How you can use the newly-revived EveryBlock right now

Last month, Comcast re-introduced EveryBlock Philly to the local scene.

The service compiles news and information from hundreds of local bloggers, news outlets, open data initiatives and more, and delivers them to you based on the locations most important to you.

• Want to follow crime reports for the neighborhood your kids go to school in? Check.
• Want to find the best BBQ within a two block radius of the office? Done.
• Just wishing you could connect better with your neighbors? Yup, that too.

Aside from the website, there’s a mobile site, an iOS app and, soon, an Android app, for anyone looking to take the content on the go. One of the favorite ways for users to get their updates comes in the form of a Daily Digest email. Fully opt-in and personalized, the Digest brings neighborhood information right to your inbox each morning.

The goal is Local Discovery. The service is meant to help residents, commuters and out-of-towners alike connect with great content from around the city. Every news article, blog post and event listing pushes traffic directly back to the original source.

Sound familiar?

EveryBlock was founded in 2007 and later expanded through a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation Knight News Challenge program. The platform was then acquired by MSNBC and eventually shuttered in February 2013 by NBC News — more info on that here.

Currently EveryBlock only operates in Chicago and Philadelphia, with plans to roll out to additional markets, including Houston, Texas; Denver, Colo.; Medford, Mass. (Boston area); Hialeah, Fla. (Miami area) and Fresno, Calif., in the coming months.

 

Why Comcast is Bringing it Back

At its core, Comcast is a local community company — with infrastructure and services offered to a third of the country.

EveryBlock provides a new way for residents, visitors, civic groups and community partners to connect, share information and discover what is happening in their own backyards.

EveryBlock is an innovative, exciting way for Comcast to extend its passion and expand its partnerships with all areas of the community. One such partnership in Philadelphia has been with N3rd Street, the city-sanctioned corridor of innovative companies running from Old City to Kensington along North 3rd Street. N3rd Street will be using content from EveryBlock to fuel its own website, providing information on events and other activities for its community.

Another is Keep Philadelphia Beautiful, which is using EveryBlock content to add resources to its own website.

 

Why You Should Visit Everyblock

We all care about the neighborhoods and communities we call home. EveryBlock gives you a platform to stay connected to neighbors, information, events and more.

All you need is a zip code and an email address. Visit here and register today. You can also download the EveryBlock app on the iOS app store or, soon, Google Play.

Any organizations who would like their content included can reach out to EveryBlock through the Feedback Form. Similarly, any publisher, local blogger or other organization interested in bolstering their own site with local content can grab feeds from the EveryBlock Feed Network or work on a more custom integration based on the EveryBlock API.