Shareta Osumai Tea Garden

In my recent blog post about bridges, I featured Molly Linden's elegant bridge, which connects two Japanese-styled Linden homes areas near Hoshigarei. If you cross that bridge, and wander West, you'll arrive at the the bright red gates of the Shareta Osumai Tea Garden. A strikingly lovely LDPW build, the garden comprises an entire sim; two if you count the connecting infohub directly to the North. Let's enter through the shoji gates and spend a pleasant afternoon looking around, shall we?

Perhaps the most striking feature of the garden is the five-story tea house, pictured above. Nearby, you can catch a (very slow) rickshaw pulled by a mole for a leisurely ride, or wander the many paths through the garden on foot. You might spot the hedge dragon, pictured below, or sit and meditate at the edge of the Zen rock garden. See how many different mole statues you can find among the plantings, and you might even find three mole coins just waiting for a lucky toss into a nearby pond!

Once you are finished visiting the garden, follow the river North, and climb a series of winding wooden staircases up to a group of five large buildings perched at the top of a mountain (pictured below). These buildings are all part of the Shareta Osumai Infohub, and contain a number of freebies, including parasols, fans, cricket cages, eleven different decorative masks, and boxes containing textures for use in Japanese-themed Linden homes. Make sure to spend some time exploring each of the five buildings, as they all contain different surprises. The mole temple (last photo, below) was my very favorite.
 

What I found really fascinating about this location (and thanks to Gem Preiz for the original tip!) is that there are at least two duplicates. According to the Second Life wiki, there are four premium Linden Homes continents: Premium East (also known as Nascera), and Premium South 1, 2 and 3. The Gardens and Infohub I have described above exist in Premium East, the same continent where you can find Cape Ekim, Racer's Gulch, and the Wilderness Sims. However, you can also find the very same Shareta Osumai Tea Garden on Premium South 2 and on Premium South 3, with related Infohubs to the North of each. Similarly, Molly Linden's wonderful bridge is duplicated on both Premium South 2 and 3 as well. Choose any of these three expansive gardens, and you're sure to enjoy your visit. Let me know if you found those lucky coins!

SS Galaxy - A Museum In Second Life

According to the ship's website, the SS Galaxy - The Queen of the Sagittarian Sea - was quite the attraction in her heyday: "With over 650 meters in length, 110 meters beam, and 8 decks of living and leisure space, the SS Galaxy is the largest single-build and the most exciting attraction in Second Life today." An impressive build that spans a full three sims, the Galaxy was created in 2007 and once featured a full staff, over 100 rooms available for rental, a shopping mall, a variety of activities and regularly scheduled events, and even "cruises". (While the ship does not move, the staff would set up monthly "Port of Call" excursions via teleport exchanges.)

Unfortunately, the Galaxy is no longer a working vessel with on-board rentals and scheduled events. In May of 2015, for a variety of reasons, it shut down, but in August of that same year, Linden Lab stepped in and reopened the cruise ship as a museum of sorts. A team of Lindens and Moles created a "Preservation Society" and added some new attractions for visitors: a water slide (see final picture, below), swan boats, a hot air balloon tour, a bowling alley, and even a working movie theatre. Large wall maps located throughout the ship will give specific and direct landmarks to the various attractions.

Many of the original areas have been carefully preserved, such as the Wedding Chapel and Reception Hall, pictured above, or the charming Bamboo Garden Japanese Restaurant, pictured below. There are a couple of art galleries to visit, and a nicely-appointed spa area. See if you can spot Bob the Boulder, a place where the sea floor actually juts up into the ship!

Located right off of the Blake Sea, the SS Galaxy is easy to reach by boat from the Mainland. Although there are no rezzing areas on the ship itself, a tiny nearby island offers a free sailboat rezzer. You can also sit around a fire on the island and watch the hourly fireworks over the Galaxy, float around in Galaxy life preservers, or play 7Seas fishing from the island dock. Or, head back over to the Galaxy to explore some more! (I highly recommend the water slide, myself.) With a ship that spans three full sims, you're sure to find some fun onboard. Enjoy!

