10 Ridiculously Useful Ways to Streamline Your Urban Life
March 12, 2015
In today's world, when people ask how you’re doing, it's likely that “busy” is what comes to mind. Try out these 10 urban hacks for some intensive city-life time-savers. From late-night package delivery to on-demand dry-cleaning, it’s all about making the daily juggle a little more manageable.
1. CUPS: Two words sure to get urbanites' hearts fluttering: discounted coffee. And we're talking lattes, flat whites, and fancy pour-overs from your favorite cafés, too. Cups is an app that lets users order prepaid coffee plans with neighborhood coffee shops, which means your java isn't just cheaper than it would be otherwise – it'll also be in hand that much faster. It's currently sustaining NYC's caffeine fix, but is sure to expand in the future.
Photo courtesy of Rose Kuo
Photo courtesy of Rose Kuo
2. VENMO: If you've been meaning to pay back your buddy for that dinner three weeks ago, but never seem to have cash on hand, it's time to download Venmo. The app lets you send cash instantly and securely, and also keeps a record of all your past payments. Goodbye, outstanding friend-debts.
Photo courtesy of Dangubic/iStock/Thinkstock
Photo courtesy of Dangubic/iStock/Thinkstock
3. KITCHENSURFING: Urban hacks apply to dinner parties – or solo meals – too. Outsource the cooking duties to a personal chef via Kitchensurfing. All you need is a functioning kitchen, and your custom culinarian brings the gourmet fixings. Korean-style skirt steak sure sounds better than that microwave burrito you were planning on.
Photo courtesy of Kitchensurfing
Photo courtesy of Kitchensurfing
4. GOOD EGGS: Love picking up fresh ingredients, but bemoan the fact that the farmers market only stops by your neighborhood once a week? Good Eggs not only spares you from toting heavy cloth bags full of goodies yourself (they offer free delivery in select cities, like SF, Brooklyn, and LA), it means you can get those local eggs, assorted root veggies, and homemade pickles seven days a week.
Photo courtesy of Good Eggs
Photo courtesy of Good Eggs
5. BLUE APRON: Has "learn to cook" been on your to-do list since, well...college? Put aside the cookbook for Blue Apron, which lets you pick and choose your recipes. The company's menus are diverse and nutritious, and all the ingredients (and instructions) you need come packaged and ready for your capable hands.
Photo courtesy of Blue Apron
Photo courtesy of Blue Apron
6. WASHIO: If you can't bear the thought of lugging a month's worth of laundry down the 15 blocks to the laundromat, consider Washio king of the urban hacks. Not only does the app outsource your laundry, it also lets you schedule precise pick-up and delivery times, so you know exactly when your favorite shirt will be on its way over.
Photo courtesy of Washio
Photo courtesy of Washio
7. PARCEL: Few things stress out city dwellers more than waiting for a package to arrive – who can afford to be home for those 10-hour delivery windows? Here to help is Parcel, which hand-delivers shipments in New York City during off-hours. Select your own delivery windows, which are precisely booked by the hour and go 'til 11 pm, so you'll never have to make a quest to that far-away, sketchy package depot again. (We're looking at you, Garol.)
Photo courtesy of Parcel
Photo courtesy of Parcel
8. GYFT: So it's your brother's birthday tomorrow and you're gift-less. And he lives five hours away. Don't pay huge next-day shipping fees – just head on over to Gyft. Here, you can buy e-gift cards from more than 200 retailers, which are delivered seamlessly by email.
Photo courtesy of Trish233/iStock/Thinkstock
Photo courtesy of Trish233/iStock/Thinkstock
9. GLAMSQUAD: This one's for the ladies. Whether you've got a job interview, a date, or just want to look your best, sorting out your hair and make-up situation is a crucial step. Enter super-chic Glamsquad, which invites pro stylists to give you a quick makeover in your own home. Go bespoke or choose from a look-book of styles: will today be "the Weekender" or "the New Romantic"?
Photo courtesy of Glamsquad
10. SOOTHE: All right, so it's not like getting a massage is a chore – but it does mean leaving home for a bit of relaxation. Make the process that much more ahem, soothing, with Soothe, a service that invites professional masseuses to work out those knots chez toi. Bonus: Gratuity is included, and your massage can be booked as little as an hour in advance.
