Even with this blog, a Twitter feed, a city-hosted website, and a Facebook page, it’s not always easy for our neighborhood to come together and interact online.

A new social media website called Nextdoor is changing that. Think of it as a cross between Craigslist, Facebook, a classic Internet forum, and a community bulletin board. It’s geared exclusively to neighborhood needs such as broadcasting community events, posting items for sale (or free), addressing crime/safety concerns, soliciting ideas about how to make our neighborhood better, and more.

Two Nextdoor neighborhoods have already sprung up here in Emerson-Garfield.

If you live near Corbin Park, you can join the active Corbin Park Spokane neighborhood here on Nextdoor.

And if you live in Emerson-Garfield on the west side of Monroe, you can join the new Emerson-Gafield West neighborhood here on Nextdoor.

Some of the great things Nextdoor enables you to do:

• Get to know your neighbors
• Get local recommendations for a great babysitter, plumber or handyman
• Look out for each other by sharing advice and reporting suspicious activity
• Buy, sell, trade or give away items within your neighborhood
• Get updates on community issues, plan neighborhood events

And if a Nextdoor neighborhood doesn’t exist for your immediate area, feel free to start one. By breaking our larger neighborhood down into smaller, more localized areas, we can help make the whole of Emerson-Garfield even better.