Neighborhood Community Apps

From finding local garage sales and freebies to helping maintain a safe community, it can pay to stay connected to those who live in your neighborhood.

As PC Mike Wendland reports, a growing number of apps can help provide that connection like never before.

Nextdoor is an app that serves as a kind of private bulletin board for only your neighborhood. Exchange news, events, concerns, items for sale, recommendations, and other services instantly. Simply confirm your address within a specific area and you can start interacting in your own neighborhood online community. The app is free for iOS and Android.

Freecycle is a nifty platform that connects those with extra food, housewares, supplies, and other odds and ends with those who could really use them. Freecycle helps foster connections among neighbors, emphasizes sustainability, and cuts down on waste. It’s free for iOS and Android.

Neighbors by Ring is an app that allows a neighborhood to take a group-based approach to safety. The app gives you real-time alerts from your neighbors and local law enforcement. The idea is to stop burglaries, prevent package theft and make communities safer. And if you spot something suspicious in your area, you can anonymously post a text, photo or video to keep your community on the lookout. The app is free for iOS and Android.