NeighborPal.com

Holidays and Neighbors

2011-04-25T07:08:00.000-07:00

My neighbors ask us to pick up their newspaper every when they go out of town (twice a month) - do I have to do their newspaper everyday or the day before they come back?

Good question - who still gets a newspaper delivered? For those neighbors that do, I recommend you pick it up every day. The neighborhood thief doesn't need to know they're away and a pile of newspapers could be a telling tale.

Borrowing your Neighbors Stuff

2011-04-22T11:40:00.000-07:00

How to borrow your neighbors stuff (tools, car, books, cup of sugar, etc.)

A few simple rules of thumb,

1. Return it - if possible either ask when they need it back or suggest a time/date and ask if that's acceptable.

2. If you break it, replace it.

If you're thinking of borrowing something and it looks marginal to begin with, take a pass on borrowing it.

3. Always - Always return it in the same condition or better than you borrowed it.

4. Finally, say thank you :)

Simple guidelines to being good neighbors!

Greeting new neighbors

2011-04-20T14:13:00.000-07:00

What's the best way to welcome new neighbors?

There are lots of ways to welcome new neighbors.

Here are a few reader suggestions,

1. Leave a small treat at their door (Champagne, flowers, card, etc.) with a welcoming neighbor note. Introduce your self and include your address.

2. A neighbor note in the mail box.

3. Bring over a baked pie. (Do people really do this anymore? - impressive)

I like the idea of leaving something at their door. When people are just getting settled in, it's easier to respond on their own time. No one likes getting caught off-guard. And, I'm sure new neighbors would like to make a good impression.

Nosey Neighbors

2011-04-19T10:37:00.000-07:00

Ask:

Boundaries - Fences - Communication

2009-07-28T08:55:00.001-07:00

When in doubt leave a note.

Neighbor advice

2009-07-28T08:45:00.000-07:00

It's better to discuss problems with someone you know and respect. Introduce yourselves.

City of Hopkins, Minnesota neighborly tip

2009-05-08T12:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a good neighbor-to-neighbor communication tip if an "issue" comes up -

found at City of Hopkins, Minnesota neighborly tip - Speak calmly and without accusation, allowing them a chance to respond in a similar fashion. Share your concerns—not your position. ("We're concerned about mosquitoes breeding in the tires in your backyard." vs. "Get those tires out of your yard!")

Brooklyn Neighbor's Question - Noisy Wind Chimes

2009-04-30T14:14:00.000-07:00

A neighbor installed new wind-chimes, and they make noise during the night. What should I do? They're so loud they wake me up.

Suggestion: Depends on your relationship with the neighbor. If it's good, politely mention it. Most likely they are unaware of the problem. Most will remedy the situation by relocating them or taking them down all together.

If you anticipate a problem response, check your local municipality ordinances.

How is NeighborPal different?

2008-11-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

Thank you for your question.

NeighborPal is different from other online networking sites because it is designed to let users control who they connect with locally in their NeighborPal neighbor network.

1) your NeighborPal network only includes people you add or associate with through a Neighbor Directory, Groups or individual invites. This increases the quality of local information being shared.

2) Search results are limited to about 5-10 miles from your profile address. Example, if there's a Cooking Group or user (with Cooking interests) in your neighborhood - only user's located in a 5-10 mile radius will be able to view the Group or user. And, if the group is "private" . Members must be invited by the organizer or request to join.

3) User's Profile Privacy Settings - let each user control whom they share their information with. Take a look a the privacy controls in your profile.

I welcome your feedback and thank you again.

Who's in my "Neighbor Network" of contacts?

2008-11-02T16:45:00.001-08:00

Your neighbor network of contacts includes the local people in your NeighborPal

Neighbor Directory, Members of your Groups and your individual invites of local friends and acquaintances.

Thanks for the question Austin TX

Adding Group Members

2008-10-28T13:14:00.001-07:00

To Add Group Members to your local group.
You can either

1) Login, select your Group, Email invite new members (from your Group: Email Invite on the left navigation bar.

or

2) next time you meet, have members sign-in on the NeighborPal group Sign-in Sheet and add each to your group membership in "Manage members". Once added, each member will be have access to the membership list, events, and group messages.

Thanks for asking Sacramento, California!

How do I find other NeighborPal neighbors?

2008-10-18T05:42:00.000-07:00

Thank you for asking. You can "search and find" other NeighborPal user's IF a user has their privacy settings set to "All Registered Users".

For example, if you like to play Chess, and have Chess in your profile interests, you can set your "About You" profile privacy settings to "All Registered Users" and users searching for Chess players in the area will see you in their search results.

Some users limit their sharing (with privacy settings) to their individual contacts, Neighbor Directory or Groups to only share with people they've met and are connected to in the area.

To help keep the site relevant to neighbors and local friends the search results are within 5 miles of your profile address, not the entire NeighborPal community worldwide. For example, a NeighborPal user on the 1200 Block of Carol St. in Boulder, Colorado wants to know about her area, not necessarily what's going in a neighborhood 15 miles away. There are other services for that.

Does this help?

