Urbandig

Urbandig Venues on the Twitter: #LA Edition

anextendedjaunt — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 11:44:00 -0700

Welcome to Hollywood! The second largest metropolitan in North America full of sun, fun, and the thickest traffic in the West. If you’re looking to for off the beaten path experiences, this city has it all. And Urbandig is here to guide you along the way.

From the grungy back streets of Hollywood and Venice Beach to the ocean breeze of Santa Monica, we present to you the best venues, handpicked by our domain experts.

Subscribe to Urbandig’s LAX UltimoList and discover what LA has to offer.

Don’t forget to keep an eye on @UrbandigApp for regular updates!

SXSW is for Slackers

anextendedjaunt — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:00:00 -0800

It’s time for SXSW again. Drones of poorly shaven “domain experts” looking to fascinate the SXSW international community will be bombarding the downtown streets of Austin from March 8 - 18. Oh the excitement, the memories, the swag!

Urbandig’s core philosophy revolves around being off the beaten path. So instead of hitting up SXSW this year, we’ll be doing the exact opposite: working. It’s a novel idea, and we’re still doing A/B testing, but we think it’ll pay off in the long run.

Keep Austin Weird

If you are one of the many lucky slackers, who will be descending upon Austin for the festival, Urbandig has a cool collection of guides that will help you dive head first into the SXSW frenzy, or escape the madness of it all.

Although we encourage diversity in your travel experience, we’re betting Beth Stockwell’s “The Hangover” guide will be the number one guide during the annual festival. It’s chock full of places to enjoy greasy grub and caffeinated cures to get the stomach coated properly. It’s the perfect Rinse and Repeat guide.

While You’re There

Looking to experience the stylish side of Austin? Joanna Wilkinson’s blog highlights free SXSW events for those who are are savvy in the ways of fashion.

On the digital side of things, Samantha Pitchel of austin.culturemap.com has put together a 2012 SXSW survival guide, which includes an awesome Twitter list for the 2012 event. This list will help you stay on top of what’s happening on the streets and snag tons of free swag and tickets at SXSW.

If you want a local experience for your SXSW adventure, download Urbandig and check out our Austin guides to help you discover some great spots that are off the beaten path.

Urbandig Venues on the Twitter: #Vancouver Edition

anextendedjaunt — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 13:38:00 -0800

Each venue on Urbandig has its own flavour, style and atmosphere. These venues are hand picked by Urbandig unique domain experts that know all the hidden gems in each domain they rule.

To help our fans out, and keep everyone updated on what’s happening at each Urbandig venue, we’ll be rolling out Twitter lists for each city. Starting with the Urbandig’s HQ: Vancouver. This will help you keep track of each place featured on Urbandig and get the skinny on some awesome daily deals.

Subscribe to Urbandig’s YVR UltimoList and harness the power Mr. Digz on your hand computer!

Happy tweeting and keep checking @UrbandigApp for more updates on this project!

Valentine's Day Guide for the Hopelessly Single

anextendedjaunt — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 14:58:00 -0800

Another Valentine’s Day is here. For the true lovers out there, it’s time to take a tour with your favorite person and shower them with love. For the rest of us, we’ll be spending Valentine’s day like any other Tuesday night: chasing down an Extreme Home Makeover marathon with a bottle of lonely wine.

If this isn’t your idea of a hell-of-a good time, let Urbandig help you forget your loneliness, kickstart your heart or find the next Mr./Mrs. Right or Wrong. Follow along for our cross-city V-Day Guide for the Hopeless. Remember to download the Urbandig app to find these guides and experience your city like a true local.

LA

LA’s Walk of Shame guide takes your 1-in-a-million chances of scoring, and brings your odds up to 102%. Curator, Lucas Dick checks in to the Belmont Cafe, Birds, and more. Download the app to experience this hook-up guide in full.

SF

In December, we featured San Fran’s Heartbreaker guide to help lost souls deal with their breakups. It’s only appropriate that we give Amanda’s guide another shout out during the most romantic time of the year.

Take yourself from the Redwood Room, to the Apple Store, and Zeitgeist. Let your friends spend their hard earned cash on flowers and chocolates, while you deck out your iPhone with a cover made of solid gold.

