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Article snippet: It’s now easier than ever to get travel advice from locals, and you don’t even have to talk to them in person. Sure, you can still ask a stranger where to find some good sushi, but there is no guarantee they will be interested in, or qualified to, help you. Thankfully, there are several smartphone apps that cut out those potentially awkward moments but still provide valuable recommendations from those in the know. The three I tested out recently while roaming the streets of New York all had something to offer — though some were more useful than others. This app costs $3.99 per city (67 major cities are available worldwide), while the others are, for the most part, free. But you get what you pay for: this was the most well-rounded of the three I tried. One of its many perks is that it runs entirely offline, so you do not need to stress about data usage. Like all of these apps, Spotted by Locals provides recommendations submitted by actual local residents on where to eat, shop, be entertained and more. The idea is to keep you away from tourist traps and steer you toward hidden gems. I used it to explore a neighborhood where I used to be a local (Astoria, Queens) to see if it could deliver. The fact that it included a wide assortment of suggestions in a borough not named Manhattan was impressive enough, compared to the other apps I tested, but the recommendations themselves were also spot on. For example, Astoria’s popular Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden was rightfull... Link to the full article to read more