Schools & neighborhoods

Schools and neighborhoods are foundational to how Park Bench personalizes your experience. They affect recommendations, community circles, and travel time estimates.

Why schools matter

When you select a school for a child:

• Circle membership — You're automatically connected to that school's community circle, where you can see events relevant to the school community
• Location anchor — The school's location helps estimate travel times to recommended events
• Event relevance — School-specific events and activities near the school get prioritized

How neighborhoods work

Your neighborhood is based on your children's schools and your family's location. It's used to:

• Prioritize nearby events in your recommendations
• Suggest relevant community circles
• Filter out events that would be too far to travel to

Changing schools

If your child changes schools, update it in Settings > Family by tapping on the child's card. The school picker lets you search by name across all NYC boroughs.

1,896 schools

Park Bench includes public, charter, and private schools across all five boroughs. Each school is associated with a neighborhood, which helps personalize your experience for your part of the city.