"Oh, What I'd Give For A Moment Or Two..."

The title above is from a song called Sous Les Ponts De Paris (Under The Bridges of Paris). There are some amazing bridges in First Life, including those over the Seine in Paris. I loved this recent article about that beautiful city auctioning off the infamous Love Locks taken from the Ponts des Arts bridge (among others). From grand architectural feats like the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco to the wooden covered bridges that span the creeks in my area of Pennsylvania, bridges are often more than just practical ways of getting from one point to another. They inspire songs, movies, and books, where they often show up as meeting places, or symbolize important life transitions.

It's been a long few weeks since my last post, during which First Life has thrown me several unexpected curve-balls that have meant less time available to go inworld, and even less time for blogging. However, throughout the turmoil, the images of bridges kept coming into my head, so I thought I'd do a quick post on some of my Mainland favorites. I hope you enjoy these Second Life marvels as much as I do.

The lovely bridge pictured above is located in Lordshore on the southern continent of Jeogeot. Built by Garden Mole, it is situated adjacent to a scenic overlook and picnic area off of Route 9. 

In stark contrast to the industrial geometry of the Lordshore Bridge is Molly Linden's elegant bridge to the Linden Homes Japanese sims in Hoshigarai, pictured below. The soft red brick is echoed in the walks that run throughout those sims, and ties together the landscape perfectly.

There is a very cool drawbridge (pictured below, both open and closed) on the old continent of Sansara, connecting the Second Life Railroad tracks in Periwinkle to those in Purple. Created by Athos Murphy in 2004, this bridge is the only one featured here that was not created by either a Linden or an LDPW Mole. The LM actually places you at a landing point which is a train station; just follow the tracks East from there and you'll soon reach the drawbridge.

The graceful bridge over Straits of Shermerville, pictured below, was created by Michael Linden. It connects Nova Albion, the urban area next door to Bay City, with the vast suburbia that is Shermerville. 

Over on the old Teen Grid you can spot Xenon Linden's bridge in Nailsworth, pictured below. And on Sansara, in the sim of Hooper, you can find an almost identical bridge by Ben Linden. 

I wrote a post here about Chamonix City and the Global Online Hockey Association (GOHA), but I had never photographed the rather impressive bridge that links the Mainland proper in Braggiani to the community sims that comprise Chamonix City. Built by Abnor Mole, the bridge (pictured below) serves as the entrance to those six sims, and hovers high above an outdoor hockey rink. Halfway across, visitors can board a hot air balloon for a tour of the City.

I'll close with one of my favorite bridges, pictured below, about which I blogged here. The Bridge of Light in Durango, located in the Snowlands of Sansara, was built by Garden Mole, and the more traditional bridge above it was built by Eric Linden. 

Do you know of any interesting bridges on the Mainland? If you do, I'd love it if you'd comment below with a LM so I can check them out. Meanwhile, enjoy the inimitable Ms. Eartha Kitt singing about bridges in Paris while you explore!

Under the Bridges of Paris

My darling why I sing this song
Is easy to explain.
It tells what happens all along
The bridges of the Seine. 

The vagabonds go there at night
To sleep all their troubles away,
But when the moon is shining bright
My heart wants to sing it this way. 

How would you like to be
Down by the Seine with me
Oh what I'd give for a moment or two
Under the bridges of Paris with you.

Vacation Notice and Mainland Matters at SL13B

In a couple of hours in first life, I'll be heading across the Pond for a week in Ireland. No blogging while on vacation, tho' I do have a couple of very fun places to feature when I return! While I'm away this week, please do visit the Mainland Matters parcel at the SL13B celebration (pictured below). There are two mailboxes set up on the walls - the one near the map invites visitors to give me suggestions of great places to blog about, and the one on the opposite side of the build invites visitors to comment on "Why does Mainland matter to YOU?" The parcel was a lot of fun to put together; thank you to builder and scripter extraordinaire Anthony (adudenamed.anthony), to Patch Linden for permission to use the LDPW's fabulous "Visit the Mainland!" poster, and to the amazing Ziki Questi for all of her essential and continued help with the display. See you in a week! -Kinn

The Temple Of The Prim

Route 11 begins (or terminates?) on the southern shore of Corsica, as a narrow wooden walkway clinging to the side of a mountain (pictured below). Here, at the Kwaito Rez Zone, rather than following the walkway to see what treasures that route has in store, we will venture off the road and up a steep mountain path to seek the mystical and mythic Temple of the Prim.

