Report: 10 communities most likely to spur a blog post
Gentrification drives people to write about their neighborhoods more than any other issue, according to Outside.in.
A recent study by a Web site focused on neighborhood news says that nothing sends the gadflies to the Internet more than gentrification.
Outside.in, which launched in October and whose backers include Netscape co-founder Marc Andreessen, released a list of "America's Top Ten Bloggiest Neighborhoods" on Monday. Outside.in compiles information gathered from blogs and traditional news outlets to cover the happenings in 3,000 neighborhoods in 63 cities.
In reviewing what areas of the country generated the most blogging activity, Outside.in, discovered that communities undergoing cultural and economic change were highest on the list.
No. 1 is Brooklyn's Clinton Hill neighborhood. The proposed $4 billion Atlantic Yards project has burned up the blogosphere, said John Geraci, Outside.in's chief product officer. The plan calls for the building of a huge commercial complex, which includes a sports arena, hotel and retail shops.
No. 5 on the list is Chicago's Rogers Park, where many residents want an end to condo conversion, Geraci said.
What else do people talk about at Outside.in?
"The common themes are real estate prices and local politics," Geraci said. "People also post reviews about restaurants and other local businesses."
Outside.in's top 10 blogging communities:
1. Clinton Hill, Brooklyn, N.Y.
2. Shaw, Washington, D.C.
3. Downtown Los Angeles
4. Newton, Mass.
5. Rogers Park/North Howard, Chicago
6. Pearl district, Portland, Ore.
7. Watertown, Mass.
8. Harlem, N.Y.
9. Potrero Hill, San Francisco
10. Coconut Grove, Miami, Fla.