NYC

You’re down and wishing you had someone to share the night with. Everyone has been there, but you know what the next best thing is? Getting made fun of. The Chuckle Huts Urbandig guide by NYC curator, Mark Malkoff is a great way to get out there, have a good laugh, and forget everything else.

Portland

You’ve just finished watching the latest episode of Portlandia and want to put a bird on it. Instead of turning your apartment into an aviary that real birds are scared of, enter Porkland: your guide to finding romance in the pork you love. Don’t worry about getting greasy over this V-Day excursion, it’s all about you.

Tromp from Chop to Bunk Sandwiches in one of Portland’s most intense Urbandig guides.

Vancouver

Nothing says lonely like brown baggin it. This Valentines day, take a step out of the daily grind, head to the nearest liquor store, snag an OE, and tell them you’ll take paper, not plastic.
Vancouver’s Brown Bag Special guide will take you down the best of the worst alleys in Vancity. User discretion is advised.

Washington

Spending Valentines Day alone was probably not on your New Years Resolutions list, but if you’re eating alone you might as well save some cash. Happiest Hour is one of Washighton curator, Kimberly Van’s masterpieces. She has the in to some of the most amazing local spots that’ll stretch your dollar further than you ever thought possible.

Austin

It’s true that laughter is the best medicine. Urbandig’s Austin curator, Ryan Criswell, has a cabinet full of the stuff. Take her Laugh Track guide to get your laugh on this Valentine’s day.

The guide will surely get you out of that funk. Be sure to cruise through the Urbandig app before you head out. It’s full of great tips on when/where to reserve seats and which places offer comedy classes.

Not Only for One

Looking for a new spot to impress your partner this St. Valentines? Grab Urbandig from the app store, and get away from the crowded Italian restaurants and let us guide you and your Valentine on a day you won’t forget.

Follow @UrbandigApp on Twitter and Facebook for the latest Urbandig updates, news, and shenanigans in your city.

Mikala Taylor on Where Bands Booze in Vancouver

maurar — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 17:23:00 -0800

Vancouver curator, Mikala Taylor has got to be one of the coolest people this city has to offer. If you are looking to find the best live music venues, rock tales and after show info in Vancouver Mikala is definitely the one to follow. And lucky for us, she crafted up two amazing local guides to show us where we too, can hang with the band.

This week, we caught up with Mikala to find out more about her site, Backstagerider and what inspired her to curate her Where the Bands Booze Guide on Urbandig:

When did you start backstagerider and why?

I launched BSR in December, 2010 as a reaction to being an underpaid freelancer for so many years. My theory was that if I was being poorly paid to write in a prescribed voice, format or tone for someone else, I might as well be poorly paid to do things exactly the way I wanted, in my own voice and style. My favourite music tends to be alternative, indie rock, techno/electro and skewed pop – so the content on BSR reflects my passion and deep curiousity for this.

BackstageRider is about integrity: I don’t compromise on crappy advertising, or profile bands that I’m not at least curious about. It’s about my own personal stories and experiences, and unique features as well as live reviews, because I’m a total gig obsessive.

There are plenty of local blogs/media covering local bands, which is great. There’s nothing I love more than a community of music lovers. But my fascination lies with the PEOPLE who make the music. I like to think that I get along well with a lot of band types, because I know and understand their realities. Rather than do straight reviews, I like to put a spin on things like: what was the audience like? The vibe on stage? The chemistry of the band? The conversations before or afterwards? The larger context of a buzz band? I also like to inject a bit of humour.

BackstageRider is also, more or less…me. I work with photogs sometimes but generally I do all the writing, the photography, the organization, the production and the promotion. I live on Twitter and Facebook and I love connecting with passionate music fans there. This is not about starting a big magazine, it’s about being creative and giving an outlet to my passions and connecting with other passionate people.

Where did your passion for music and live bands come from?

