New NightOwl app organizes NYC nightlife

In a city with thousands of bars, it can be surprisingly difficult to decide where to go for drinks.

NightOwl, a new app that hit the market last week, is here to help.

The free app catalogued more than 3,000 bars across the five boroughs and organized them into categories such as “Whiskey,” “Dancey” and “Can charge phone.”

The app also has a social media element that allows users to recommend and review places and create public and private favorites lists.

NightOwl takes days of the week into account as well, noting the difference in atmosphere on a Friday versus a Tuesday, and learns users’ tastes as it goes.

“It’s easy to just fall back in to your go-to spot,” said Kevin Madden, 35, its co-founder. NightOwl is all about trying something new and “finding a place that is right for any situation,” he explained.

Madden worked in finance for a decade before leaving two years ago to create the app with long-time friend Haig Didizian. He was familiar with building companies from his investment and private equity experiences and said he always had a desire to start a business himself.

Didizian was involved with several tech start-ups in the past, such as Wine Access. The pair plan to generate revenue through featured and sponsored venues.

Madden and Didizian plan to launch the app in other cities, but New York was an obvious first choice for them.

“Honestly,” Madden said, “I don’t think there’s another city that we could have started this in that would have been as great as it is to start in New York.”

NightOwl is in the Apple apps store now and will be available for Android soon.