10 Great Apps for New Orleans

“10 Great Apps for New Orleans” was written by Margy Seward, who originally wrote the post for Apptitude’s blog.

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My phone is typically like an extension of my body these days. Something to be embarrassed about? I think not. Yes, we may have lost the mystery of getting lost on back roads, or going to now nonexistent CD stores in the mall but I guess that’s what the 90’s was for right? That and Z-Cavaricci pants. But I’m sure we are all glad they still live in that decade!

The conveniences of living in the future are not only time savers but also present a myriad number of ways to stay in the know. And as New Orleanians, we always need more ways to save time so we can focus on the important things that unite us all as citizens. Like traffic. With this in mind, I came up with a list of 10 great New Orleans apps that can help you save time and stay in the know while you battle traffic on I-10.

1. Google Maps

   This is kind of a no-brainer but it must be listed because I personally use it to get around New Orleans every day. What would I do without my Google Maps? I’ve lived here my whole life and I still get turned around now and again. I have worked out of my car for years going on appointments in and around the city. The amount of time I’ve saved not having to write down directions from clients or having to print out a route from the computer is insane. Just because we have lived here forever doesn’t mean we know exactly where we are going 100% of the time. And the built-in Apple Maps app that first appeared in iOS 6? Lame.

2. NOLA.com

   Keeping informed about all the top news in NOLA is easy with the NOLA.com app. We have a virtual newspaper at our fingertips!! Quite handy to say the least. Living in NOLA it’s a must to stay up to date on current events, because you know we love to talk around here and you can’t be caught slipping!

3. Urbanspoon

   You can’t live without restaurant apps in New Orleans. Yelp, Urbanspoon, Ness, just to name a few. These apps get us out of some serious binds when we’re faced with the anxiety of trying new spots. And in NOLA, new spots pop up every day. Restaurant owners cringe when they read a bad review but in New Orleans food is in our hearts, keeping the owners on their A-game is a must. We are a tough crowd when it comes to our cuisine. These apps make it possible to weed out the bad and stuff our faces with the quality!

4. New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival

   Jazz Fest is upon us and if you’re planing on going but haven’t checked out their mobile app, you need to. It breaks down the schedule into days and stages, has bios of all the bands playing, gives you a map of the grounds, and even tells you where the food tents are located. Hello Crawfish Monica! Organizing your day is so much easier with all the information right there with you.

5. Soundcloud

   Music apps like Soundcloud, Pandora and Slacker Radio make our walks, bikes, and trolley rides around NOLA so much more fun. Keeping up to date on the latest tunes is so easy these days. Even our local musicians and DJs put up their latest tracks on Soundcloud to test them out before they even begin to think about putting them on iTunes, so you can find some really cool tracks way ahead of time using this app.

6. Facebook

   Pretty obvious, but the Facebook app is a must-have to keep up with friends and events in New Orleans. How many times have we sat there on the couch saying “Man, is there ANYTHING to do tonight?” Newsflash! We live in New Orleans: There is ALWAYS something to do. So check your Facebook events. The Big Easy isn’t always so easy when you look at your weekend events and you are forced to choose between tons of awesome shows over the course of two days.

7. Shazam

   How many times have you been at your local bar and been there just enough time to get a bit buzzed to where it is impossible to remember what song is playing on the jukebox? Rather than admitting your ignorance and getting up to look, you can just look like a dork and hold up your phone. The future is amazing!

8. Barnotes

   If you’re like most inhabitants of the city or Louisiana in general it’s good to know your drinks. With apps like Johnny Love’s Guide, the Bartenders Guide, and the NOLA-developed Barnotes, we’re sure to be as informed and professional as possible with our stirring and shaking. Knowing your ingredients and your measurements make concocting a sazerac or a mint julep an easy task!

9. New Orleans Explorer Guide

   We all know how it is to have friends coming in from out of town that we need to entertain. But unfortunately we’ve got to go to our jobs while they bounce around NOLA acting like tourists. So having your friends download a few tourism apps like New Orleans Explorer Guide or Go NOLA will ensure you will have fewer phone calls throughout the day asking dumb questions. You’ll never have to give them directions to Tropical Isle again!

10. Parade Trackers

    During Mardi Gras things get crazy, we all know this. Parades are going, and you’re usually either trying to find out where the parade is, what time it’s rolling or some way around it. WDSU & WWLTV both have parade trackers that are essential during the 2 weeks of madness!