The Geek's Guide to Moving to a New City

It's time to move to a new city. Maybe your relocation is driven by a new job. Maybe you've travelled across the country to go to school in a new town. Whatever the case may be, you've got a lot of challenges to face when you get there. How will you get around? How do you meet new people? Where are you going to shop, eat, and hang out? How do you go about getting everything you need for your new place?How safe is your new place? Fortunately there are a lot of websites, tools, and apps that can help you make your new city feel like home. Here are nine of the best.

1. Walk Score

Do you have dreams of moving to a new city that you can explore on foot or on your bicycle? Go to the Walk Score website and enter in the city you are considering and it will give you that city's walk score. The score is tabulated based on a number of factors that include distance between destinations, crime, and road and sidewalk conditions. This is also a great tool to help you determine if you need to bring your car with you to your new location as it tells you how easily you can accomplish your daily errands on foot.

2. Offer Up

Once you've unpacked and settled in, you're probably going to notice two things. The first is that you've got stuff to get rid of. The second is that you've also got stuff that you need. Offer Up is a great app and website that let's you quickly and easily post items for sale and to find items you need in your area. It also has buyer and seller ratings so that you know which sellers you can trust and which buyers aren't going to flake out on you.

3. Meetup

One of the toughest things about moving to a new city is getting to know people, especially those with similar interests. Meetup allows you to find groups in your area with people who have similar interests to you. A quick search on the website for your new city might include groups that get together to go hiking, book clubs, volunteer groups, gamer groups, and even folks who get together to play Pokemon Go. This is a great alternative to sites that focus solely on romance and dating.

4. Drizly

Now that you've arrived at your new place, it's time to get the fridge stocked with beer, the wine rack filled with your favorite vino, and your wet bar ready for your inevitable housewarming party. The only issue is that you don't want to drive around time schlepping all of those bottles of booze, when you are still getting settled in. Check out Drizly.com. It's an online service that works with local grocery and liquor stores to deliver your favorite spirits right to your door.

5. FindLocationsNear.ME

Where's the nearest ATM? What pizza places deliver to my new apartment? How do I get to the nearest doc in a box now that this cold has turned into a full blown sinus infection? Find Locations Near Me is a business directory that let's residents find any business that they need either by category or name.

6. Instacart

Sure, you want to explore your new city, but sometimes you just want to stay indoors and relax. This is especially true when you are in the midst of unpacking, sorting, and organizing. The last thing you want to do is trek out to the nearest grocery store. Good news, you don't have to. Just head over to Instacart, sign up, and enter in your location. You'll get hooked up with the nearest grocery stores that deliver. Simply pick out the items that you need, and your groceries will be on your doorstep in an hour or less.

7. Moovit

Public transportation is a wonderful thing. It's an environmentally friendly way of getting around. It saves you money on gas and car payments, and it helps reduce traffic congestion on city streets. It's also an absolute pain to figure out in a new city, and when there are problems, things can be a real mess. Fortunately, the Moovit app can help you to map out the best routes for you, provide you with up to date departure and arrival times, and it broadcasts alert messages when there are problems.

8. Watch Over Me

To be honest, this safety app should be on your device already. Now that you're in a new city, you really need it. Watch Over Me is a free app that tracks your location and watches over you when you are in a situation that could potentially turn dangerous. You simply turn on the app, let it know how long you will be on your errand. You can even take pictures and leave comments. This will let your emergency contacts know where you are and what you will be doing. As an added bonus, if you are in real danger, all you have to do is shake your phone. The app will contact your emergency contacts and activate your phone's video camera.

9. LikeaLocal

When you first move into a new city, you feel a bit like a tourist. You don't know any of the truly cool places to shop, eat, and hangout. So, you stick with the big box stores and chain restaurants, and you hang out at well-known touristy spots. But, you know there's something better out there. This is where LikeaLocal comes in. Locals go to the website and enter in information on favorite restaurants, cafes, sights, tours, bars, and more. This gives you the data you need to begin navigating your new city like a local.

Use these apps and moving to a new city will feel much more like an adventure than an intimidating event. Before long, you will feel like you have lived in your new location for years.