Please ensure Javascript is enabled for purposes of website accessibility

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

13 hours ago

Trump Vowed to Dismantle MS-13. His Deal With Bukele Threatens That Effort.

17 hours ago

Ukraine Voices Concern as US Halts Some Missile Shipments

17 hours ago

Poll: Most Americans Say National Divide, Political Violence Threaten Democracy

18 hours ago

Paramount Settles With Trump Over ‘60 Minutes’ Interview for $16 Million

18 hours ago

Republicans Tee up House Vote on Trump Bill, Outcome Uncertain

18 hours ago

What’s Next for Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs After His Sex Trafficking Trial?

18 hours ago

Dalai Lama Says He Will Be Reincarnated, Trust Will Identify Successor

18 hours ago
'Best of Nextdoor' Reveals Strange Underbelly of Popular Neighborhood App
gvw_ap_news
By Associated Press
Published 3 years ago on
July 25, 2022

Share

 

For anyone looking for a taste of Nextdoor’s weirdest, silliest posts — from fireworks complaints to paranoid neighbors spying on each other — Jenn Takahashi’s @BestofNextdoor Twitter account has everything.

Best of Nextdoor shows the quirky underbelly of the neighborhood-centric social media app, which went public last November.

Takahashi, who lives in San Francisco and has a day job running her PR agency, talked to The Associated Press about why she started the account — which isn’t affiliated with the company — and what she’s found. The conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Q: How did you get the idea for BestofNextdoor?

Jenn Takahashi runs the @BestofNexdoor Twitter account. (Jennifer Takahashi via AP)

A: I first joined Nextdoor in 2013 or 2014 when I lived in Glen Park, a super quiet neighborhood that feels more like the suburbs than San Francisco. One day, I got a notification from my Nextdoor app and my whole life changed.

A neighbor had written an absolutely delicious post accusing us of rearranging her lawn gnomes at night and she was not happy about it. To top it off, the lengthy post was “signed” by every single member of the entire lawn gnome family (and there were quite a few members!).

This apparently didn’t deter the lawn gnome rearranger because she started posting about it daily. I was obsessed. This became part of the daily routine for both of us — she would post her accusation at the same time every day, and I would come home and read it every day. It became a reminder to me to not sweat the small stuff.

Eventually, I moved to another neighborhood, where I found that the Nextdoor drama was a little more “real” than lawn gnome rearrangement. Since I was craving the levity that my Nextdoor had once provided, my family and friends started sharing lighthearted posts from their own neighborhoods. I created the Twitter account @bestofnextdoor in late 2017, really as a way to keep all of my screenshots in one place. I never expected for it to take off!

Q: Do you have a favorite Nextdoor story?

A: Definitely Seahawks Cannon. I had only had the Twitter account for a couple months when I came across a tweet from someone saying that a Nextdoor post caused their whole neighborhood to get into a brawl at the library. It turns out someone in West Seattle had an actual cannon that they would fire whenever the Seahawks scored a touchdown. I don’t want to give anything away but trust me — do yourself a favor and go down that rabbit hole.

Q: How many submissions do you get?

A: Hundreds a month.

Q: What are some recurring themes?

A: Something that always surprises me is how often people try to use Nextdoor as a dating app. This happens so often that I actually have a recurring tweet series about it: “THIS IS NOT A DATING SITE.”

Another recurring theme is, for some reason, a lot of Nextdoor users struggle with the poll function. The poll won’t make any sense but people still love to vote on them. I post these under #polloftheday, first with the Nextdoor screenshot, then with an actual Twitter poll so the community can also vote on these polls that don’t make any sense. Example: Poll: What should cost less a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk? It’s actually my favorite thing about the account.

Q: Have you had interactions with Nextdoor, the company?

A: Yes, they are not amused.

Q: What do you think makes Nextdoor unique that this works, while a Best of Twitter or Best of Facebook would not?

A: These people actually live next to each other! It’s one thing to get in fights with anonymous randoms on Twitter but getting into explosive arguments with people you know, in front of your entire neighborhood, when you literally have to live next to these people every single day? That’s a whole new ballgame.

Q: Do you make money from it?

A: I’m extremely protective of this account and the community it fostered so I have been very selective about making money from it. In the five years I’ve had this account, I’ve only accepted one partnership deal — with Netflix to promote the film “The Woman in the Window.” It was the perfect partnership to me because it was literally about crazy neighbors and I felt like it was something that my audience could enjoy. Other than that, I’m happy losing money from this account because the community makes it so fun to run.

Q: There is some darker, racist stuff on Nextdoor that the company has said it is cracking down on. Do you still get these types of submissions?