I wrote my first album review when I was 12 years old and cannot remember a time when I wasn’t singularly focused on becoming a music writer. At my alternative high school in Toronto, my classes were even interrupted by the secretary asking me to come to the phone because a record label wanted to confirm a band interview I was doing. My work for a student newspaper went towards my credits. By the time I applied for university, I had an enormous portfolio. I interviewed my first US bands when I was 17. I subscribe to the motto: if you don’t ask, you don’t get. And what’s the worst that can happen? People can say no to your requests. But what if they say yes…?

Any cool band stories?

Oh gods, where to start?

Cornering Steve Earle for an unarranged interview when I was 17 and he was a biker druggie, sitting down to chat not once but twice with John Taylor (my idol) from Duran Duran, seeing and hanging out with so many incredible UK bands on their first Canadian tours in the 90s (Blur, Oasis, Verve etc), partying with the Manic Street Preachers (before the disappearance of their revered guitarist and figurehead) in Denmark and on and on…

Recently? Hanging out backstage with the Jake Shears from the Scissor Sisters and having an EPIC time with Flaming Lips, being on tour in Germany and the West Coast with Sebadoh and sharing a tour bus trip with Henry Rollins and Dinosaur Jr. One of the most remarkable experiences just happened in January: I spent four days on a massive Cruise ship with 15 bands (5 of which I knew personally) on the Weezer Cruise. It was an experience unlike any other and I’m currently writing up my visual diaries of it for BackstageRider but I’ve also covered it for the NME in London, England and Consequence of Sound in New York/Chicago. Also awesome? Meeting and befriending so many amazing local bands here in Vancouver.

What are your top 3 cities for live music/hanging out with bands?

Vancouver: Naturally I feel at home in Vancouver because I know the venues, the promoters, and see the same fans at shows, but we often get robbed on the hang outs with bands, because they tend to hightail it back to Seattle after a show and overnight in Bellingham. But I suppose that doesn’t count.
Seattle’s great as it’s a quick jump over the border, and I’ve now got some cool music fanatic friends down there.
In London or New York there’s always something going on every night (oh I miss NYC but I get back to London fairly regularly). But I try to go to gigs in every city I visit, even if I’m out for a work conference!

You mentioned you collaborated with some bands on your Where Bands Booze guide. Do tell…

Yes! I approached many of the folks that I consider the top musicians in Vancouver, and who represent a variety of types of music in the city. The chanteuse Jill Barber, the most amazing folkie (and mega rising star) Dan Mangan, the scruffy mountain man Steve McBean from BlackMountain/Pink Mountaintops, my garage rock heroine Maya from The Pack AD, my fave performer Devon Lougheed (who plays in THREE local bands including Beekeeper) and Isabelle from one of my fave quirky alt-electro-pop bands Sex With Strangers (she’s also in Guilty About Girls and Combine the Victorious) all said yes. The result is a truly bonkers tour of a variety of Vancouver drinking establishments, from legions to dive bars to trendy spots. I also asked Bryan Adams, Tegan & Sara and the Japandroids… but they were busy. And I am informed that Bryan isn’t drinking much anymore.

Download Urbandig and let Mikala guide you to the best live venues in Vancouver. For more great stories, read her amazing blog, check out her Facebook Page and follow her on Twitter.

Urbandig Featured in The New York Times!

ericaschwartzberg — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:52:00 -0800

The Grey Lady (aka The New York Times) has immortalized Urbandig in their write-up this past weekend, “Tour Guides Nobody Tips,” highlighting three NYC travel iPhone apps. Our crew of curators have been deemed “hipsters,” and we’ll take it! NYT points out that we have an affinity for Brooklyn (True statement!) and we are “offering guides [that] are meant to be quirky, as evidenced by one called Frisky Business, a collection of recommendations of public bathrooms, written for people who find such spaces romantic.” Also pointing out, ”if you like experimental macaroni and cheese and Bukowski-themed bars in Williamsburg, this is your app.” I mean, who doesn’t? Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving holiday! Cheers, New York Times!

Portland Fashion Through a Camera’s Lens

jessicaharders — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 07:20:22 -0800

An expert photographer with a passion for fashion, Lisa Waringer of Urban Weeds was the perfect fashionista to curate Urbandig’s Portland Stylings guide. Her impeccable eye for fashion and love of Portland has led her time and time again to the best boutiques Portland has to offer, and now Portland Stylings reveals her fashion boutique insights for all.