Photo courtesy of Soothe
Photo courtesy of Soothe
1. CUPS: Two words sure to get urbanites' hearts fluttering: discounted coffee. And we're talking lattes, flat whites, and fancy pour-overs from your favorite cafés, too. Cups is an app that lets users order prepaid coffee plans with neighborhood coffee shops, which means your java isn't just cheaper than it would be otherwise – it'll also be in hand that much faster. It's currently sustaining NYC's caffeine fix, but is sure to expand in the future.
Photo courtesy of Rose Kuo
Photo courtesy of Rose Kuo
2. VENMO: If you've been meaning to pay back your buddy for that dinner three weeks ago, but never seem to have cash on hand, it's time to download Venmo. The app lets you send cash instantly and securely, and also keeps a record of all your past payments. Goodbye, outstanding friend-debts.
Photo courtesy of Dangubic/iStock/Thinkstock
Photo courtesy of Dangubic/iStock/Thinkstock
3. KITCHENSURFING: Urban hacks apply to dinner parties – or solo meals – too. Outsource the cooking duties to a personal chef via Kitchensurfing. All you need is a functioning kitchen, and your custom culinarian brings the gourmet fixings. Korean-style skirt steak sure sounds better than that microwave burrito you were planning on.
Photo courtesy of Kitchensurfing
Photo courtesy of Kitchensurfing
4. GOOD EGGS: Love picking up fresh ingredients, but bemoan the fact that the farmers market only stops by your neighborhood once a week? Good Eggs not only spares you from toting heavy cloth bags full of goodies yourself (they offer free delivery in select cities, like SF, Brooklyn, and LA), it means you can get those local eggs, assorted root veggies, and homemade pickles seven days a week.
Photo courtesy of Good Eggs
Photo courtesy of Good Eggs
5. BLUE APRON: Has "learn to cook" been on your to-do list since, well...college? Put aside the cookbook for Blue Apron, which lets you pick and choose your recipes. The company's menus are diverse and nutritious, and all the ingredients (and instructions) you need come packaged and ready for your capable hands.
Photo courtesy of Blue Apron
Photo courtesy of Blue Apron
6. WASHIO: If you can't bear the thought of lugging a month's worth of laundry down the 15 blocks to the laundromat, consider Washio king of the urban hacks. Not only does the app outsource your laundry, it also lets you schedule precise pick-up and delivery times, so you know exactly when your favorite shirt will be on its way over.
Photo courtesy of Washio
Photo courtesy of Washio
7. PARCEL: Few things stress out city dwellers more than waiting for a package to arrive – who can afford to be home for those 10-hour delivery windows? Here to help is Parcel, which hand-delivers shipments in New York City during off-hours. Select your own delivery windows, which are precisely booked by the hour and go 'til 11 pm, so you'll never have to make a quest to that far-away, sketchy package depot again. (We're looking at you, Garol.)
Photo courtesy of Parcel
Photo courtesy of Parcel
8. GYFT: So it's your brother's birthday tomorrow and you're gift-less. And he lives five hours away. Don't pay huge next-day shipping fees – just head on over to Gyft. Here, you can buy e-gift cards from more than 200 retailers, which are delivered seamlessly by email.
Photo courtesy of Trish233/iStock/Thinkstock
Photo courtesy of Trish233/iStock/Thinkstock
9. GLAMSQUAD: This one's for the ladies. Whether you've got a job interview, a date, or just want to look your best, sorting out your hair and make-up situation is a crucial step. Enter super-chic Glamsquad, which invites pro stylists to give you a quick makeover in your own home. Go bespoke or choose from a look-book of styles: will today be "the Weekender" or "the New Romantic"?
Photo courtesy of Glamsquad
10. SOOTHE: All right, so it's not like getting a massage is a chore – but it does mean leaving home for a bit of relaxation. Make the process that much more ahem, soothing, with Soothe, a service that invites professional masseuses to work out those knots chez toi. Bonus: Gratuity is included, and your massage can be booked as little as an hour in advance.
Photo courtesy of Soothe
Photo courtesy of Soothe