A: Yes, unfortunately. This is something that I’ve struggled with in the past — I understand why people sometimes send these horrific posts to me but at the same time, I don’t want to amplify that negativity into the world. It’s important to me to stay true to why I started this account in the first place — Nextdoor used to bring levity to my day and I want Best of Nextdoor to bring levity to yours.

RELATED TOPICS:

DON'T MISS

What Are Fresno Real Estate Experts Predicting for 2025 and Beyond?

DON'T MISS

First California EV Mandates Hit Automakers This Year. Most Are Not Even Close

DON'T MISS

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

DON'T MISS

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

DON'T MISS

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

DON'T MISS

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

DON'T MISS

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

DON'T MISS

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

DON'T MISS

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

DON'T MISS

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

DON'T MISS

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

UP NEXT

Shaver Lake and Reedley 4th of July Shows Are Wednesday. Who Else Is Celebrating?

UP NEXT

Fourth of July Celebrations Begin Saturday. Here’s Your Fresno Area Guide

UP NEXT

Fresno Armenian Museum’s Exhibit Offers Photos, Sounds of Local Genocide Survivors

UP NEXT

Fresno Now Has a Professional Shakespeare Co. Thanks to Measure P Sales Tax

UP NEXT

Town Hall Unveils New Season With Best-Selling Authors, ‘Jeopardy!’ Host, and More

UP NEXT

Canseco, Cheechoo to Sign Autographs When Chukchansi Cuts Ribbon on Top Golf

UP NEXT

A Little Coffee With Your Whiskey? Downtown Fresno Gets New Craft Cocktail Lounge

UP NEXT

Tiogaland Brings Disney Food to Fresno on Friday Evening

UP NEXT

Big Fresno Fair Unveils Second Wave of 2025 Concert Acts

UP NEXT

Fresno Arts Council Debuts Gallery on Fulton for July ArtHop

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

11 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

11 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

12 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

12 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

12 hours ago

Del Monte Files for Bankruptcy. Gets Nearly $1B to Keep Producing Through Process

13 hours ago

Who is Running for Fresno Area Offices in 2026? An Updated Look

13 hours ago

CIA Review Finds Flaws but Does Not Dispute Finding Putin Sought to Sway 2016 Vote to Trump

13 hours ago

Poorest Americans Dealt Biggest Blow Under Senate Republican Tax Package

13 hours ago

Check Out Newest Downtown Mural. It’s a Spectacular Tribute to Fresno Artisans

14 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

WASHINGTON – Republicans in the House of Representatives on Wednesday struggled to pass President Donald Trump’s massive tax-cut...

10 hours ago

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson speaks to the press, as Republican lawmakers struggle to pass U.S. President Donald Trump's sweeping spending and tax bill, on Capitol Hill, in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 2, 2025. (Reuters/Annabelle Gordon)
10 hours ago

House Republicans Say They Expect to Vote Tonight on Trump’s Tax-Cut Bill

The Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County has rapidly expanded to 8,396 acres with no containment, prompting evacuation orders and warnings near New Cuyama. (CalFire)
11 hours ago

San Luis Obispo’s Madre Fire Grows to 8,300 Acres, Prompts Evacuations

Andrew Biscay, 40, was arrested Friday, June 20, 2025, after deputies found him with a fake U.S. Marshal’s badge, homemade firearm, and law enforcement-style gear during a warrant arrest. (Madera County SO)
11 hours ago

SLO Deputies Fatally Shoot Man in Los Osos Weeks After US Marshal Impersonation Arrest

On Tuesday, July 1, 2025, a Madera County sheriff’s deputy was injured while trying to arrest a wanted felon, Felix Adrian Nucamendi Carrasco, 40, who later fled and was captured near Raymond Road. (Madera County SO)
11 hours ago

Madera County Deputy Injured, Wanted Felon Arrested After Violent Struggle

A wildfire dubbed the Madre Fire has burned over 3,300 acres near New Cuyama with 0% containment, officials said Wednesday, July 2, 2025. (CalFire)
11 hours ago

San Luis Obispo County Wildfire Burns More Than 3,000 Acres. No Containment Yet

12 hours ago

Wired Wednesday: Why Is State Lawmaker Taking Aim at Rooftop Solar?

Jose Luna (left), 33, and Ralph Grajeda, 45, both of Visalia, have been sentenced for their roles in the 2020 shotgun killing of Robert Soto at a local motel. (Tulare County DA)
12 hours ago

Two Visalia Men Sentenced in 2021 Motel Killing

A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as "Main Justice," is seen behind the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. (Reuters File)
12 hours ago

Ex-Jan. 6 Defendant Gets Life in Prison for Plot to Kill FBI Agents

Help continue the work that gets you the news that matters most.

Search

Send this to a friend