When’s she’s not out browsing boutiques, Lisa Warninger turns to her true passion: photography. Lisa has a true eye for capturing style and personality through a camera’s lens and uses her fashion instinct to photograph everyday people in their normal settings: a form of photography known as “street style.”

“Street style is a lot of fun,” Lisa explains. “It’s been around for ages, but now with the internet it’s been really fun to go online and see what people are wearing around the world daily- it’s really fascinating.” After approaching a Portland trendsetter with the friendly greeting of, “I love what you’re wearing! Would you be okay with me shooting your photo?” Lisa focuses her camera for a headshot and notes “everything going on around [the person]: the lighting, the buildings.” One aim of her blog, Urban Weeds, is to use street style photography to show that people can be inspired by anything, especially other people.

And, of course, Lisa can often be found at some of her favorite boutiques highlighted in Urbandig’s Portland Stylings tour. “Portland’s fashion scene is really unique,” she says, noting its difference from other fashion capitals like New York, London, and Paris. “You find that people here are very non-judgmental…. That frees people up to experiment with their work. I think it’s really, really interesting- you could wear anything and people would be accepting of it…. People have fun with it; they don’t take it too seriously.” Lisa also recognizes that the lack of high-end wealth in the city has created a burgeoning market for thrifted items, which have creatively appeared in many stylish, everyday outfits. In the Portland scene, “you always feel good about whatever you’re wearing,” Lisa explains.

Of course, any fashionista has one article of clothing she claims as most essential to and revealing of a person’s style. For Lisa, it’s shoes. “Shoes- they’re kind of the deal breaker when you’re scouting for style. If you opt for the comfortable shoe, it’s not going to work.” Boots, flats, heels- all have varying levels of practicality for Oregon weather, yet also are the ribbon tying the entire outfit together. The message for us fashion novices? Make sure to don those one-of-a-kind shoes before you leave for the day, and maybe you’ll appear in Lisa’s photos on Urban Weeds.

(Pictured above: Belle By Sigerson Morrison Cut Out Heels, Moule Stores)

Noting this importance of shoes to an outfit, we asked Lisa that timeless mind-bender: Can a person ever really have too many pairs of shoes? To our surprise, the answer was “YES.” “I’m very conscientious about being too big of a consumer,” Lisa explained. She highlights the importance of giving back to the community and donating what no longer fits in with your wardrobe.

So how can you connect with this fashionable photographer? Check out Lisa’s Portland Stylings guide on Urbandig, where she’ll help you harness your own unique style. She’ll lead you through the best Portland boutiques and offer insight on who to meet and what to buy, ensuring that you’ll be prepared for your own next “street style” photo shoot!

Photo Credit: Haunt, Portland

Download Urbandig now to get the Portland Stylings guide - it’s free!

All photos (unless otherwise noted) provided by urbanweedsblog.com

5 Places to Get Liquor Late Night in Portland

daniellelehman — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 10:06:00 -0800

Hey Portland! Looking for liquor after 6pm or on Sundays?

Check out the new Open Container guide on Urbandig! Featuring five of our favorite liquor stores in the Portland area, these places won’t turn you away, even late night.

Download the free app to get this guide!

Photo Credit: Steve Snodgrass, Flickr

Heartbreak in San Francisco

daniellelehman — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 08:59:04 -0800

They say that breaking up is hard to do. Thanks to Urbandig Curator Amanda C. of datingismiserable.com, it’s not so hard anymore.

Enter the Heartbreaker Guide - your list of the best places to dump someone in the Bay Area. Whether you’re afraid your breakup might result in a thrown beer, or you just need an inspirational place to put things into perspective, we’ve got you covered.

Download the free Urbandig app now to access the guide!

Photo Credit: Paul Stuart Iddon, Flickr

Urbandig Goes to Washington

maurar — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 16:39:00 -0800

Over 10,000 entrepreneurs, designers, developers and innovators have descended on Washington this week for DCWEEK. The festival is jam packed with great speakers, workshops and yes, parties!

