If you don’t live in NYC, you don’t have a database of New York-specific resources in your head. You don’t know the go-to place in midtown for a nice bathroom, where to find healthy snacks in any neighborhood, how to always make sure the wifi works, or how to handle the subways. But I do – and your phone can be your saving grace. Here are 3 apps a NYC newbie needs to make everything easier.
1. Always know the wifi password with Wifi Map. No more fumbling with passwords or having to make a purchase, and no asking the busy staff for the password. Just click into your app from anywhere, and you’ll find the best free network. (There’s also free NYC wifi in most subway stations in Manhattan and lots of other places now.)
2. Find a bathroom effortlessly – use the tips below, an app like Flush or a website like Mappler.
Here’s how a New Yorker does it – first of all, Starbucks works, but it’s not the greatest first resort. I mean… literally everyone in NYC considers Starbucks their personal bathroom, so there is almost always a line, they don’t smell great, and lots of things happen in those restrooms (you don’t wanna know). But it’s workable. My preferred suggestion is to seek out a hotel, hair salon, or a nicer restaurant. You can also pop into a cute coffeeshop or hit the nearest Whole Foods. If you really wanna be sure, try one of the apps.
3. Navigate subways with ease on MyTransit or Citymapper. They’ll show you the nearest subway lines, route you to other destinations, and give you real-time updates on train delays. Citymapper has a nifty search function, so you can search for the kind of food you want, and get a route really quickly. You can also log your home location and make the app remind you to exit at the proper stop.
That covers the basics. What apps do you use when you travel? Let me know with a comment!
