My Favourite Toronto iPhone Apps

Have I got a treat for you today… in no particular order, I present to you 5 apps that will ensure you never miss a bus again, show you what the city looked like before a 50+ story condo towered over it, tell you if it’s safe to take a dip in the lake, how to order a cab without even dialing and how much time you have left in the parking meter before you get ticketed!

Rocket Man TTC Streetcar Bus Schedule app was the first Toronto-based app I downloaded for the iPhone.  The app is crazy cool for its ability to to show the locations of TTC vehicles in real time! It lets users know how long they’ll be waiting for the next bus. I’ve tested the accuracy of this app several times and each time my bus arrived within 5 seconds of the estimated time! In the winter, the app allows you those vital extra minutes indoors before stepping out in the cold and waiting for the bus.  In the summer, you can plan your escape from the patio just in time to catch your ride home.  I definitely recommend the Rocket Man app for its incredible accuracy and ease of use!

If you follow my photo blog, you probably have a pretty good idea of what the City looks like now… but what was on that corner before the sparkling glass tower was erected?  In the past, a trip down to the Toronto archives would be the only way to know, but thanks to the Zeitag TO app, users can pull up photos of what the area looked like many years ago. I’ve tried it in different parts of the city and for now it typically works best in the downtown core.  The app currently has over 500 photos from the 1900′s to 1980′s with more being added over time!

Have you ever passed by the Lake and been tempted to jump in?  With the TO Beaches app you’ll be one step ahead!  The app gives users updates on beach water quality as soon as they are published. The app also features a list of supervised beaches in Toronto, a map of Toronto beaches, daily updates of E. coli readings and swimming conditions and past E. coli levels in beach water for the current year.

The iPhone has even revolutionized the way cabs are ordered in Toronto!  A new app called Winston lets users order a cab right from their smart phone.  No cash on hand? No problem!  Fares are paid by presetting up your credit card with Winston followed by detailed and accurate e-receipt emailed to you.  Similar to the Rocket Man app mentioned above, users can track the location of their cab and get a real time update on when their driver will arrive.  Winston also hooks you up with premium limousines (think Airport Limo) and professional drivers at a price that is affordable for both short and long trips.

As an honest, hard working Torontonian, I always put my money in the meter when I park… the problem is, I hardly ever put enough.  With the Green P parking app, the days of getting tickets may come to an end once and for all!  The app’s main feature is to help find parking on the fly and even allows you to filter your results based on price or distance.   But its coolest feature is the Smart Timer.  After you’ve parked, set the timer based on the expiration time on your pay-and-display ticket minus walking time to your destination. You won’t have to do any math. The only work you’ll have to do is in walking back to your car when the app’s notification sounds!

Toronto is already a great City to live, but with these 5 apps it gets even better to get around in!