In honor of this week long festival and our impending launch in DC, Urbandig has published a couple of guides for attendees to check out while they are in the nation’s capital.

Tech Cocktail @DCWEEK

Co-Producer of the conference, Tech Cocktail will be hosting one of it’s classic mixers to showcase the latest tech and startup innovations. Check out Tech Cocktail’s Guide to learn more about the 18 amazing startups, who will be featured at the event and be sure to say hello to Frank and Jen for us!

Night Owl

Nicole Crowder from Chestnut Orange curated a very tasty Night Owl guide. If you are like me, and hit your stride long after the sun goes down - then this guide is for you. It’s perfect for the late night foodie, who is looking for something to nibble on after DCWEEK’s TechCocktail wraps up at 10pm.

This is just a sneak peak of a what’s to come for our friend’s in DC. We will be rolling out more unique guides in one of our favorite east coast cities very soon. Stay tuned…

Where the Founders of Foodtree Eat in Vancouver

maurar — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 12:28:51 -0800

Guest Post written by Derek Shanahan, Co-Founder of Foodtree - curators of Urbandig’s Locavore Guide in Vancouver, BC.

At Foodtree we think quite a bit about where our food is from. We’re fortunate to be headquartered in a city that leads the world in its attention to local food, so finding a meal that’s primary sourced from producers in the area is a bit easier here than it can be in other major cities in North America and worldwide. Here’s a fun fact: the 100 Mile Diet movement got its start here and quickly spread throughout the continent!

Vancouver’s farmers market scene is rival to all the standout farmers markets in the United States, entertaining thousands of food lovers every week, year-round. The chefs in town take full advantage of their access to farmers, and a long list of the city’s restaurants boast seasonal menus based around fresh food they find at local markets and through relationships with local producers. The very first stop on the Locavore Tour is Save-On Diner, a revitalized spot that will install a rooftop garden through a partnership with SOLEfood, an urban farm on the downtown east side.
At Foodtree we’re building tools to make it easy to find out where your food is from, as well as how and by whom it was made. We think people want more information about what they’re eating, and we’re seeing signs of that all over the food landscape, as farmers leverage technology to connect with their consumers, and as restaurant-goers demand insights into the quality and provenance of the ingredients on the menu. New restaurants all over the world are increasingly focused on local, fresh food, and there’s no better way to experience a city than to partake in its unique food culture.

As such, we were convinced that a Locavore Tour of Vancouver’s famous Gastown neighborhood was a perfect fit for the launch of Urbandig. Anthony (our CEO and resident food expert) put a phenomenal insider list together based on his experience as a chef all over the world. These are the spots he takes his family and our team when we eat out, and the list includes suggestions on which dishes to order. If you do the tour in order, you’ll walk away full, happy, and your friend’s new food czar.
Whether you live in Vancouver or you’re just visiting, this is the way to experience local food while walking around one of our most unique and entertaining neighborhoods. Just ask the Urbandig team; we all took the tour together on their launch weekend!

About Derek Shanahan
Derek was born on the East Coast, grew up in Chicago and is now living in Vancouver, BC Canada. He is a food geek, music freak, heartfelt blogger, former soccer player and all around good guy. Follow him on Twitter and read his blog to enjoy more of his stories and engage with him directly.

To learn more about where your food comes from and how it’s been handled, you should follow @foodtree on twitter and download their fresh local food app right now. Seriously.

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Happy Halloween

maurar — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 16:00:06 -0700

Looking for a new route to take this All Hallow’s Eve? Urbandig Co-founder and Curator, Mak uncovered some of the creepiest places in LA that will spook the pants off of you!

Mak’s LA Guide, Trick or Treat starts at Director, Paul Berns old house in Beverly Hills and includes other famous haunts such as Freddy’s Place in a Nightmare on Elm Street and the ghostly pad that inspired Dan Ackroyd to write Ghostbusters.

So, get all ghouled up, download some freaky music to set the mood, convince some friends to join you and enjoy a truly Haunted Hallow’s Eve.

Seven, Eight gonna stay up late. Nine, ten…never sleep again!

