I've seen all these attractive pictures of neighborhoods around lately, and I thought I'd post a snapshot map of Neighborhood One:
Still the only neighborhood I've ever played.
Except that one time in Pleasantville, but I didn't save.
I'm pretty sure it's based on the standard "alpinloch" terrain, but I wouldn't bet money on it. The loch is to the south (Casa Townie is almost lakeside). The Bus Stop is off the map to the north, as indicated. The streets that run north-south haven't been named; not much communal civic-mindedness in this town! (Note also that the houses seem to be trying to stay as far apart as possible, with the possible exception of the Danverses and the Langeraks, and Sally Raptor's Love Nest and Damion Cormier and Suzette Somnius up there at Romance Corners (Gina's place sort of conceptually belongs there also, but she didn't want to be that close to her mom).
I think all of these houses have figured in one story or another of mine, with the possible exception of the London house, where Randy London lives with his finacee Regina from SSU. They're going to get married sometime soon, as are Jane Stacks and Martin whatsisname from the Bright house (they're now living in the little house marked "Stacks" on the map; she's a prominent artist, and he's a fresh college grad just starting to think about a career).
Rooms to Let barely made it into the picture on the north side of town there (but it has a detailed layout in its own thread), and the water tank (for which Tank Street is unimaginatively named) is almost cut off.
I keep meaning to build an actual building on a commercial lot. The only enclosed spaces at The Place (clothes and grocery shopping, a hot tub, and a dance floor with genuine recorded music) and The Other Place (live music, a bar, a swing set, and a bubble pipe) are the public restrooms. At The Pool even the restroom is outdoors (just a little wall hides the stalls from the bathers). The Pool is famous for its gravity-defying art platform (but in fact hardly anyone ever goes there, 'cause it's too much trouble).
The Test Lot is where the picture of the Doom-derived textures was taken, and otherwise I just mess around with experiments on foundation height and stuff.
Needless to say, Neighborhood One isn't based on anything remotely resembling reality... *8)
(Speaking of Romance Corners, All-Star Damion Cormier brought home a friend from work today, and it was Gina Raptor (which is odd because I could swear she quit her job so as to avoid having to leave Gabriel with those annoying nannies; but maybe I never got around to doing that). Between when they got off work and when Gina left shortly after nightfall they went from 25/5 or whatever a previously unknown friend that you bring home from work is at, to making out noisly on the front lawn; I think that's a Neighborhood One land-speed record. Maybe there needs to be a zoning ordinance to keep too many unrelated Romance Sims from living in one area; the place might spontaneously combust...)
"The Place", "The Other Place", and "The Pool" are the community lots. (I'm great at naming stuff!) As the brochure says, Neighborhood One's three sophisticated community lots offer the finest in open-air music, shopping, drinking, and amatory recreation. (In particular, The Place has both two changing booths for genuine public woohoo and a nice expensive hot tub for sort of public woohoo.)
The Place is by far the most popular, both for the abovementioned features and because it's the only place to buy clothes or groceries.
Suzette and Professor Anna (her secondary backup professor from the challenge) arrive at The Place for some amatory recreation and clothes shopping
The dance platform is just visible at top right, although since the music fills the whole lot hardly anyone ever bothers to walk all the way back there. The tiny buildings in the background behind the changing booths are the public restrooms.
The Other Place is notable primarily for Joanne Kim, the friendly and vivacious bartender.
Sally meets Joanne Kim
The stairs at the back lead to a hilltop with a streetlight and a garden gnome; this may be some obscure Narnia reference. Note the performance platform with pews for the audience, and Benajmin Long Langerak playing on the swings.
And the Pool, while rarely visited (that "Go Swimming" want delivers so few points that it's hardly worth the trip), features the magical floating art platform.
Eleanor meets, um, some kid.
(Edit: I think that's Aaron Almassizadeh; sorry Aaron!) Note how the tree sticks artistically through the hole in the platform. When seen from above, the platform's floor is non-transparent.
I really have to build an actual building on a community lot someday... *8)
Later: Woo, I just played around with Cameraman Mode on the neighborhood screen for the first time. I didn't realize there was so much sparkling detail available! Here's a view of Neighborhood One seen from the Loch:
Complete with sailboat and swan, and watertower.
The imposing structure closest to us is of course Casa Townie (complete with its impossible hill-climbing street). Beyond and above it is Gina's place, and other plumb bobs are scattered around correspondingly. The unbobbed structures in the middle distance to the right are probably the public restrooms and performance stage at The Other Place. Or maybe a secret CIA listening post...