JBGoodwin REALTORS® - Austin & San Antonio Real Estate Blog

Austin has built a reputation as a major technology hub, earning a ranking as one of the country's top 5 tech cities. Austin's tech-savvy population is open to experimenting with the latest tech innovations, including the recent tidal wave of potentially life-changing apps.

Here's our list of 6 can't-miss Austin apps to get the most out of your city.

1. Favor

Favor is part of the recent wave of on-demand service apps reminiscent of Uber. This app has become an Austin favorite for the delivery of just about anything. Through the app, you can browse lists of specially curated restaurants and have their food delivered at the press of a button. But hold on—this sounds like every other food delivery app, right?

Wrong! Favor goes the extra mile by adding the option of having their blue-tuxedo-shirted runners pick you up just about anything. Out of toilet paper? Favor can deliver. Need a bouquet of flowers before the big date? Favor can do that too. Just text your blue-tuxedo-shirted delivery person and they can pick you up anything else you need along the way. They'll charge you what they paid for the items, plus a flat delivery and service fee. And don't forget to tip!

2. Austin 311 App

The Austin 311 App is the designed for the responsible citizen who wants to keep Austin n tip-top shape. Using the app, you can easily report concerns to the City of Austin.

Spot a pothole, a loose dog, or a broken streetlight? Take a photo and upload it through the app. The app will automatically tag your location, letting the city know where they need to make repairs.

3. Free At Austin

This app is exactly what it sounds like! It helps you find what's free around Austin. The app works as a calendar with hundreds of free events, including concerts, networking opportunities, and other fun events. The app even goes as far as telling you which apps provide free food and free drinks. For the budget-conscious Austinites out there, this is a must!

4. Finding Rover

The City of Austin has also paired up with the high-tech dog-finding app known as "Finding Rover". How does it work? Snap a photo of your dog, and it will be added to the app's database of dogs in Austin. If your dog ever gets lost, there's no need to worry! When the pet enters the Austin Animal Center, they will be able to take a picture of the dog's face and scan the Finding Rover database for any lost dogs that may fit the profile. They'll also be able to share any pets that have gone missing that aren't in the database.

5. Spot Caller

While "Spot Caller" could be the name of another dog app, it's actually the simplest way to discover live music in Austin. There's a lot going on in the Austin music scene, and it's easy to miss something. Spot Caller allows both locals and tourists to connect with live shows without needing any connection with the local scene.

The app works by crawling Facebook to discover live music events around the city. You can specify your preferences by genre or neighborhood, and the app will provide you with concerts in your area, and give you a link to buy tickets. The app even goes as far as learning your preferences to make personal recommendations over time.

6. PediaQ

Perhaps the most innovative app on our list, PediaQ connects parents with on-demand urgent pediatric care. There's little worse than rushing your child to the emergency room and waiting for hours to receive medical attention. PediaQ solves that problem. The app has a qualified team of registered nurse practitioners that are available to make house calls at the push of a button. This means parents can avoid the emergency room and receive urgent care within 1 hour of ordering the house call.

PediaQ's team of nurses is available between 2 and 10 PM on weekdays, and 8 AM to 10 PM on weekends. The average visit lasts 30 minutes, which is considerably more medical attention than an ER visit. PediaQ accepts most major insurance plans, but be sure to check in advance! This app isn't available in Austin quite yet, but it's slated to arrive in the fall of 2016.

Update: Where's the Bus?

We have a late entry! Just in time for the 2016-2017 school year, the Austin Independent School District has developed an app that lets you track the location of your child's school bus. The app is free to all AISD families whose children ride the bus. With this app, your child can wait to walk to the bus sto

Looking to buy or sell a home in Austin? JBGoodwin has been ranked as Austin's #1 employer thanks to our positive attitudes and proven results. We'd be glad to help you with your Austin real estate search, so contact us today.