City of New London launches mobile app

New London ― People can now explore the city's shops, restaurants, historical and cultural institutions, and upcoming community events at the tap of a button.The New London Cultural District has created a new mobile app, called Explore New London, available in the Apple and Google Play app stores.The city's news release describes the app as a "one-stop resource to learn about everything from events, restaurants, shops and worship services to auto mechanics, banks, laundromats and medical services.""Getting New London on an app is something we've wanted for a long time and it's really exciting to see it come to life," New London Cultural District Chair Rich Martin said. "It's an opportunity to celebrate everything New London under one umbrella and a way to highlight our incredible small businesses as well as the culture and history of this unique place."Users can click on five main categories ― Cultural District, Eat & Drink, Shop & More, Events and Community ― and then browse additional sub-categories within them. For example, under Eat & Drink, people can click on a host of different types of food sub-categories, such as seafood, bakeries, outdoor dining, pizza and grocery stores, to get a list of those types of businesses, or they can click on "all restaurants" to get a full listing of restaurants. Under the community category, people can find more information about parks, libraries, transportation, donation centers, laundromats and medical services, among other establishments.People can access information about the Black Heritage Tour, so they can tour the sites as they follow along on the app, according to the release.People can also find out about the Custom House Museum, Hempsted Houses, and the Monte Christo Cottage.Martin said in a statement that the app also "gives us a new tool to promote events like the Fourth Friday Salsa on Parade Plaza, which kicks off this week, Let Loose Thursdays and Make Music Day this June, or the many happenings at the Garde Arts Center, Ocean Beach, Lyman Allyn Art Museum and other venues around town."Businesses can send notifications to people who "like" or "favorite" their listing, according to the release.Martin, Cultural District Coordinator Niko Severino and local photographers, including Mattias Lundblad, created the content for the app, which was funded by the Cultural District and the city, according to the release.