The Porch is our community feed, and it's fundamentally different from anything you've used before. No algorithm deciding what you see. No promoted posts masquerading as organic content. No engagement-bait drama. Just your neighbors, talking about your neighborhood.
This is how to get the most out of it.
How It's Organized
The Porch is structured by borough and neighborhood. When you open The Porch, you see conversations from your area. You can browse by borough — Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island — and then drill into your specific neighborhood.
This isn't an accident. We built it this way because what matters on the Upper East Side is different from what matters in Bed-Stuy. Local conversations should stay local.
Post Types
The Porch supports multiple post types, each designed for a specific kind of neighborhood conversation:
- Neighborhood Questions. "Does anyone know a good plumber near Prospect Heights?" "What's the best pizza in Astoria?" These are the conversations that used to happen on stoops. Now they happen here.
- Recommendations. Share your favorite local businesses, restaurants, shops, and service providers. These posts help neighbors discover what's great in their area.
- Local Alerts. Package theft on your block? Construction detour? Water main break? Alert your neighbors in real time.
- Events. Block parties, stoop sales, community meetings, neighborhood clean-ups. Post them here and the right people see them.
- Lost & Found. Lost your dog in Prospect Park? Found a set of keys on the L train? These posts connect people in ways social media can't.
- Pet Sightings. Spotted a lost cat? Post the sighting with the location and help reunite pets with their owners. Our Pets section is also available for adoption, dog walking, grooming, and pet sitting needs.
- Welcome / New Here. Just moved to the neighborhood? Introduce yourself. New Yorkers are friendlier than their reputation suggests.
Why It's Different From The Green App
The Green App started with good intentions but devolved into passive-aggressive complaint threads, political arguments, and thinly veiled discrimination. We watched that happen, and we built The Porch to avoid it.
How? Moderation that catches negativity before it spreads. Posts that violate our community guidelines get reviewed quickly. We're not censoring opinions — we're preventing the toxicity spiral that killed community trust on other platforms.
And because every user is geo-verified, the anonymous trolling that plagued The Green App simply can't happen here. You know your neighbors are real. They know you're real. That accountability changes the tone of every conversation.
Tips for Getting the Most Out of It
- Start by reading. See what your neighbors are talking about before you post. Get a feel for the vibe.
- Ask questions. "Where should I get my bike fixed in Williamsburg?" gets you better answers than any Google search because the answers come from people who live there.
- Share what you know. Found an amazing Thai place? Your dry cleaner does miracles? Share it. The Porch runs on generosity.
- Post your events. Hosting a stoop sale? Having a block party? The Porch is how your neighbors find out.
- Report bad actors. If you see spam, harassment, or suspicious activity, flag it. Every report makes the community safer.
The Bigger Picture
The Porch is built on a simple idea: neighborhoods are stronger when neighbors talk to each other. Not through algorithms, not through ads, not through engagement metrics. Just people sharing what they know with the people who live near them.
Best Friends Animal Society in SoHo and the ASPCA are two organizations doing incredible community work in NYC. The Porch is our way of building that same kind of local connection, digitally.
This is what community looks like when you build it right. Come to The Porch and say hello.