Let’s just say this popular, always-welcomed acronym together: TGIF! And thank God indeed. It’s what everybody thinks while they wait in line at Starbuck’s or Dunkin Donuts – or when spilling that beverage whilst running to the train or stuck in traffic. TGIF is a wonderful, self-assuring lifesaver. So now the question is: What are you doing this weekend?
If the answer to that is “nothing,” then alas – we have some wonderful tech-inspired suggestions for you. And if you’re anything like me, then your answer to this question is always ambivalent. (ie. last weekend, you gladly spent the entire weekend in sweats and watched Undercover Boss with your mom, but this weekend you’re itching to throw on your new pumps and hit the town). Lucky for your indecisive tendencies, we have options that cover all of the bases.
Option One: The Bar – The Perfect Balance between a Simple but Good Time
If you want to go out this weekend but don’t want to put on your party dress, you’ll most likely find yourself at your local bar. And who doesn’t like a good beer bar? While I think it’s safe to say we all know how to drink beer, one app makes it particularly easy for New Yorkers to find good beer during their nightlife escapades.
A relatively new app, Craft Beer New York offers bar-hopping locals and beer aficionados alike a helpful guide to the city’s best bars, breweries and bottle shops. The app is $1.99 for iPhones and other iOS devices, and you must be 17 years or older to download, the New York Times reported last November, adding that the app rates 122 bars, 34 shops and 22 breweries. Check out the NY Times’ full report for testimonies and details.
Bonus: If you get a little bit too carried away the night before, its developer, Blue Crow Media, also has a similar app that helps you find the best coffee shops. (In case you need a little pick me up)
Option Two: Getting a Group and Going All Out
Like I said, everyone loves those nights when you can get fancy, round up the gang and hit the town for hours on end. For all you single ladies (cue the music), you’re obviously first going to spend some time getting ready. Thanks to a new website called Myskin.com, you can actually enter information about your beauty history, and the site generates a list of skincare and beauty suggestions based on your data. Marie Claire included it in its list of Top Ten Beauty Innovations of 2010, where it reports that the site selects your best products from a database of 4500 brands. If you’re looking to try something new this weekend, this site could prove quite advantageous.
Bonus: Its mySkin mobile app – combined with Beauty4Me and Beauty Store Buddy apps – helps direct you to exactly where you can purchase these new products.
One of the worst and sometimes most inconvenient aspects of a fun night going out is flagging cabs and splitting the fares. If you’re planning to go all out this weekend, be sure to first download Taxi Magic, a free, award-winning app that enables users nationwide to book cabs.
Since its booking service is directly integrated into taxi dispatch systems nationwide, users don’t have to constantly dial to check on their status, as they can actually track the arrival of their taxi via a real-time map. Even better, you can charge the ride to your credit card at the touch of a finger, and you can even send yourself an e-receipt for good keeping. Note that while this may not be particularly useful when out and about, it could come in quite handy when tracking such things as work-related travel expenses.
Option Three: Calling it a Night
The options are literally endless when it comes to spending the weekend indoors for some quality R&R. You can snuggle up with an eBook to catch up on your favorite reading, catch up (or re-watch) some of your favorite flicks via Netflix or HBO Go – that is, if you have it and much more. It seems almost impossible to suggest just a few things, so take the reins yourself and discover what you like if you’re planning on enjoying a quiet weekend inside.
Edited by
Jamie Epstein