Check out the new Cruiser Crawl in LA!

daniellelehman — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 09:48:51 -0700

Hey LA, it’s supposed to be sunny and in the 70s at the beach this weekend - better take advantage of it before the cool weather sweeps in. And what better way to spend the day on the beach than by cruising down the bike path from Santa Monica to the Marina, stopping at a few great watering holes along the way!

The new Cruiser Crawl guide in Los Angeles will take you through a pub crawl (on a bike) of the best beachy hangouts on LA’s coast. Don’t have a cruiser? No problem - this guide will take you to an easy bike rental shop on the beach.

Check it out and let us know what you think!

SHFT

macadaan — Tue, 25 Oct 2011 14:30:50 -0700

SHFT is a popup gallery/shop that’s open until Oct 27, 2011. It’s curated and created by artists and product designers all supporting the culture of today’s environment. Their mission is to convey a more sustainable approach to the way we live through video, design, art and culture. Uber creators, curators and names behind this cool concept include actor Adrian Grenier and film producer Peter Glatzer. It’s a shame this is only here until Thursday and definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area. You can find this and other La Brea hidden spots in the La Brea guide curated by yours truly. Download for free.

A Shopper's Guide to A Girl's Day Out in Vancouver

maurar — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:32:57 -0700

Guest Post by the very talented writer, stylish shopaholic, and curator of Urbandig’s Girls on Granville Guide in Vancouver - Nancy Chapman.

I love to shop – the hunt and the tangential discoveries, the rush of finding it (on sale!), the promise of transformation, I love it all. From J Brand skinny jeans to Rocky Mountain Foot Butter to a Goorin fedora, I’ve bought it all. I’ve been teased that Confessions of a Shopaholic’s Rebecca Bloomwood is loosely based on my life – except perhaps for the bits about the enabling roommate, and that glossy pink (iLove!) Macbook. I do, however, own more stilettos than you can shake a stick at and have had my credit cards declined at Henri Bendel. Tres embarrassing!!

I’m a born and bred Vancouverite and as mentioned, I love to shop. In fact, I believe I am a pioneer in the shop-tourism sector – having travelled to London, Paris, Milan, Tokyo, Marrakech, Toronto, NYC, Chicago, and San Francisco to name a few – like a UN Goodwill ambassador, successfully spurring the local economies. Secondly, I also have four sisters and our favorite holiday of the year is Boxing Day. After the tree is trimmed, the turkey gobbled, doodads purchased, wrapped and then unwrapped for every member of our extended family, we wake up at 6AM, zip to Caffé Artigiano for a latte to go and then shop till we drop (dollar bills obviously!) And finally, living as I do, with 4 boys under my roof, there is not much I won’t do for a day out with my girlfriends. And so, as often as we can, my girlfriends and I come together to brunch, shop, spa, shop some more, drink & dance – and as such, planning Girls Days Out are somewhat of a specialty of mine.

With the malls of North America so cookie-cutter boring, there are really just two shopping destinations in Vancouver that I love to waste a day away at – Main Street and South Granville Street. For my Girls Day Out tour, I chose Granville Street as it caters to foodies, shoe lovers, and all shoppers who love good style as much as they love good labels, plus it ends at a world-class spa. Everyone’s a winner on Granville Street!!

So grab a girlfriend (or eight), grab some brunch at Café Barney or Luke’s Corner Bar (but don’t eat too many breakfast potatoes or you won’t fit into those skinny jeans you covet!) and take a wander down beautiful, historic South Granville Street. I’ll bet you’ll find just what you’re looking for!

Nancy Chapman is a freelance writer living in beautiful West Vancouver, BC Canada. When she is not writing, she can be found ferrying around her three sons, working out and shopping. Subscribe to Nancy’s blog and follow her on twitter to enjoy more of her escapades with girlfriends and thoughts on writing, parenting, politics, shopping and more!

Abbot Kinney Cocktail Clash in LA

maurar — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 17:22:00 -0700

Shaken, Stirred, Mixed? While I can hold my own in the kitchen, I am not sure my culinary skills would serve me well behind the bar just yet. But I am always eager to learn and sample from the best.

