Roosevelt Island · invite-only · free

Neighbor helps
neighbor.

A free, verified network just for the Island. Find a last-minute sitter, lend a hand, and buy & sell with people you actually trust — no fees, no strangers, no scrolling three boroughs of randoms.

ID-verified 🚡 Islanders first $0 fees, ever ⭐ Reviews & badges

The Island already runs on trust — the lobby corkboard, the building chats, the “does anyone have…” texts. Islander just puts it all in one safe place.

~12,000 neighbors, one strip of land, two bridges and a tram. Everybody’s a quick walk away. That’s a community an app can finally serve — instead of FaceBook groups and strangers from the mainland.

Pillar one · Neighbors helping neighbors

Real help, two floors away

Post what you need — a verified neighbor picks it up, often in minutes. Here’s exactly what that looks like.

🍼

The sitter just bailed

It’s 6pm and your nanny canceled. Post a last-minute request — a verified neighbor in your building (or one an Islander vouches for) picks it up before you’ve found your keys.

↳ last-minute nannies & childcare
🐕

You’re away this weekend

Pet sitting and plant watering by someone on your block — not a stranger you’re handing a key to. They’re reviewed, badged, and a 3-minute walk from your door.

↳ pet sitting · plant & home care
🧹

Need someone you can trust

A cleaner, handyman, or tutor an Islander actually recommends — or who already commutes to the Island for other neighbors. Vouched-for, not randomly googled.

↳ trusted referrals & services

And it’s not only chores — it’s community

🏃 Island run club 🧘 Free Pilates in the park 🎹 Piano lessons ❓ Ask-a-neighbor board 🛠️ Borrow a drill 🍲 Meal swaps 🎉 Block events
Pillar two · The Island marketplace

One board for every building

Buy, sell, and lend with neighbors — where “pickup” means a walk down the hall, not a drive to meet a stranger.

🛋️

Moving out, it all goes

Sofa, lamp, that fiddle-leaf fig. The buyer lives upstairs, so handoff is a hallway — no haggling with someone driving in from another borough.

↳ furniture & moving-day finds
🚲

Kids outgrow everything

Stroller, crib, the balance bike. Pass it straight to the next Island family who needs it — gear stays in the community, prices stay fair.

↳ kids’ gear & hand-me-downs
🪜

Borrow beats buy

A drill, a ladder, a folding table for the party. Lend within the buildings instead of buying something you’ll use once — trust makes that possible.

↳ tool & gear lending

So why not just Facebook Marketplace?

😕 Facebook Marketplace
  • Anonymous accounts from all five boroughs — no idea who’s knocking.
  • You meet a stranger off-Island, or hand out your address.
  • Lowballers, no-shows, scammers, bot DMs.
  • No real reputation — a fresh profile looks the same as a neighbor.
  • Your listing is buried under a city of noise.
IslanderIsland-only
  • Verified Islanders only — every account is a real, ID-checked neighbor.
  • Pickup is in your own building — never leave the Island, never meet a stranger.
  • Reviews & badges follow everyone — flakes and bad actors don’t last.
  • One trusted board for all the buildings, instead of a scattered FB group.
  • Hyper-local: if it’s listed, it’s a 5-minute walk away.
Why people will trust it

Trust, built in from day one

An app for letting neighbors into your home lives or dies on safety. So that’s the foundation — not an afterthought.

ID verification to join

Everyone verifies with a real ID before they can message, book, or list. No anonymous profiles, period.

🚡

The “Verified Islander” badge

Confirmed residents get the special Island sticker on their profile. Neighbors helping neighbors — and you can see who’s actually one.

Invite-only, grows by referral

Starts inside trusted circles. You get in through a neighbor — so the network is built on real connections, not open sign-ups.

Reviews & badges, like Uber

Both sides rate every exchange. Do good work and collect badges — your reputation is your profile, and it’s earned one task at a time.

Trusted outsiders, by referral

The nanny who lives in Queens but already sits for three Island families? She can join too — vouched for by the neighbors she serves.

Off Facebook, just the Island

A digital board that’s ours — ask a question, post an offer, get answers from neighbors. No mainland noise, no algorithm.

Getting started

On the Island in three steps

Get invited

A neighbor sends you in, or you request an invite and get vouched for. Trusted circles first.

Verify & set up

Confirm your ID, claim your Verified-Islander badge, and tell neighbors what you can offer or need.

Help & get helped

Mark yourself available, book a neighbor, buy, sell, or lend. Leave a review, collect a badge, repeat.

And we can run so many events 🎉

Once neighbors are connected, the Island plans itself — run clubs, stoop sales, park yoga, building mixers, holiday swaps. The network is the invite list.

🏃 Saturday run club 🌳 Four Freedoms picnic 🎶 Open-mic night 🛍️ Island stoop sale

Claim your spot on the Island

We’re onboarding the first neighbors now. Drop your email and we’ll send your invite when your building goes live.

✓ You’re on the list — welcome, neighbor.

Free forever for residents · ID-verified · Built by Islanders, for Islanders