Shigeko Tachikawa has taken an excellent photo of the mountain path, which switchbacks up the stone mountain to a fortress on the top (photo below). Venture through the drawbridge and up the stone stairs until you reach the courtyard (first photo, above). From within, a mysterious glow beckons you forward. 

Once inside, you'll find an ancient map of the world, along with three glowing, winged figures, each holding up a prim. Investigations reveal that these are "Ancient Prim Guardian Statues", created by a mole with a really great name, Mouldy Mole. Further explorations will show an empty, dusty room below this, and a subterranean river below that. But no other clues. What was this place? What led the moles to create it, here on this remote mountainside? And why, oh why, is there so much glow?

Some things, it seems, will remain forever a mystery. ;)

The Interview - Patch Linden

Hot off his Yearbook Challenge adventures with Ms. Strawberry Singh, please welcome Patch Linden, here to talk about five of his favorite Mainland destinations! As the Senior Product Manager for Land and Accounts in Second Life, Patch is responsible for the features and daily operations of each. He is also responsible for the Moles/LDPW and SL's new user experiences, such as Learning Island and Social Island. He commented, "The Mainland is my team’s product responsibility and has been for years. You could say for over a decade now considering that Guy Linden has been working on it longer than that and has been on my team for the majority of that time. So if you want history, you’ve got the right person and team who can give it to you. :D"

Patch is shown here in a photo by Frost Mole on the rigging platform at ANWR, which he features in his list of favorites. He states, "I love what I do and I enjoy confidently being able to say I do it with the viewpoint of our Residents in mind, every day. Patch also has a terrific "What Second Life Means To Me" video in which he speaks about his love for the Mainland. Check it out here!

There are some great Mainland destinations featured below, including ANWR (while there, pick up the free sailboats by Michael Linden, and peek underwater to check out the pipe that carries prims from Sansara to Heterocera), and Bay City, just in time for our exciting 8th Anniversary Celebration!  And now, on to the interview!

Kinn: Patch, thank you so much for agreeing to do this! Please name five of your favorite Mainland destinations, and tell us a bit about them and why you enjoy them.

Patch: I must profess, I found this extremely limiting as I have so many favorite places from which to choose!  


In no particular order, here you go:

1) Meauxle Bureaux (think Mole burrow)

This is the mainland home of the Moles. This very talented group of Resident contributors creates a lot of the fun experiences that the Linden Lab Land Operations team manages under the LDPW (Linden Department of Public Works) moniker. A lot of the infrastructure on the mainland, ranging from roads to fully immersive gaming experiences, is created for all Residents to enjoy. In this region you can get a glimpse into what it’s like to live like a Mole. (Meauxle Bureaux was first featured on this blog here.)

2) The Ivory Tower of Primitives in Natoma

This long time staple and institution of knowledge built by Lumiere Noir is what I usually credit with my fondness for content creation. As a Resident, it was one of the first places I visited and initially fell in love with what Second Life empowers us in as Residents.

3) Luskwood

As one of the founding non-humanoid communities in Second Life, early on I developed a deep appreciation for the diversity that Second Life represents. This is another institution for a long standing community of Residents who have made Second Life a home; is accepting and welcoming to everyone interested in seeking help, meeting new people, socializing and exploring.

4)    The Bay City Amusement Park, Bay City (aka Hairy Hippo Fun Land)

As another LDPW / Mole inspired and managed project, the mainland area known as Bay City offers a uniquely themed region of the mainland that also incorporates a vibrantly run community.  Exploring the entire city and discovering the hidden jewels of content, the airport and associated Info Hubs, as well as riding the rides in the amusement park is fun! (Hairy Hippo Fun Land was first featured on this blog here.)

