iPhone apps put cities in your pocket

Heading to London, New York or Chicago soon? Looking for travel tips about the Everglades or Napa? Check out Sutro Media Guides, iPhone and iPod Touch apps that serve as pocket travel guides to destinations in North America and the U.K. While there are a couple of comprehensive guides, billed as "Essential" guides to particular cities, there are also more targeted apps, such as "Quirky London" and "Cheap Eats in San Francisco."

I downloaded the New York City Essential Guide and found it wide ranging and easy to use. Each listing includes a photo and a Google map of the location. It also includes the distance from my current location to the location described (not a lot of use to me today, here in Ottawa, but it will be handy the next time I go to NYC). Pithy descriptions of locations such as Radio City Music Hall and Zabar's deli include the location of the nearest subway stop, hours, phone numbers and websites, where applicable. You can also sort listings by cost and by their distance from your current location.

The app was a bit slow to load, but that may be because I have the smallest iPod Touch--it would probably run faster on the latest iPhones.

Prices range from 99 cents to $4.99 per app, with most guides priced at $2.99 or under. While they're not as complete as a traditional guidebook, they're a lot easier to carry in your purse or pocket.