NBC has shut down the popular but unprofitable EveryBlock.com, the hyperlocal news site that had engaged followers in such cities as Chicago, Philadelphia, and San Francisco. Today's (Friday) New York Times reported that the site had been shut down without warning, catching even its founder, Adrian Holovaty, by surprise. Holovaty, who left EveryBlock last year, told the Times that he learned of NBC's decision to shut down the site through a blog post that replaced all the archived content on the site and cited the increasing challenges to building a profitable business based on neighborhood news. Though EveryBlock has been able to build an engaged community over the years, we're faced with the decision to wrap things up, the post said. In an email to the Times, Vivian Schiller, chief digital officer for NBC News said, This is [a] tough business to make work. By Friday afternoon, the abrupt shutdown had sparked nearly a thousand complaints posted below a final blog post, many protesting the fact that they were unable to access information that had previously been posted on the site and several urging users to support similar sites, such as NextDoor.com. A new site, WikiBlock.com, quickly emerged, posting a message saying, As you may know, EveryBlock has closed its doors. It is a sad day indeed, however when one door closes, another usually opens.