5)    ANWR

Have you ever wondered where the “prims” come from in Second Life?  Wonder no more.  Those cute little plywood cubes that we affectionately proclaim “It all starts with a cube” are sourced from this very location for the entire Second Life grid.  Come witness the prim drilling rig in its operational glory.

Kinn: And now question number two - Why does Mainland matter to you?

Patch: Overall the Mainland represents the foundation for everything that Second Life evolved into.  It was core to the revolutionary vision of its founder and essential for providing the base that launched the first socialization, communities and areas to congregate in Second Life.  Without it, or even the concept of what we refer to as “Land” in Second Life, you have to ask yourself the following questions: Would you have a place to stand around and chat with your friends?  Dress up and show off your latest avatar?  Play the games or participate in the experiences you do today?  Listen to music, go to events, or live shows?  It all comes down to the core idealism of having a massively explore-able, contiguous space that started it all. All of my respect and fondness for the Mainland comes from that ideology and continues to drive my commitment to Second Life today.

"I Live In A Labyrinth Under the Sea"

Today we will head to the Sea of Fables in search of some underwater adventure! Located in the heart of Sansara, this sparkling blue sea contains a great number of islands named after Greek gods and legends. In addition to exploring the small towns and temples on each island, the waters surrounding the islands are perfect for diving adventures; they are filled with ancient ruins, shipwrecks, coral reefs, and even sea monsters! We are going to start by picking up some diving gear on the docks of Poseidon Island, pictured below.

Poseidon Island has a fixed landing point, so when you arrive, face south and make your way down to the docks. There, you will find some free diving gear (although I prefer Arcadia Asylum's suit, which I mentioned in my recent Jules Verne Museum post). Once you have your gear, step off the edge of the docks and continue walking south. Soon you'll spot the remains of a shipwreck on the ocean floor (pictured below) and in front of the wreck, some tumbled columns and an opening with a set of stairs that leads down into the earth. Directly in front of the stairs is a ball of twine — take this and wear it. It is a HUD which will help you on your journey.

The ball of twine might clue you into the fact that you are descending into a labyrinth, like Theseus venturing in to slay the Minotaur. Long, dark passageways spiral in on each other, and you will need your HUD to find your way to the center. Each time you reach a place where several passageways converge, clicking on the ball of twine will illuminate a map (pictured below) to help you choose your direction. There will be a marker on the floor at each crossroads, indicating your position on the map.

If you choose well, you'll eventually find yourself at the center of the labyrinth. Look around for the Minotaur, pick up a copy of Theseus' sword, and maybe even take an impromptu ride on an octopus, as Ziki is doing below. Now you just have to decide how to exit the maze — do you go back out the way you came in, or is there an easier way? Look all around you and see if you can find another exit. The last picture might give you a hint as to where it is.

If you enjoyed this adventure, you might want to set out to discover what else lies hidden on the ocean floor in the Sea of Fables. You could spot the wreck of King Midas, or a Siren's Grotto, where ancient statues of mysterious goddesses lure sailors under the waves. While you are exploring, enjoy this fascinating video set to The Incredible String Band's "The Minotaur Song." Happy diving!

"I live in a labyrinth under the sea
Down in the dark as dark as can be
I like the dark as dark as can be
He likes the dark as dark as can be"
 

Meauxle Bureaux

A good number of the destinations I've featured on this blog are creations by the "moles" of the Linden Department of Public Works, private residents who are expert builders, scripters and artists who have become contract workers for Linden Lab, tasked with creating Mainland infrastructure and community builds. At Meauxle Bureaux, the moles at last have their own homes, but not, as you might suspect, in dark burrows in the ground. Instead (pictured below) they have nested in an expansive medieval walled town on a large island in the Coastal Waterway...and it is open for the public to explore!

