Subvert the dominant paradigm with Hyperlocal news sites

April 18, 2013 10:03 AM

The era of the printed daily newspaper is on the way out, but can hyperlocal step into that void? I'm looking for examples of great hyperlocal blogs or news websites that are doing it right.

Baristanet, West Seattle Blog, TheAlternativePress, and Red Bank Green are all examples of independent Hyperlocal blogs and news sites that are doing it right, possibly even profitably, in the post daily newspaper era. Please share your favorite hyperlocal sites. If you work for one, I'd love to know what your typical workday day is like?

posted by IndigoSkye to Work & Money (15 answers total)

Sheepshead Bites is the blog for Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn (and surrounding areas.) Most other hyperlocal Brooklyn blogs were absorbed by Patch.com, which in turn was absorbed by AOL.
posted by griphus at 10:05 AM on April 18, 2013

Oh, and Bensonhurst Bean is the blog for Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.
posted by griphus at 10:08 AM on April 18, 2013

Mission Loc@l
posted by sunset in snow country at 10:11 AM on April 18, 2013

I'm partial to The Eastsider.
posted by justjess at 10:14 AM on April 18, 2013 [2 favorites]

I also like The Eastsider (for neighborhoods roughly in the eastern section of the city of Los Angeles), along with the Eagle Rock Patch for things happening in my neighborhood.
posted by erst at 10:26 AM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

WeHoDaily is mostly useful for their Twitter feed, which almost always had the answer to the question "What are all those sirens about?" when we lived near West Hollywood. They have a site too, but I can't vouch for its usefulness. Still, good news is good news, whether it comes from a town crier, newspaper, blog, or Twitter.

That said, I'd also point to The Eastsider as a blog that's doing hyperlocal news exceptionally well.
posted by smoq at 10:37 AM on April 18, 2013

Ditmas Park Corner is a staunch alternative to Patch, and really useful local news sourc
posted by mlle valentine at 10:40 AM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

SantaBarbra: NoozeHawk
San Luis Obispo: CalCoastNews
posted by hortense at 10:46 AM on April 18, 2013 [1 favorite]

I don't know if this is hyperlocal enough for you, but here in Seattle I'm a regular reader of Publicola, which just got a shout out on a WaPo article about best local politics blogs, and Crosscut is pretty good too.
posted by brookeb at 11:15 AM on April 18, 2013

It's a bit right on but the Brixton Blog is a good example. It is sufficiently successful its founders have launched a hyper local newspaper, the Brixton Bugle.
posted by MuffinMan at 11:22 AM on April 18, 2013

Charlottesville's (VA) own The Hook kinda arts weekly has become a hyperlocal paper+website that far exceeds the local "old-school" daily.
posted by kuanes at 11:47 AM on April 18, 2013

Uptown Messenger
posted by Leezie at 11:49 AM on April 18, 2013

(and Mid-City Messenger)
posted by CheeseLouise at 12:14 PM on April 18, 2013

2nding Brixton Blog - it's been up and running for a bit over a year and already it's a neighborhood fixture.
posted by narcotizingdysfunction at 2:47 AM on April 19, 2013

Washington, DC blog the Prince of Petworth became so popular that it spawned a satire blog, the Titan of Trinidad.
posted by forkisbetter at 12:16 PM on April 19, 2013