It’s hard for me to admit this, but I don’t know the New York City Subway System as well as I would like to believe I do.  However, one thing that’s not hard to admit is that I don’t like to have to constantly consult maps; I think map checking is the sign of a naive tourist and makes me a target. Luckily, there is an app for that.

The iTrans NYC app runs $3.99 and works in two parts.  First, it is a handheld map of the New York Subway System, eliminating both the folding and unfolding of a paper map or constant searching the stations for a wall mounted one.  Secondly, it has a directions feature that allows users to find routes from/to a station, name, address, or intersection.  Both of these abilities come in handy for the native and the tourist.  Now, The iTrans NYC app didn’t start out a favorite, but won me over in the end.

I downloaded this app expecting to instantly become a captain of the NYC transit system, not so.  Instead, I first found it hard to locate myself or correspond the subway routes with the surface streets around me.  Upset with the limitations, I spent a few moments before bed one night familiarizing myself with the subway system and plotting my upcoming routes.  The next day my pre-planning was really paying off; I didn’t need the app, I was saving precious iPhone battery, but, eventually, I hit a snag and needed a subway map. I hesitantly returned to iTrans NYC, expecting to become frustrated, but having spent only a few minutes looking over the map the previous night, the apps utility came to life.  I now understood how the app worked and grasped exactly what information it was giving me.

I would highly recommend buying this app to people who plan on using the subway for more than a day or two. If you are in town on a very short trip, or you plan on only using the subway sparingly, this app might not be worth it. For me though this app is now a staple of my New York City kit.