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You can write about pretty much anything you want. Below are examples of common things people talk about on LocalWiki.
The general rule of thumb is that you should write about whatever someone might find interesting and/or useful to know about a topic.
But the secret is that the world is your oyster - you can write whatever you like! What have you always wanted to tell people about your neighborhood, or about downtown? What are the great things about your city that you wish other people knew about? Whatever you add doesn't have to be rocket science and it doesn't have to be THE definitive information about a particular topic. Have fun with the project and write as if you were telling a friend about the topic.
Here are a few suggestions:
Folks in Oakland have mapped out every neighborhood! But you can start with just one!A neighborhood: What it's like and what's there. If someone was visiting you and asked "what's your neighborhood like?" You might say "it's mostly residential, lots of trees, not much foot traffic, but it's great because it's really accessible by public transit and there are three parks within walking distance." That's perfect LocalWiki content! :) You can also write about what it's like compared to other parts of the city (residential? industrial? quiet? mostly a business district?), what the buildings are like (mostly factories? apartments? houses?), who lives here (is it diverse? mostly families? mostly older people? or maybe not that many people live there), whether it's changing or different from how it used to be, what are the amenities of the neighborhood, what people like to do in the neighborhood ("everyone goes to this restaurant"), whether it has a reputation, what's nearby, whether there are any landmarks,
The Old Mission Police Station is a unique building in San Francisco.A building: What it looks like, the current tenants, whether people like this building or not, whether there's a neat painting inside, information about whether the building sticks out in the neighborhood, whether it's the kind of building where you might see tourists, what other buildings you might like if you like this one, etc. Mostly you can have whatever you think someone else might think would be interesting about this building (a neat feature), or if they're interested in this topic, what else might they be interested in, or what would it be useful to know about this topic (something like "There's a cool courtyard inside that you don't need to go through security to access. Just go in the side door.", etc.). You can also write what neighborhood it's in and how to get there (if it's tricky).
A park: What's it like: are there a lot of dogs? Is it mostly families? Is it good for barbecuing or playing frisbee? Is the park unloved and underutilized? Is it totally dead because it's between two busy roads?
A how-to: How does one enroll children in school? How does the city budget work? How can you get a speed bump installed on your street? How can you get health care if you don't have health insurance? How do you sign up for rental assistance? How do you get a bike rack installed? How do you sign up for garbage pickup? How can you contact your local elected officials? Where can you get free computer access? How do I resolve a parking ticket? How-to guides can go much farther than city services...be creative! Here's a great example.
Community problems: Whether it's litter in the park, crime, bike theft, traffic, unemployment, foreclosure, pollution, or something else entirely, you can write about the problem overall and document individual instances of it.
A community group or non-profit organization: At the most basic, documenting locations and services offered by specific service organizations is a great way to get started, but you can go much further than basic directory information by including photos from events, writing about organizational history, writing about key figures in the organization and its history, and about the organization's role in the community (is it a well-loved organization? known for an annual event or other unique thing?). For volunteer community groups, the sky's the limit. You can share volunteer activities, history of the group, other groups that are working on similar issues, photos, and more. Here's a great example:
City government: You can start by making entries for local elected officials and go from there. Additionally, city processes are often extremely poorly-documented and it can be hard to know who to even talk to about a particular issue. You can document how different measures get passed, help people learn how to be a part of affecting different kinds of policies (when committee meetings take place, who the relevant people are to talk to, what website shows the schedule, how to get elected to a local board, etc.).
Local lore: The Human Powered Housing Project, a bike/RV contraption, from Davis.Local lore: Share all the local myths and points of pride. Was there a famous person who came from your community? Write about where they grew up and where they went to school. If there are any local legends or colloquialisms, write all about them here. You can also write about local traditions and local characters. Give people the insider knowledge that people usually only share between friends and family.
Current events and issues: Often current events in a community are written about in the paper and then promptly forgotten in the media. This is your opportunity to write all about a local issue. Who was involved? What was at stake? When did this start and what was the timeline? How was it resolved? Is it connected to other issues? Is the situation completely better or are there still problems? Here's one example and here's another.
Wind, night time, goose calls, monsoon season, the sound of a certain kind of music, smells, snow in the winter, tourists, fishermen, highway noise, palm trees, smog, traffic, neon, rain, and more...such as tornados in Tulsa and even a Michigan railroad grade crossing notorious for major congestion caused by slow or stopped trains. What is the stuff of life in your community?
