You are 13 Apps Away from Living Like a New Yorker

If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere, right?While making it in New York may not be as easy as one would like, one of the many benefits of living in the city is the variety of unique services that tailor to your every need. New Yorkers are constantly connected to their phones and use their apps religiously to complete tasks amidst their busy lives. So for your convenience, we decided to compile a selection of apps that make the transition to living like a native New Yorker a breeze.

Simple life in New York 

Task Rabbit - Did you just buy an entire living room of IKEA furniture and can’t find the time to assemble it? Does your closet need organizing? Or maybe you have a party coming up and need catering? Consider it done! Task Rabbit is the app that lets you post any task you can imagine. Just specify when you need it done and how much you’ll pay. When a “Task Rabbit” accepts your task, all you have to do is agree on a time with him/her. Let the app know when the task is completed and the payment happens automatically.

Seamless - Craving Belgian Waffles? Or Chinese Noodles? In New York instant food delivery has become as common as taking the subway. Seamless is the convenient app that lets you browse through a vast library of nearby restaurants, order whatever you want, and have it on your doorstep in no time. Payment and tipping is automated within the app. An alternative to Seamless is GrubHub, which offers a similar service.

Drizly - Throwing a party and forgot to stock up on beer? No problem! The Drizly app allows you to browse through various kinds of beer, wine, and liquor and order your choice of alcohol directly to your door - delivered within 20-40 minutes.

Shout - Standing in line or getting that exclusive restaurant reservation you have been hoping for is often an issue for New Yorkers. Shout is a new app that allows you to sell, trade, or buy a spot in line, a restaurant reservation, or a spot at the beach. No need to stand for hours in line at the DMV or wait for hours to get one of those fresh Cronuts! Simply open the app and enter the price, location, and a short description. Chat, trade, and pay seamlessly within the app.

Instacart - Haven’t found the time or energy to do your grocery shopping? Don’t worry, Instacart has you covered. Instacart is a new grocery delivery service that does your grocery shopping for you. The app connects you to “Personal Shoppers” in your area who pick up and deliver your groceries from your favorite local stores. The service charges a small fee depending on how fast you want your groceries delivered and is available between 9 a.m. and midnight, depending on store hours.

Discover New York 

OpenTable - Want to try every restaurant in New York but find yourself going to the same places out of habit? Get out of your rut and stimulate your curiosity with OpenTable. The app allows you to browse through nearly every restaurant in New York, read reviews, see menus, and make reservations directly within the app.

Urban Daddy - What day is it? Where are you? Who are you with? What are you in the mood for? Answer these questions and the Urban Daddy app will guide you to the best restaurants or bars nearby tailored to your specific needs. Or you can choose the “surprise me” option and stumble upon some unconventional suggestions. You can also make reservations directly from within the app.

The Scoop - This app was developed by the New York Times staff and is a compilation of favorite bars, restaurants, stores, performances, outings, and other New York experiences. It also has an "only in New York" section that allows you to find unofficial scoops that you may not have known about. The app allows you to keep track of what you’ve done by checking experiences off the list.

Time Out New York - Out and about and want something fun to do now? The Time Out New York app provides a great overview of all the stuff going on nearby based on your location.

NYC Way - This app incorporates everything you need in New York including where to find coffee, a movie, a hotel, a Broadway show, a restroom, parking, a local car service, a spa… the list goes on and on. This is a definite must-have app for anyone living in or visiting New York.

Only in New York 

Sit or Squat - New York is a walking city and you may often find yourself without a clue of where to find the nearest restroom. Next time you are in need, try Sit or Squat to locate the nearest and cleanest restroom. When you are done, you can rate the restroom as either “sit” or “squat” based on its cleanliness.

Breather - Sometimes this buzzing city can be exhausting - they say that an hour in New York is equivalent to a day in another city! Breather is a new service app that lets you rent a space by the hour to do whatever you want; be it work, sleep, or just sit down and do nothing.

Type n Walk - New Yorkers are always on the go and it is common to see them texting on their phones while navigating blindly around the crowded streets of New York. Type n Walk allows you to text while you walk and avoid bumping into people on your way. It uses your phone’s camera lens as its background so that you know what is ahead and can type while paying attention to your surroundings. When you are done typing, simple copy and paste the text into a message and send it off.

Enjoy these apps that make the transition to living like a native New Yorker no harder than a swipe, a click, and a tap away!You can also check out our Top 10 Must-Have Apps for Internationals in NYC and Top NYC Transportation Apps.