There is a fixed landing point, which will deposit you in the middle of a large town square full of market stalls. Currently, this square is still decorated with Valentine's balloons and messages...perhaps the moles have been too busy working to notice it is Spring! In any case, looking to the East, you'll spot a large castle-type building that serves as a community hall. Inside, you can pick up some winter gifts, enjoy a Mad Tea Party and other fun pose props, examine the portrait gallery on the second floor and try to guess which mole is which, and click the various posters which line the walls to receive LMs to other mole builds around the grid. A guestbook is located by the front door if you wish to leave the moles a message before wandering outside to explore the charming cobbled streets that wind through the town (photo below).

As you walk through the town, you'll notice that some moles share storefronts on the main roads (photo, below right), some have small duplexes just outside of the town, and at least one, Abnor Mole, runs a bar (first photo on the left, below). At "Ye Olde Abnor Mole Pub", visitors can play pool, enjoy a lively round of Cards Against Humanity, drink beer or espresso, or just relax and read. There are some other fun things to spot around town as well; try to find Ancient Mole's animated cave...inside one of the storefronts!

On the North and West sides of the island are docks where you can enter the town if approaching via the Coastal Waterway by boat or Yavascript Pod. The  Maebaleia North M1 pod route serves both sides of the island. (Meauxle Bureaux is located off the Northeastern coast of Satori - sometimes called Maebaleia - just south of the Blake Sea.) On the larger set of docks in the North (see the very first picture in this post) you will find a rez zone so you can use your own boat to go exploring, or pick up a free sailboat or kayak near the Mole Marina in that same area. A sign near the free boats will tell you how to use them.

In first life, I will be traveling to the Republic of Ireland this summer, and the colorful houses of Meauxle Bureaux (pictured above) reminded me of the town of Cobh, which I plan to visit while there. I do hope that you take some time to explore the homes and shops in Meauxle Bureaux, and take a moment to celebrate the SL residents who, as LPDW moles, use their creativity, talent and humor to make the Mainland more beautiful, and more fun!

Hoppin' Down the Bunny Trail

On this Easter morning, let's hop on over to Project Kapor for an egg hunt. Located on the eastern shore of two Sansara sims, Rosedale and Kapor, this sweet little build is covered in Spring flowers, rocky pathways, and, of course, Easter eggs! You can pick up the bunny avatar I'm wearing (pictured below) for free here at COCO. It comes with either grey or cinnamon fur (or grab both!) and a number of free or inexpensive clothing items are located nearby.

A rainbow arches over a waterfall that spans the two sims, and the rocky paths lead you over and through several tiny ponds. Surrounding the ponds, lollypop trees give a variety of flavored lollypops. There are floating balloons one can ride (see last photo, below), or you can catch a ride out into the waters of the Coastal Waterway on an inner tube (photo directly below).

But don't forget the Easter eggs! Most (tho' not all) of the eggs hidden throughout Project Kapor contain prizes: wearable Easter baskets, bunny ear headbands, tiny yellow chicks, and even your own version of the floating balloons. Before you leave, don't miss catching the balloon ride up into the small island lighthouse right offshore, as there are more Easter eggs at the top.

While you are looking around, enjoy this short (3 minute) Peter Cottontail cartoon released by UPA Animation Studios in the early 1950's (directed by Robert Cannon, animated by Robert Cannon and Grim Natwick).

Happy Hunting...and Happy Easter!

"Red Hot Mama, You're The One I Need"

In the center of the Volcanic Island Sims of Sansara sits the towering peak of Mt. G'al, the largest of the many volcanos in the area, and the one I've often heard referred to as the "fickle, palindromic goddess of Second Life". Before visiting, know that this volcano is deadly, and jumping into it will "kill" you and send you home. The landmark I've provided places you high on the outer cone (you can see me standing there in the photo below) but be careful not to lose your footing after you land!

However, for those adventurous sorts among you, there is a way to enter the volcano and not die. Scan down into the lava until you spot the white platform and clear tube pictured below, and port onto the platform. Walk through the tube, and into the opening in the rock wall. Take a deep breath, be brave, and step into the large hole in front of you.

After falling, you will land in a cave filled with curious machinery (see photo below). Are the moles of the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW) using the volcano as a hidden power source? Crazy Mole seems to have left a few clues behind...