There’s no question there’s an art to crafting up the perfect cocktail. And this Sunday, October 23, 2011 three LA street mixoligists including Tasting Kitchen’s Ryan Wainwright, Joe’s Jennifer Zerboni and Hal’s Dennis Kahn will go head-to-head in a battle of classy cocktailery at Joe’s, 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Los Angeles.

The Clash

First up, each mixologist will be given a box of mystery ingredients with only 10 minutes to turn it into something that will make the judge’s swoon. After round 1, they will have another 7 minutes to whip up their signature drink to seal the deal.

Lucky Judges

Urbandig curator’s e*star LA and Thirsty in LA will be among the judges Sunday evening. After experiencing e*star’s Deep Dive tour and Thirsty in LA’s Crafty Sips guide on Urbandig LA, we know first hand that they appreciate the subtle difference between a good cocktail and a damn fine one. We can’t wait to find out the results.

So, if you are looking for something tasty to do this Sunday, you should definitely drop by Joe’s. The After Party starts at 7pm and word is, guests will get to sample Zebroni’s popular Pisco Pig and Wainwright’s Navy Sour for free.

Cheers!

Urbandig Has Landed in Portland

daniellelehman — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 11:37:48 -0700

Portland is finally getting the street cred it deserves. With a budding food and drink industry, beautiful scenery, lively music venues, unique local shops, and a whole lotta hidden gems, it’s a perfect spot for Urbandig to hit next. So we are very happy to announce that Urbandig guides are now available in PDX!

Here’s a quick rundown of a few of our Portland guides and the local experts who created them:

DRINK

Portland is known for craft beer, but with so many microbreweries, nanobreweries and, what’s next - picobreweries? - it can be overwhelming to navigate the beer scene. Thanks to Urbandig Curator Angelo De leso from brewpublic.com, you can easily find the five absolute musts for beer geeks on the Beervana guide.

Are you more of a craft liquor fan? Then take a trip down Distillery Row with Dave Garlock from beportland.com. On this guide, you’ll explore six of Portland’s most interesting small batch distilleries.

FOOD

Portlanders love their pork. While most maintain a healthy lifestyle, it seems that pork is the one sinful exception. Thanks to curator Stephanie El-Hajj, you can explore some of the best pork Portland has to offer in the Porkland guide, from bacon forward breakfasts, to pig-filled desserts.

Craving some late-night grub? The food cart scene is one of the best places to look! Join Brett Burmeister of FoodCartsPortland.com as he takes you to some of the best after hours carts for post-pub noshing.

CITY GEMS

If you’re looking for some local boutique shopping, Lisa Warninger of Urban Weeds is your go-to girl. She’s put together a guide of the cutest, loveliest little boutiques in Portland for ladies (and a few spots for men) in the Portland Stylings guide.

Or maybe if you’re just looking to explore a new corner of Portland, check out the Secret St. Johns guide by Sarah Keech of stumptownlunch.com. You just might discover a movie theater with a pub, or a cafe with a bonus costume shop!

THE WORD ON THE STREET…

Of course we think Urbandig is great, but check out what local Portland bloggers (and curators) are saying about the app!

Salt Water Coffee spills on her Global Grub guide
BeerDrinker.org talks about his Noodle Crawl
Be Portland shares their Distillery Row guide, and a bonus On the Record guide to the best vinyl shops in town!

Get the App!

Be sure to download our app to get access to all of these guides and many others! We’ll be rolling out new guides in the coming weeks.

Visit Urbandig.com for more info!

App update 1.2 Now Available

macadaan — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 01:48:39 -0700

It’s been busy down here in the rabbit hole. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re addicted to delivering you new content and app enhancements to inspire you to get out and enjoy life. The latest updates are designed to do just that. Download Urbandig 1.2 for free

Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter Check-In

So we decided to take the hassle out of checking-in from 4 different apps. Our developers have integrated Foursquare, Facebook Places and Twitter so you can check-in in one fell swoop. Of course you can toggle each service on and off for those moments when you want to stay off the grid.

