The story behind LocalsVoted: why I built it

Hi everyone, I'm Dishika, and I live in Lynnwood, just north of Seattle.

LocalsVoted started with a question I kept asking (and seeing asked) all the time: "Where's the best ___ around here?" Best custom cake for a birthday. Best Indian food. Best donuts for a Saturday morning.

Every time, I'd end up in the same loop. Star ratings that all look like 4.5. Reviews from years ago about places that have changed owners. "Best of" lists that turn out to be sponsored. And then the most useful answers would come from a quick post in a local Facebook group, where real neighbors just said what they love.

That was the insight: the best recommendations come from locals, right now, not from algorithms or ads. But those community answers disappear in a feed after a day.

So I built LocalsVoted to keep that "ask your neighbors" energy and make it last:

• Anyone can start a board for any "best of" topic in their city

• One vote per person, per board, every month so rankings stay fresh

• Phone verification so it's real locals, not bots

• No paying for rank, ever. Businesses can only win by being loved

It's also a way to give small, independent shops a fair shot. The bakery down the street that everyone adores deserves to be found as easily as the chain with the big ad budget.

We're live in Seattle, Bellevue, Kirkland, Lynnwood and Woodinville, and I'd love for this community to help it grow.

I'd really love to hear from you:

How do you find the best local spots today?

What "best of" board would you start for your city?