With the right apps and your iPhone, you can transform yourself into a savvy insider with all the answers. When it’s time to hit the town, you can find things to do and friends to join the fun.
Let your fingers do the tapping.
Download the YP Mobile application from the App Store and find concerts, sporting events, plays, and festivals in your city. Flick to scroll popular businesses, scan ratings, read reviews, and view business details. Map anything with a tap. And save and share your favorites with friends via email.
Available on the App Store
Did you know?
When you tap a street address on a web page in Safari, iPhone automatically opens Maps so you can get directions from wherever you are.
Call a cab.
Rocket Taxi locates you via GPS or Wi-Fi and finds taxi companies near you. Choose a company by star rating, bookmark your favorite companies, map your start and end locations — even get a fare estimate. Then tap once to call a cab. And don’t forget to rate the company you choose so others can benefit from your taxi savvy.
Available on the App Store
Get a backstage pass.
Browse concerts and buy tickets from your iPhone with Eventful. Download the application, sign up for an account, import artists from your iTunes library, and get personalized recommendations for shows near you.
Available on the App Store
Get a parking reminder.
With the G-Park application, you’ll never forget where you parked. When you find a parking place, tap “Park Me!” Then, when it’s time to head back, tap “Where Did I Park?” and follow the turn-by-turn directions to your car. If you park at a meter, be sure to set the timer on your iPhone to alert you when your time runs out.
Available on the App Store
Name that tune.
If you hear a song at a concert or in a club, tap Shazam and hold your iPhone up to the speakers. This amazing application tells you what song is playing in seconds. It even features links to the iTunes Music Store, so you can buy it then and there.
Available on the App Store
Map your cravings.
If you’re In the mood for a particular type of food, tap the crosshairs icon in Maps to find your location and type, say, “sushi” or “Italian” to do a keyword search. Then add restaurant information to your Contacts with a couple of taps.
Find a location and see a map:
- Tap the search field to bring up the keyboard.
- Type an address, intersection, area, landmark, bookmark, contact, or zip code.
- Tap Search. A pin marks the location. Tap the pin to see the name or description of the location.
Find your current location and turn tracking mode on:
- Tap
Make dinner plans.
Can’t decide where to eat? With Urbanspoon, ideas are a shake away. Urbanspoon uses GPS or Wi-Fi to find you and gives you random restaurant recommendations when you shake your iPhone. Keep shaking until you find the perfect spot. Love what you ordered? Take a quick snapshot of the menu item or wine label for future reference. Then upload the label picture to the Wine Log application and add your own tasting notes and reviews. When the bill arrives, play the mathemagician with the Tipulator application.
Available on the App Store
Staff Picks: City Apps
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Where
Find people, places, and things around you. View in iTunes
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Graffitio
Leave and read virtual graffiti while you're out. View in iTunes
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Twitterrific
Read and send "tweets" to stay in touch. View in iTunes
Take a walk.
iTunes features free walking tour podcasts for cities all over the world. Tour the Big Apple with the New York Times Weekend Explorer walking tours. Follow in the footsteps of famous artists and writers with a Rough Guide iToor. Or listen to in-depth audio city guide podcasts from Tourcaster.com. iTunes also offers free museum tour podcasts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, SFMOMA, the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian, and many more.
