If you are looking for inspiration for your first neighborhood blog post, here's a look at how three of Seattle's leading neighborhood bloggers got started -- and to be fair, I've included my first 'hood blog post. Ever! In some, you can see there was a plan from day one to create a local news and information site that was vital to the community. But you can also see glimpses of the uncertainty and early exploration that comes with creating something new. My favorite element of these examples is the promise underlying each. As the first West Seattle Blog entry from Christmas Eve 2005 promises, there is, indeed, much more to come.

My first 'hood blogging post (May 9, 2005, btw) was an only-slightly-cringe-inducing manifesto:

Want to cringe along with me while reading my other early posts?

West Seattle's premier was more of a test launch with way more editorial commentary than you'll ever find on their just-the-facts (and all-the-facts!) site today:

You can peruse WSB's other early posts here.

Seattle's other 'hood blog biggie MyBallard debuted with calculation in December 2007. Short, sweet, and to the point announcement of what was about to come:

More MyBallard debut posts.

Also illustrating the formula that would make the site a future success in its first post, Central District News hit the ground running with coverage of breaking news. Typical CDN.

Not typical CDN, you'll note the site wasn't updated again until October but after that posts came fast and furious. There's a lesson there, too. When it comes to getting started, even the biggest and the best don't nail it from the beginning.