We Heart Local
This app is all about local food: where to buy it, where to eat it and how to cook it. You'll be guided through nearly 300 restaurants, breweries, groceries and farmers markets that promote B.C.-grown food and drink.
It even provides inspiration in the form of hundreds of recipes, including ones contributed by local celebrity chefs Ned Bell of the Four Seasons Hotel, Jackie Ells of Beaucoup Bakery and David Robertson from The Dirty Apron Cooking School.
Available for iPhones; free
Nightbound App
Developed by three Vancouver entrepreneurs, this app will make the most of your clubbing hours by giving you real-time stats on what's happening inside before you hand over your cover. This app will give you the lowdown on Vancouver's entire club and bar scene, providing you with specifics such as wait time, crowd size and gender ratio. It even lets you know about special offers, such as free drinks.
Available for iPhones (Android version coming); free
OnTheGoKids App
Developed by a local mom, this app was born out of the necessity to find quick, fun and (preferably) free activities to keep kids occupied – all the time. This app provides you with family-friendly activities around Vancouver and the Lower Mainland. You can search by price, type of activity, location or date, and even bookmark for later if it's not for an immediate emergency situation (read: sudden rain).
Available for iPhones; free
Street Food App
Eat on the go with this app, which will give you a list and interactive map of every Vancouver food truck in your area. You can refine your search based on name, proximity to your location and popularity. You'll also be able to see menus, operating hours and locations.
Vancouver Bike Routes App
Vancouver is one of the most bike-friendly cities in North America, so take advantage with this app, which guides you through the dedicated bike routes and lanes that weave through the city. It's a fantastic way to navigate the city's dense pro-bike network and will have you cycling more efficiently. Plus, it's just fun exploring new neighbourhoods.
Available for iPhones; free
Transit App
This app isn't exclusive to Vancouver, so while it'll show you real-time schedules for all public transit in the city, you can also use it when you travel. With this app you'll get details for buses, the SkyTrain, the SeaBus and even the little water taxis that scoot across False Creek. You'll be able to find transit options based on maps, trip planners and proximity to your current location.
These apps will make your smartphone a digital guide to Metro Vancouver
Want to know where to park, where to grab a bite to eat or even where the nearest free WiFi hub is? Click through to read about the 10 essential apps every Vancouverite needs for navigating the urban jungle. Even if you're a local, these apps will make getting around Vancouver a lot easier.
Park 'in' Spot App
This parking app uses GPS to track your current location and gives you a colour-coded map of nearby parking spots categorized by price, ranging from free to eye-rollingly expensive – we do live in Vancouver after all. The app includes all parking options, including street parking, meter parking and parking lots. Available for iPhones; free
Note: Please don't text and drive at the same time.
Vancouver Free WiFi
If you have a limited data plan (or none at all), this app shows you the places near your current location that have free access to the Internet. The technology uses GPS to give real-time locations of Internet hot spots, which your phone can access offline. It also provides hubs near SkyTrain stations and a map option, both which you can cache and retrieve whenever you need.
Available for iPhones and Androids; $1.49
Vancouver Tap App
Use this app to find one of the more than 550 public taps of fresh drinking water in Metro Vancouver. We have some of the purest, freshest water in the world, so refill your water bottle anytime while you're on the go. It's the greener alternative to buying a single-use bottle of water, and it'll definitely taste better.
Available for iPhones; free