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Address Book Contact Finder

Here’s a handy way to connect with your iPhone’s Address Book contacts that are also on Urbandig. Of course you can still connect with your Facebook friends as well. This is cool way to see what Places your friends are discovering from the Feed. Use these features from your Profile underneath the gear icon.

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Feed Photos

Simple, they got bigger and they look great.

Here are the rest of the updates that you’ll find in 1.2:
Push notifications to let you know when there’s something to new.
Followers and Following are now visible on your profile.
Navigation is smoother from Place to Place.
iOS5 Support so the app works beautifully in the new iPhone OS.

Preview of 1.3
In a few weeks we’ll be making another update that will continue to improve the Urbandig app experience. We’re also going to be activating 2 new cities shortly which we’re all very excited about. If you have any feedback related to the app, feel free to send directly to me mak@urbandig.com.

Download Urbandig 1.2 for free

If You Drink It, The Hangover Brunch Will Come

maurar — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:35:00 -0700

Guest Post written by the amazingly talented, copywriting Panda, Amber Adrian.

All it takes to become an expert in a city’s hangover food is ten years of residence and a short but intense period of questionable life choices where you dance near tables after ridiculous flaming marshmallow drinks at Bigfoot Lounge (don’t do that) and yell about Tina Turner on street corners after dancing near different tables (don’t do that either). Next morning, drag your vodka-mummified self to the nearest plate of eggs benedict and stop texting your friends when they perkily proclaim to be suffering no ill-effects from the night before. You’re pretty sure they’re lying, but you can’t take that chance.

How To Conquer Friday Night Before Sailing Valiantly Into the Saturday Morning Hangover. All Involving Booze Because, Let’s Face It, That’s What We Want Out of a Friday Night.

Head to Noc Noc: Ask the bartender what Eugene, the purple fish behind the bar, recommends. No guarantees the fish is actually named Eugene or if his recommendations are any good, but it’s an entertaining conversation. Noc Noc’s decor rocks a look that can best be described as the quirky lovechild of Aladdin’s lamp and a downed World War II fighter plane. It’s a cozy nook with plenty of slack-jawed aliens and random purple fish distractions, should your date be late or nonexistent.

Watch flexing muscles at the ballet: Seriously. Stuff a sigg bottle full of wine in your purse and gaze at stunning artistry. Besides, everyone downs wine at intermission. You’re just inhaling yours with a charming economy and environmentally-sound flair. A worthy drinking foe this weekend is Alonzo King’s Lines, a company with some serious moves. Pro tip: the male dancers often wear costumes that are noticeably lacking in shirts. You’re welcome. (Sorry, men. It’s still fun.)

Eat fried alligator at Boxing Room: My steel magnolia friend claims it’s better than any she ever ate in the South. But don’t try to smuggle your wine in via thermos. Buy it there. Your mama raised you right.

Order Pisco Punch at Comstock Saloon: Sometimes you really need a fancy cocktail with more ingredients than your grandma’s lasagna. Comstock Saloon wins for best ceiling fans, best random music, best mustaches, best bartenders, and best bartenders sporting mustaches.

Voila! Friday night is yours and Urbandig’s hangover guide is your new best friend, especially when all those svelte but high-tolerance wenches abandon you and your pounding head.

Amber Adrian did a lot of drinking at one time, and all those facts are still stored in the bourbon-infused corners of her brain. You can read more about her adventures on her blog and follow her on Twitter.

We encourage you to Download the Urbandig App right now to experience her Hangover Guide for yourself.

Urbandig Live Art Funk Jam Party Tonight in NY

maurar — Fri, 14 Oct 2011 12:13:29 -0700

Urbandig is celebrating our recent launch in New York city with a Live Art Funk Jam Party tonight, October 14th at Culture Fix. Doors open at 8pm.

Join us for a drink, live music and make art with the likes of Jim Mahfood, Angry Woebots, Scott C and Pixel Pancho. Feel free to bring some friends with you and download our app if you have not already.

And it’s Saul Colt’s birthday to boot! So, be sure to find him and wish him a Happy Birthday. He is usually wearing crazy pants and is surrounded by many lovely ladies.

You can RSVP here: http://urbandignyc.eventbrite.com/