The area surrounding the volcano contains a number of strange and interesting builds, including three iconic floating islands tethered by great chains to the earth, an ancient infohub, a giant Atlas-like figure holding up a palace, a large fairy forest surrounded by waterfalls, a space shuttle crashed into the mountainside, lava goddesses (see photo below), an extremely fun UFO rezzing platform, and the Temple of L'ag ("FOR it is written in the lava, "Lag is Life" and so lag shall we"). Unsurprisingly, the region is very laggy, but still well worth a visit.

Historically, it appears, avatars have been sacrificed to this volcano goddess in order to reduce lag and other grid-wide issues. Some have even taken to sacrificing themselves! So, what do you think? Will you do your part for the health of the Grid? Of course you will. Be brave, stand strong, then take a flying leap into Mt. G'al!

"I've got a girl, a wonderful girl
She's the sweetest one in town
You can search for miles around
But no one can be found like this one

Red Hot Mama, you're the one I need!" 

"Red Hot Mama" by the Brox Sisters, 1924

Bay City - Hairy Hippo Fun Land

On the westside of Bay City, on the shores of the Davis gulf, sits Hairy Hippo Fun Land. This amusement park, built in 2012,  spans two entire sims, Oaks Bluffs and Weston — three if you add in the aquarium on the northwest corner of the park. And so let's start there, at the gates to the aquarium. Enter through the gates, go down a short walk, then venture into the watery tunnel in front of you (pictured below). Through the glass walls of the tunnel you may be able to spot a mermole or two, those curious creatures native to Mainland SL, including the waters surrounding Bay City.

After you exit the tunnel, walk straight up the hill to the aquarium. You'll spy an old steampunk submarine on display and a small, round building. Inside the building are several unusual sea creatures on exhibit, all of which you can feed. There is one other building on the grounds, and in between the two are wooden platforms from which you can look down into various holding ponds. If you prefer, a second glass tunnel at the bottom of the hill lets you observe the aquarium's inhabitants more closely.

Once you're finished exploring the aquarium, go back down the hill to find a path that leads to the Lollercoaster. Click on the sign to call a car, and don't forget to go into mouselook for a realistic ride!

At the main entrance to the amusement park, you will see two of the park's namesake hippos, plus a bright pink sign announcing "The Hippo Food Challenge." Click on the sign, and you'll receive a HUD and instructions to "Explore Hairy Hippo Fun Land, snacking on anything and everything that crosses your path! Enjoy the scariest rides with a full belly! Try not to get sick too often!" Apparently those who survive this challenge win a prize, but I have to confess that I didn't attempt it. I did, however, play some of the many carnival games located around the park, and won a stuffed mole! (See picture below.)

The park contains several fun rides besides the Lollercoaster, including a bouncy castle, a ferris wheel, a merry go round, bumper cars, a parachute jump and a teacup ride. There is a small penny arcade with fortune telling machines and two very cool mutoscopes: "The Box" and "Le Train". Visitors can enjoy 7Seas fishing with custom prizes from any of the piers, or grab a free balloon from the booths that line Rte. 66. Along the shore of the Davis Gulf there are inner tubes you can float in, and maybe you'll even spot Jonah the whale in the water!

So what's with the hippos, anyway? Apparently, hippos are the unofficial mascot of Second Life, and can be found in many places all over the Grid. There is a giant underwater hippo statue in the Mare Secundus, a much smaller statue in the Second Life Historical Museum, and there is even a hippo easter egg in SL browsers (press CTRL, ALT, SHIFT then hit the H key). Apparently, to see a group of hippopotamuses in your dream suggests that you need to escape from the daily grind and relax. (Shouldn't that be "hippopotami"?) So escape your daily grind, bring along a friend or two, and relax at Hairy Hippo Fun Land!

"Bay City Brew - It's Something In The Water"

As happens every year near St. Patrick's Day, the waters in and around Daley Bay have been dyed a brilliant green by the water treatment plant technicians of the Linden Department of Public Works in Bay City. 

