• GigaOm, Wednesday, October 26, 2011 12:26 PM

For better or worse, there’s a new social network on the block dedicated exclusively to local neighborhoods. Named Nextdoor, the site lets neighbors within certain regions create private sites where they can exchange local information and events, while getting to know each other better. To be a member of Nextdoor, you must register with your real name and real physical address.

“We were inspired by the early days of Facebook; when they launched, they required university-specific email addresses to allow people to access university-specific networks within Facebook,” Nextdoor founder Nirav Tolia tells GigaOm. “That creates a little friction up front but ultimately it allows people to feel more comfortable.” Officially launching to the public this week, each Nextdoor network’s size is established by the first person to add the region to the site. The site provides a drawing tool that allows users to define the boundaries of their neighborhoods on top of a Google map.

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