Looks like I have to add “Curator” to my resume, thanks to Urbandig, a new app now available for free download in the iTunes App Store. Urbandig features city guides created by local bloggers (aka Curators), who craft lists and itineraries unique to their area and centered on a particular theme. Besides the craft cocktail bar crawl written by yours truly, other Drink guides include Crafty Brews (curated by Drink Eat Travel), Deep Dives (e*star LA), and Happy After Hours (Vixen’s L.A. Happy Hours). Food tours include Burger Battle (TheBurgerBusters) and Taco Street (The Great Taco Hunt), while other categories include guides to live music venues (LA Weekly’s Rebecca Haithcoat) and geek-friendly spots (Sean Percival).
Urbandig launched last weekend in Los Angeles and San Francisco, with over 20 tours in each city. A few tours have rolled out for Vancouver, with more on the way in the next few weeks. At launch, Urbandig was featured in the App Store in New & Noteworthy and the New/Featured section of Travel apps. As this post goes live, Urbandig is listed as one of the App Store’s Staff Favorites.
Urbandig was founded by a team that was previously at MySpace, including Mike Macadaan: “Because our guides are crafted by subject matter experts, Urbandig is able to serve up trusted yet unconventional (or one-of-a-kind) experiences that you just won’t find in any guide book or on a double decker tour bus.”
After downloading the Urbandig app, the user chooses a city to find guides of interest. The tours range from half-day to multi-day itineraries, featuring insider tips, photos, and recommendations for activities and what to eat or drink at each stop. The social component comes in the Urbandig Feed, where users can see what guides their friends have tried and their friends’ favorites.
A TechCrunch article on Urbandig notes that the company hopes to expand to at least 30 locations, including Portland, Seattle, New York, Chicago, Austin and Washington D.C. by the end of the year. TechCrunch also says that Urbandig has a target date of early 2012 for an Android version.
For more information about Urbandig and to download the iPhone app, visit www.urbandig.com.
