Divvy in the Busy City

Is your favorite food joint too far to walk to on your lunch break? Don’t like the CTA? Do you love cruising in the open air with wind breezing through your hair? Then you may consider wanting to hop onto one of those blue Divvy bikes you keep seeing in the city.

Divvy is a bicycle sharing system that started in Chicago in June of 2013. Since its inception it has grown from just 750 bicycles to now over 3,000. This week we even received news that the Divvy program is expanding with 175 new stations and 1750 new bikes opening soon (now delayed until the spring, according to Chicago Tribune). New stations are planned for further reaching areas such as: the 5^th ward, the 33^rd ward, the 45^th ward, the 47^th ward, and Rogers Park and West Ridge, says the Active Transportation Alliance.

These pretty Chicago colored bikes can fit nearly any shape and size. They also have 3 different speeds, front and rear flashing LED lights, and a bell.

We highly recommend these bikes for any Chicagoan that is on their feet daily in the city. For just $75 a year you can get a membership, which is well worth it in the long run (especially if you are a frequent Taxi goer). After 30 minutes of riding a Divvy you will start getting charged a small incremental fee, so if you are just looking to rent a bike for a day you can pay $7 to get around.

With Divvy, you can unlock a lot of locations in Chicago you previous couldn’t easily go visit and see. For instance, if you work in the city and let’s say you work 250 days a year, then renting a Divvy bike can cut down a 30 minute walking commute to just 15 minutes twice per day. That’s 125 hours you are saving throughout the working year. Now is the time to explore locations you’ve never been to before such as a restaurant you’ve always wanted to try a neighborhood or two away. Of course, you’ll have the benefit of exercise as well. The price of $75 a year now sounds a whole lot more worth it, right? Just remember to bring your own helmet, stay safe around the cars, and Divvy it up!

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New App Sosh Puts Chicago at Your Fingertips

Want to find out about new Chicago hotspots, where to find the best cocktail, or learn about pop-up events? Be the first in Chicago to use new app Sosh (hint: it launches today!), your pocket guidebook to the fun happenings around the city.

Fueled by the principle that “life is too short to be bored,” Sosh gives you up to the moment recommendations tailored to your preferred neighborhoods and type of activities. If you see an event or business that piques your interest, you have the ability to bookmark it for later and share with your friends via social media.

With success in San Francisco, New York City, Seattle and several other cities, the movement has come to our amazing city to help us uncover the “what’s what” about town.

I had the incredible opportunity to interview Katrina Kurnit, Sosh’s Head of Marketing. Katrina’s passion for Sosh shines through as she describes her experience marketing and engaging with new and existing Sosh users. Inspiration driving the app is the age-old “What should we do tonight” problem. City dwellers often go to the same bars, the same restaurants, and stick to the same experiences, despite being surrounded by thousands of options on any given night.

“Sosh not only helps people find things to do in the city, but also the unique angles and offerings of places they’re already familiar with,” says Katrina. With a powerful combination of technology and people vetting each opportunity, the app serves up an interactive list of options both popular right now and off the beaten path. Up to date “Here and Now” and “What’s Hot” sections are supplemented by ongoing categories and collections such as “Get Cultured,” “Grab a Brew,” “Under $30” and “Open Late.”

“To get the most benefit from Sosh, the app works off of the interests and types of activities you’ve chosen. Recommended events will be filtered based on day of the week and time of day.” With a goal of expanding to more cities and making the service “smarter, more proactive and more predictive,” Katrina sees limitless potential for city residents across the country.

Katrina commends Sosh for allowing people to “experience real world life in a way that previously seemed impossible.” Users can expand their city boundaries and take advantage of much more that Chicago has to offer.

Click here to join Sosh Chicago today.

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Send Postcards Directly from Your Smartphone With Lettr

Want to showcase your adventures in Chicago or on vacation with your family and friends? Send a postcard directly from your phone or tablet with Lettr!

Who doesn’t like receiving a good old fashioned card in the mail? Local Chicagoans and tourists alike can create postcards through Lettr, a service that allows you to sign on with Facebook, choose your own photo, write your own message, and even sign with a touch-screen enabled signature. The final product, printed on quality postcard material, showcases a map of the city you sent the card from.

Lucky for us, technology has evolved so we don’t have to visit the tourist shops, buy stamps, or even collect addresses from our favorite people. To make it as easy as possible, here’s how Lettr works:

Capture your best scenic moment on your smartphone, or access your favorite memories from your camera roll or saved images
Sign on to Lettr from your phone, tablet or computer
Upload your favorite photo, craft your postcard message and sign your name
Select friends via Facebook that you’d like to send the card to – Facebook will notify them that a postcard is waiting and will ask for their preferred address
Lettr’s specially designed application sends the postcard for printing and shipping at a location close to the recipient, cutting down delivery time from weeks (if you’re vacationing abroad) to a few days
Simply pay for the card using debit, credit or PayPal

Just in time for spring break – and Chicago’s imminent spring – you can use Lettr to share the love with your friends and family on your adventures near and far. Use the links provided in this post or access the buttons on our site’s header or sidebar to send your postcard through Lettr.

The first 10 users of Lettr through The Chicago Lifestyle will win a credit to send a free postcard!

Who will you send a card to today?