NEWS

Yelp wanted: Online community of reviewers is booming

Boston Herald
May 13, 2007
By Brynn Mandel

When Laura Mariani moved to Davis Square, she wanted to know which restaurants nearby were good. So she yelped.

Ever since, the 22-year-old research assistant has been yelping all over town, about restaurants, dentists, doctors -- you name it.

Boston’s burgeoning community of "Yelpers," mostly 20- and 30-something professionals, post online reviews of everything from their local bodega to their favorite florist.

Yelp.com is one of an increasing number of local review sites. Many rate specific items, such as apartments or doctors. But few are as all-encompassing as Yelp. And to hear Yelpers tell it, Yelp isn’t just a ratings site, it’s a community, one that crosses Craigslist with CitySearch and MySpace [website].

Elite Yelpers like Mariani -- those who are particularly prolific -- get to attend events such as a recent soiree at Match Burgers and Martinis. Often, the events include free drinks and munchies.

"It has kind of expanded my social circle," said Mariani, who was thrilled when a reader contacted her recently to praise her reviews. "It’s a useful way for people to connect on a more personal level."

First launched in San Francisco in 2004, Yelp reported a 400 percent increase in unique visitors to its site over the past year in its top six markets, which include Boston. Here in the Hub, where more than 2,000 restaurants have been reviewed, a new post pops up every few minutes. Nationwide, 3.8 million unique people logged on to Yelp last month.

Among those was Aretha Witham, a 26-year-old program consultant for a travel company.

"I love Yelp. I love, love, love Yelp," said Witham, a Boston resident who not long ago organized a ladies night out with another Yelper. "I really like having my opinion matter."

She also praised the site’s dearth of anonymous posters. Reviewers often post pictures of themselves, as well as personal information.

"Most of the reviews are really well written. Most of the people are like me," said Witham.

Yelp spokeswoman Stephanie Ichinose compared users’ profiles -- which detail where they go and what they like -- to lifestyle blogs.

"Because of that transparency, we’re creating a level of trust between writers and readers," she said.

Ligaya Tichy acts as the Boston-area moderator for Yelp, organizing events and meeting Yelpers during her "office hours" in local cafes.

"It’s kind of an interesting social experiment," said Tichy. "It’s cool because you interact online, and you see them in 3-D."