember, so ShopDrop does the work for you.
  • Movie Pass is another great subscription app you can use to see movies in the city. As prices continue to rise, this a great way to still enjoy the movie theater without breaking the bank.

Looking for discounted tickets to that Broadway show? Use the TKTS app to get the best deals and up to minute information on availability.

  • Sit or Squat. You can thank Charmin for this great addition to the app world. It might seem silly now, but finding a clean public bathroom can be a challenge in the city. This app takes the worry out of finding a bathroom and includes information on the facility conditions and if they have changing tables.

We hope a few of these apps will help you make New York feel home and life a little easier. To check out some of the lists we love in full, click through here, here, and here.

As helpful as apps and the internet are, there are some things in NYC that you just need an expert. This is where Station comes in; our agents are knowledgeable and familiar with the fast, competitive NYC market. They will act as your advocate and guide to help you find a home that fits your lifestyle and needs.