Pokémon GO has had New York City in its clutches for the better part of a week, but after training for days, New Yorkers are facing a few challenges, namely dying phone batteries and physical fatigue.
William Min, a web content writer, said that he’s playing Pokémon GO using the virtual gyms with coworkers to battle and train with the Pokémon. Players can join one of three teams in the game; they include “Team Mystic (Blue), Team Valor (Red), and Team Instinct (Yellow).”
“My coworkers and I are currently in a highly contested battle to control a Gym near our office. The Gym usually changes hands between Red and Blue several times a day,” he said in an email to DNAinfo New York.
Jake Paque is a voice actor for Pokémon XY and XYZ. He’s used his talents to voice Professor Sycamore and a variety of Pokémon. He plans on playing the game until he has every Pokémon that he’s voiced in his collection.
“One of the Pokémon I still want to catch is just a Pikachu! I actually got to voice a Pikachu in a crazy episode last season where I played Rockstar Pikachu,” he said in an email to DNAinfo. “”I’m working on it. I’m close though.”
Here are a few tips that Min, and Paque have for Pokémon GO players who seek to win them all:
Phone Battery Tips:
► “The first thing I did was turn on “Battery Saver” in the Pokémon GO app Settings,” said Min. “After enabling this feature, you can then hold your phone upside down, which will black out the screen and turn off 3D animation. This helps keep your battery drain to a minimum.”
► “Of course I drop that brightness way down. And then … honestly … I just carry a great portable charger,” Paque said.
► Paque considers the overabundance of Starbucks locations “the WiFi watering-hole of NYC,” and encourages players to use them for Internet and phone charges.
► A charger with 10,000 mAh is ideal for getting several charges for a phone.
► Take the vibrate off on your phone; it actually uses more energy than a ringtone.
► Shorten screen timeout, and close unnecessary apps while playing.
Key Pokemon Locations:
► Areas that have a lot of different places of worship, statues, schools, and parks within walking distance of each other are optimal spots for finding pokestops.
► Central Park is full of lures, pokestops, and different Pokémon to catch.
► Union Square Park also has several pokestops near the benches and train station.
► Min suggests going to where there’s a body of water. “Certain Pokémon tend to spawn near water so take a walk alongside the Hudson River,” he said.
► Dense locations like Battery Park and the Financial District are ideal for lures.
Essential Tools:
Arm yourself with the necessary knowledge find everything you need.
► Use DNAinfo's map to find different types of Pokémon, gyms, and pokestops around the five boroughs. The map is interactive, so the more it's shared, the more tips you'll get for prime locations.
► RentHop made a map of all the gyms that are nearby each of their rental listings. So, if you're apartment hunting and Pokémon catching, this map will make it easier.
► Curbed NY also compiled a map of best places to find some cool Pokémon in Brooklyn and Manhattan.
► You can also try using the Yelp pokestop filter. You'll be able to quickly find which eateries are near stops so that you won't have to miss a beat, regardless of where you are.
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► MAP: Where Are You Finding Pokémon in New York City?
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