Neighbor Directory - neighbors connect online

2008-10-16T12:15:00.001-07:00

Neighbor organizers are helping their neighbors get the best from their neighborhood!

One active neighbor creates the Neighbor Directory, then Neighbors on the street, apartment building or subdivision can join in - it's an unobtrusive way to engage your neighbors - share local tips, local experiences, ask or tell neighbors, etc...

Typical story,

Active neighbor, Cindy, creates the neighbor directory for her street block.

Cindy either added neighbors by email invite or handed out an invite (neighbor directory handout invite). Neighbors signed up to NeighborPal and requested to join the neighbor directory Cindy created or they returned the hand-out to her and she added each neighbor to the directory.

Now, they have an easy unobtrusive way to share neighborly tips, share local experiences and feel engaged where they live!

Thank you Massachusetts

2008-10-13T09:49:00.000-07:00

Massachusetts user, thank you for your feedback. To improve the site we implemented your suggestion for your area. Please let me know how it works out.

Welcome San Diego neighbor leaders!

2008-10-09T09:38:00.000-07:00

Two San Diego, CA neighbor leaders created neighbor directories to make it easier to get the most out of the neighborhood.

Park Blvd & University Ave
A directory for anyone within walking distance of the intersection of Park Blvd & University Ave - we get to enjoy all the benefits of Hillcrest, University Heights, and North Park!

And,

899 Kettner Apartments (Yellow Balconies)
We're 12 units tucked in the back of the Advanced Equities building/parking.

Dog barking!

2008-10-07T13:39:00.000-07:00

What's the best way to react to a neighborhood dog barking after 10:30 PM?

Neighborly Advice?

2008-09-29T06:30:00.000-07:00

What is a good way to welcome someone new to the area?

More than one account per household?

2008-09-25T14:28:00.000-07:00

Do we need more than one account per household? example one for me and one for my husband.

You can have more than one account per household. It's a personal choice. NeighborPal users have done both to fit their activity level.

If more than one person in the house is active and wants to contribute with a separate account, that's great.

NeighborPal is designed to accommodate different user activity.

One person can be the primary contact in their neighborhood so she chooses to have only one account for the house and share access with her partner.

Sometimes, two people are equally as active, so they create separate accounts.

Neighbor

2008-09-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Does this sound familiar?

"It's difficult connecting with neighbors and local acquaintances for a number of reasons, but often it's because you don't see them enough or have time. After family, work and close friends, community relations get squeezed out. "

This common circumstance has reduced the benefit of living in a community and lead to a poverty of communication in neighborhoods across the country.

Historically, people benefited from being able to share practical local information that's relevant to an individual household. Yesterday, it was called neighborly. Today it's called hyper-local.

It's nice if you need a babysitter, you can ask Jane up the street or if you need to find a reliable local repair service, ask your neighbor Jason, the local expert. Or, easily announce locally - lost dog, block party, break-in alert, free tickets, ....

Because we see each other so infrequently, we don't get an opportunity to develop a neighborly connection. It's quaint, but chatting at the end-of-the-driveway isn't so common anymore.

NeighborPal is about supporting neighborly relationships with people you meet locally. It's a communication tool for people who want to participate in their community, but have little time. It's not about creating close friendships (if that happens great), it's about finding someone who can point you in the right direction or offering your advice and helping people you know where you live.

Ultimately, trading information with neighbors and local acquaintances increases your quality of life because you,

1) make more informed local choices
2) easily contribute - advice, help, announce, share, ...
3) feel engaged in the neighborhood

NeighborPal is primarily about trading information then moving on.

Neighbors usually rely on that one "organizer" - on the street block or building to organize everyone. She creates a Neighbor Directory (contact info) and circulates it for close neighbors to share. The "organizer" uses NeighborPal to easily connect her neighbors and local friends.

She helps put neighborly back into her neighborhood.

Welcome Cheeseman Park / Congress Park Neighborhood (Denver)

2008-09-18T10:02:00.000-07:00

Cheeseman Park / Congress Park Neighborhood (Denver) is connecting neighbors and local friends. Let us know how NeighborPal can help further.

Members can invite neighbors with the Neighbor Directory handout to connect neighbors in their building or street - NEIGHBOR DIRECTORY INVITE (PDF)

Promote NeighborPal on local community boards with "KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS?" (PDF)

Welcome Minneapolis & Atlanta Neighbors

2008-09-16T16:32:00.000-07:00

You are innovators in the neighborhood. Start to live well in you neighborhood by benefiting from easily connecting with the neighbors and local friends who you invite to join your NeighborPal network of influence!

Welcome Milwaukee to the NeighborPal network.

2008-09-12T09:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome all the new members from Milwaukee, WI to NeighborPal. Thank you for your enthusiasm for NeighborPal.

Creating trusted contact networks of close neighbors and local friends online to help you connect, share information and organize local activities.

Try NeighborPal

2008-05-14T18:46:00.000-07:00

www.neighborpal.com

Create a trusted contact network of close neighbors and local friends online to help you connect, share information and organize local activities.
You control who's in and who's not - it's your network.

Would you like to know your neighbors?

2008-02-18T10:29:00.000-08:00

Would you like to know your neighbors? Why or why not?