This is a nod to a first life tradition during which the Chicago River has been dyed green for that city's St. Patrick's Day parade for over 50 years. David Matthews of DNAInfo reported today that "...the Chicago Journeymen Plumbers since 1961 have poured a secret solution, that's actually orange, into the city's main tributary to give it a glowing emerald hue. The river-dyeing tradition began after parade chairman Stephen Bailey noticed a special dye city officials used to detect waste in the river changed the water to a perfect emerald green, according to Chicago magazine." So the green dye was originally poured into the river to detect crap! Did I mention that the source of the green water in Bay City is the Bay City Department of Sanitation's Pumping Station Number 1?

The pumping station in Daley Bay (pictured below, yellow and blue building, center) is directly across the street from the Bay City Brewery, and is the source of the brewing water supply. No stranger to bright green water, us! You can even float in a large beer tub of the stuff inside the Brewery. Founded by Ever Dreamscape in 2012 and designed by Ivan Suen, the Brewery is Bay City's "original questionably safe adult beverage and industrial process". We supply beer (and root beer for the kids!) throughout the City, and serve as the site of the annual Oktoberfest celebration.
 
So come on down, grab a beer, and take a gander at the green waters of Daley Bay. After all, as our logo states, "Bay City Brew - It's Something In The Water!" 

Bay City - "The City by the Bay"

Originally designed by the "moles" of the Linden Department of Public Works (LDPW), Bay City opened its doors to residents in the spring of 2008. A themed city with double-prim land, it has been described as embodying "the American urban experience, between 1940 and 1965, perhaps best typified by Chicago circa 1950 and marked by a distinct deco influence." There were originally 22 sims in the Bay City on the main grid, and 20 on the teen grid. With the integration of the teen grid in 2012, the two parts of Bay City were united, and four additional sims were added. A map of the city, created by Marianne McCann for SL9B, is shown below. 

I've had a hard time starting a blog post about Bay City, but I'm not sure if that is because there is so much in the City, or because it is a place that I consider home. Maybe it's a bit of both, so this will likely just be an "intro post". I first heard of Bay City at an SLB exhibit. Shortly after that, I was invited to an event there, and I found that the Bay City community certainly does like their events! Every Thursday, there is a Rumble where we race everything from cars (see photo below, left) to boats to airplanes...with the occasional broomstick or ufo race thrown in for variety. The first Tuesday of every month is Espresso Yourself night at The Pen, a beatnik hangout. On the fairgrounds, Mole Day is held each February 2nd, an anniversary event is held every May, and a tree lighting and auction each December. The Bay City Alliance meets every Tuesday at the Community Center to plan these events, discuss city happenings, and make decisions regarding the community. 

Also at the community center, visitors can find maps, a guide to the city, learn a bit of history, and new Bay City residents can pick up free textures and Art Deco-themed prefabs in order to fit in with the theme of the area. To learn more about the history of the City, the newly-opened Bay City History Pavilion is a great place to start. I own several places in the City, and would certainly welcome all visitors: a firehouse in Dennis, a police station in Edgartown (see if you can find the secret way to escape from one of the jail cells!), Club Sandwich in Sandwich, and the Bay City Brewery (photo below) in Argos. I also edit the Bay City Post from the ETv building in Dennis. When I'm not editing copy or hanging out at the Brewery, I like to fish for mermoles (picture above, right) at Hairy Hippo Funland, an amusement park which will likely be the topic of my next blog post on Bay City. 

Bay City isn't all closely-packed buildings; there are also some lovely park areas such as the Davis Gulf lighthouse, pictured below. At the far right of that picture you can see the start of a canal entering the city. Bay City has an extensive system of canals with water trolleys traveling through each of them. (Transportation in the city is likely to be a post of its own, too.) 

While the events are fun, the transportation systems are impressive, the builds are great, and having twice the prim allotment upon which to build isn't too shabby either...the best part of Bay City is the community. Come by and wander around (visit the Community Center for a map and some landmarks to start with, or use the ones in this blog post!) or join us for one of our many fun events. It's a friendly place, the fabulous City by the Bay. Get to know us and find out for yourself why so many people think that Bay City is the best city on the Grid!