Every Smartphone App That'll Improve the Way You Live in Boston

MeetMeOutside App, Boston Apps
Screenshot via MeetMeOutside/Shutterstock
Screenshot via MeetMeOutside/Shutterstock

Whip out that phone of yours and take a look at those apps. You undoubtedly have a ton, but how many are essential to your life? After all, you don’t really need LOL Booth, do you? And as much fun as scrolling through Reddit’s "gonewild" section while you’re in the bathroom might be (we’ve only heard, we swear), it’s not really a necessity. But if you’re in Boston, there are some apps you definitely do need to have on that phone. So scroll through some of our favorite must-see (and must-download) items that'll help you get around town, have fun, and maybe even add a little bit of convenience to your life.

Drizly app, alcohol delivery app
Screenshot via Drizly/Shutterstock

Food and drink

Drizly
Free
Android, iPhone
How many times have you found yourself out of liquor and just too damn lazy to go get some more? Well, ask Drizly to do it for you. The app offers users the chance to shop for beer, wine, and liquor via their phone. It even has an on-demand delivery service. Let’s face it: leaving the house is overrated anyway.

Favor
Free
Android, iPhone
Out of toilet paper? Maybe you ordered from a place that doesn’t deliver? Well, download Favor and have someone hop on a bike, pick up your items, and deliver them right to your door. This app provides you with runners who will gladly do the shopping and delivering so you don’t have to. And best of all: you can track it on your phone via GPS.

Foodler
Free
Android, iPhone
Foodler easily beats talking over the phone and ordering something (come on, it’s 2016). Just enter your address or the kind of food you want into the app and a detailed list pops up showing nearby restaurants that do both takeout and delivery. It also offers reward points in the form of FoodlerBucks, which you can use on your next order. And we all know what that means: FREE FOOD... eventually.

Street Food Boston                                                                                                         
Free                                                                                            
Android, iPhone
In Boston, food trucks are an easy go-to for a quick fix. This app lets you know where your favorite trucks will be roaming (or parked) throughout the day. It has a map that pins the location of each truck, with the red ones indicating a truck is closed, and a green one meaning open. You can even sort your list by what is closest to you, most popular, or your favorite.

onthebar
Free                                                                                                                 
Android, iPhone
Just like your doctor or therapist, you need your bartender to be someone you know and trust. If you’re a bargoer, this app lets you connect with your favorite bartender and see where they’re working, when, and what drinks they’re coming up with next. If you’re a bartender, share your new boozy concoctions with your customers and connect with other bartenders who use the app.

OpenMBTA app, map apps
Screenshot of OpenMBTA/Shutterstock

Transportation

Park Boston
Free                                                                                                                
Android, iPhone
What’s harder than finding a parking spot in this city? Having enough quarters to feed the damn meter. Park Boston is an absolutely essential app for living here because it lets you pay the meter via a credit card and alerts you once you're close to running out of time, prompting you to put more money in. All you need to do is make sure you see signs or stickers for the app near your spot and you’re set.

OpenMBTA                                                                                      
Free                                                                                             
Android, iPhone
If you take the T or public transportation like most do in Boston, you understand why you need an app to figure out exactly what is going on with public transit. OpenMBTA gives you schedules and real-time information about the MBTA bus, subway train, commuter rail line, and ferry schedules. There’s also a color-coded guide showing you the schedules for your selected route.

Swackett app, weather app, clothing app
Screenshot via Swackett/Shutterstock

Weather

Weathertron
Price: $1.99
iPhone
All too often, forecasters aren’t able to predict the weather, and so you’re left with a surprise winter snowstorm (especially in Boston), which cancels pretty much all of your plans. Weathertron uses 16 different sources to aggregate weather data, so at least now you’ll get some idea of what’s going on. Hopefully.

Swackett
Free                                                                                                                                    
Android, iPhone
Swackett translates weather forecasts into pictures of what you should be wearing or carrying for the day, like a t-shirt with sunglasses or a jacket with an umbrella. The app also gives you all the info you need on humidity, wind speed, and the daily sunset.
 

Activities and dating

Not For Tourists
Free                                                                                                                   
Android, iPhone  
Any day you can avoid tourists is a good day. Thanks to this app, every day can be a good day! Not For Tourists offers savvy guides for activities and places to visit and eat from a local’s perspective, so you don’t have to be bumping into any of those people walking around your city.

MeetMeOutside
Free                                                                                                                                  
iPhone
Sure, there's OkCupid, Tinder, and Coffee Meets Bagel (yep, that's apparently a thing), but MeetMeOutside was actually started in Boston, so we're a little biased here. The app works by pairing people who share health and fitness interests with activities they can do on their dates. Think about it: isn't telling your kids a story about you and your spouse meeting while training for a marathon way better than hooking up at some coffee shop?

MuseTrek
Free
iPhone
Imagine having a personal tour guide for every museum you go to or every neighborhood you visit. MuseTrek’s guides are done by other trekkers in the MuseTrek community, and recommendations are given based on the places you visit and the stuff you like to do.

Eventbrite
Free
Android, iPhone
There’s always something to do in Boston, and this app proves it. Whether it be something at the convention center or maybe even just in the basement of a pub, EventBrite lets you know what’s happening, which of your friends are going, and even lets you buy tickets.

NimNim App, laundry app
Screenshot via NimNim/Shutterstock

Personal convenience

NimNim
Free
Android, iOS

NimNim is basically Favor for laundry, dry cleaning, and shoe cleaning. You select the service and the pick-up time, and NimNim workers come and complete the chore within 24 hours. And yes, just like the rest of these service apps, you can spy on the whole process and track it in real time from your phone.

Venmo
Free
Android, iPhone

Venmo is a digital wallet that links money from your account, your bank, and/or your debit card, and lets you share payments on things like cab fares, meals, and birthday gifts with other people. Forget your card in another purse or jacket? Well, can’t use that excuse anymore.

RunKeeper
Free
Android, iPhone

With our crazy weather, it can be difficult to stay motivated and get your workout in. RunKeeper helps users track their running, walking, cycling, and a ton more. Best thing is they integrated Spotify Running into the app so you have music paired to the tempo of your workout.

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Christina Ng is a Boston-based food and recipes editor. She's one of those annoying girls who has to take a picture of everything she eats. When she's not wreaking havoc in the kitchen or taking pictures of food, she's out visiting her favorite open-air markets. If you’re interested in following her crazy adventures or want to see what she's cooking up, check out her website EastMeetsKitchen.com.