Houston is one of the largest cities in the country. For newcomers, it can be hard finding events, places to go, and ways to get around. If you’re looking to simplify your life when living in Houston, the following apps can help.

Travel Apps

Photo courtesy of BCycle app

Anyone who’s ever been in Houston knows that getting around town can be a pain, especially when there’s traffic. But if you want to stay away from the wheel, you can always hop on a bike. Some of Houston’s most popular neighborhoods, including Downtown Houston, Midtown, and Montrose, all participate in the city’s BCycle bike-share program. With the BCycle app, you can check out bikes from a bike station, manage your account, and get directions to your destination. Plus, if you have to go out of town, you can use the app to find and check out bikes in any city you travel to.

If you feel like hopping on a bus to get around town, you can use the RideMETRO app. The app lets you buy tickets over your mobile device, see connection schedules, find bus stops and routes, and find the nearest stops to you. Of course, if you’re more into ride-sharing, you can always use the Lyft or Uber app to get around.

Event Apps

Photo courtesy of Chaxter app

Are you looking for the latest events around town? Then the Chaxter app might be just what you’re looking for. Chaxter collects information about you and your interests and finds events that you might like — everything from concerts to food events — taking the need to search for events out of your hands. The app also uses your GPS to find directions to your event, and you can use the app to post pictures you take. 

If you need more than one app to find events that you’ll like, you can also check out the Eventbrite app. This app is less social network focused and more of a straightforward event app. It lets you find popular events, from concerts to ideas for date nights, and purchase tickets. Once you’ve stored your information on the app, the process of buying tickets can take seconds. Tickets you buy can be emailed to you, stored on your phone, or be accessed from the app.

Of course, if you’re really new to town or just don’t know what to do on a given night, you can always use the AroundMe app. This app is pretty straightforward: Open it up, and you’ll get a list of categories, like bars, gas stations, and restaurants. Click a category and the app will open up a map of every establishment in your area that fits the category you’re interested in. It’s a quick way to stumble on new places to visit. 

If you do have a favorite restaurant you found and you want to make booking easier, you can use the OpenTable app. Designed with making restaurant booking much more convenient, the app tracks thousands of restaurants around the world and lets you easily book a table from your phone. You can also earn rewards on future meals and can see what times are available for a table.

News and Entertainment

Photo courtesy of Houston Chronicle App

Want to stay updated on everything happening in Houston? You can check out the Houston Chronicle app, which delivers news and opinion on things happening from The Woodlands all the way to Pearland. If you’re more business focused, there’s always interesting reading on the Houston Business Journal app. The Houston Business Journal delivers the latest information about business and various industries in the city, from banking to healthcare.

If you’d rather keep up with local sports teams, you can pick up an app covering any of the city’s teams, including the Houston Rockets, Astros, and Texans. These apps provide breaking news about Houston teams, photos of all the action, scores, standings, and statistics.