Exploring LI? There's an App for That Too

Iyna Caruso loves Long Island. There's so many places she loves to visit — the North Fork beaches, the Hamptons and the Nassau County Museum of Art — that she wondered how out-of-towners might find some of the Island's hidden gems. 

Well now, there's an "app" for that too.

Caruso, a freelance writer who lives in Rockville Centre, created a Long Island travel guide application for the iPhone — Essential Long Island — that details more than 130 must-see destinations in an abundance of towns across Nassau and Suffolk counties. From charming towns to historic landmarks and quirky local icons, Caruso said the Essential Long Island travel application gives tourists — or residents exploring Long Island — prices, GPS directions, more than 750 photos and write-ups on locations like the Gold Coast Estates and the American Guitar Museum in New Hyde Park.

"I wanted to strike a balance so that people could use it locally, and that it would have something that everyone could find value in," Caruso said. 

She explained that the application, which can be bought at the Apple store for $2.99, has locations for adventurers, families, wine connoisseurs or theater addicts. Caruso added that she conversed with friends, family and other travel companies on what locations to highlight. "It was important to have their input," she said. "I use guide books, but this is the new generation of it."

The application has been bought in 11 different countries, she said, and Caruso's turned a decent profit from sales, but that's not what motivates her. "The feedback has been really positive, and that's the most important thing to me because I live here," Caruso said.

Though Caruso is an experienced writer with a degree in journalism from Hofstra University, she explained that she learned a lot, which helps her stay ahead in an evolving business. All updates to the application are free after purchase, she noted.

"I was just surprised there wasn't one yet," Caruso said about a Long Island travel application. "There's so many great things here. It seemed like there was a vacuum, and being a life-long Long Islander, I thought I'd be a good person to fill that vacuum."

To purchase Essential Long Island, click here.