SIREN’S COVE: A CORNUCOPIA OF COLORS - JOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC) REPORTING

So, there I was.  Outfitted with my new snorkeling gear, and I thought I would explore the local waters. After clearing my mask, I headed out into the deep when I saw a brightly colored Clownfish swimming lazily in the warm coastal water.  Intrigued, I followed him.  I was about to turn back, when we rounded a coral reef.  Suddenly the world EXPLODED with bright colors, the likes of which I have never seen before in my life, nor since!  I had found it.  The Supreme. The Extreme.  The Dream – Siren’s Cove!

Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) (JB):    Tell me, Ladies.  Just what is Siren’s Cove all about?

Roryredrory (RR):   Siren's Cove is primarily about music, and DJ’s sharing their tunes and mixes to other music-lovers in a fun, relaxing environment.  For me, there is nothing more fun or relaxing than the ocean - seeing it, feeling it, swimming in it, relaxing on the beach...and we wanted to bring that vibe and good feeling to the club.  And why mermaids? I always wanted the club to be the "Disneyland" of SL clubs - "Happiest place on earth" - and love the vibe and beauty of mermaids.

idoru.venus (IV):  It's about good music, great company, and fun party time dancing with both! Also, some aquatic life...

JB:    So…there are lots of sims out there, many with underwater builds. Tell us what is the “Siren’s Cove Difference”?

RR:  What makes me proud of Siren's Cove are the DJ’s and people who are part of the Siren's community. We have always been supported by great DJ’s and amazing, fun people who keep things fun and amazing every day!!!  I love being greeted whenever I walk into the club, and greeting people when they do.  It's always so fun and feels like our own little family!!  I love being part of the over-all SL community as well - and I know people with DJ and hangout at other SIMs/clubs too - and I think that's great!!!  I'm honored whenever they come to Siren's and appreciate the time they give us!!! 

IV:  Many tell me that what makes us different is the atmosphere... the spirit of the place. People tell me it’s so warm and welcoming at Siren's Cove. That makes me happy because that’s what we want!

<a data-flickr-embed="true" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/-freckles-/52640892935/in/pool-14840434@N23/" title="Mermaid in the Aquarium"><img src="https://live.staticflickr.com/31337/52640892935_2b45a4ca37_c.jpg" width="800" height="461" alt="Mermaid in the Aquarium"></a><script async src="//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

JB:    What a phenomenal build. How did this idea develop?

RR:  Freckles Amore is our club builder and designer.  When we decided to start the club, we literally had 2 days to get the club running so we could keep DJ schedules and commitments from the former club I was managing, which closed on July 27, 2022.  We opened on July 29, 2022 :-).  We talked about how fun it would be to do a Mermaid theme, with Mermaids, pirates, beaches, starfish....but very high level.  I have ADHD irl hehehe and sometimes am not good at completing a picture or describing one.  But Iddy and I talked with Freckles, and then it was like magic :-) She came back the next day with the build for "The Cave" which blew my mind - so beautiful - so cool - so happy!!!!

IV:      It began rather small!  Once we decided to make the club, Freckles Amore offered to make our build. She did it overnight... and it remains in our new sim as The Cave. It’s a piece of art, like the entire build she has done for the whole sim. Truly gorgeous and fun to explore.

JB:    I understand you’ve been here since July, and that there us a story about that?  Care to Share?

RR:  Iddy and I had worked together earlier this in year in a club that was closing at the end of July.  We really enjoyed working together and loved the other DJ’s and people who came to the club.  We tried to open as soon as possible to keep the music going after that club closed.  The closing date was Wednesday, July 27, and Freckles built Siren's Cove and we opened 2 days later, Friday, July 29. 

JB:    Who managed to put this thing together and what role did each of you play?

RR:  Freckles is definitely the visionary who created the build and the magic and the vision for what is now the Siren's Cove SIM.  She is the designer and the one I call "our secret weapon".  I really feel her design and joy she brings to it is what makes Siren's so fun and amazing!  I see something different every time I come here :-)  We recently expanded to a whole SIM - and Freckles added a "Siren's Shores" side and a 3rd club - The Aquarium.  "The girl got skillz"

Idoru is the amazing talented DJ and is our ears and music Director :-)  She is incredibly talented in her own right, and is amazing at finding and hiring DJs for the club, and grouping those DJ's together for nice blocks or "Siren Sets" :-)  And as a co-owner and business partner, she is the level-headed one and keeps me from wrecking my boat into the shore.  I can be pretty emotional and the opposite of "level-headed" and she protects me from myself :-) I love talking to her and working things out.  She is the best business partner and friend ever!!!!!!!!!

Jinxy is my wife and is the visionary for the rentals here, and had the idea to add rental properties to the SIM.  She has amazing ideas and has brought a very cool element into the club.  She has a great feel for what things would be popular / fun for club-goers and renters, and keeps that side of the business going!!!  She is amazing :-)

Kisi is my sister and supports club promotion and managing!  She also brings great ideas on how to promote the club, how can use events, and manages our social media!!  She is an Angel who keeps the club events promoted and out there for all to see :-)

IV:      And don’t forget Rory!  She is a manager on steroids!  She is good at lining people up and organizing the schedule. She found the place for us and supports the sim. My part is to help her run the place and also help find us great DJs for the lineup. Freckles is the super builder who pours her heart into building the place and asks for little or nothing in return.

JB:    Could you share some of the interesting things that visitors and guests can do at Sirens Cove?

RR:  Siren's Cove is a place for land folk and merfolk to all explore and visit.  There are amazing underwater and above-water spots to explore and investigate. There are lots of beautiful photo and cuddle spots as well.  You can also meet our resident mermaids, Oyster Annie and Siren Sadie.  Although they might be quiet - be careful - they bite :-)

IV:     There are a LOT of things to explore on the sim, outside of the venues for music and dancing. In addition to the rentals offered, Freckles has created a gorgeous forest to explore that’s full of surprises and gorgeous scenery.

JB:    Tell us about the Aquarium. What kind of features can we discover there, and at each of the three main areas?

RR:  The Aquarium is our largest venue - and is unique in that it is actually underwater.  Swimming fish, mermaids, and other sea creatures are all around.  The colors swirl in the water to the music as the DJs mix on the underwater stage. 

The Cave is our original venue - with everything fun about the Sea.  There are pirate ships, mermaids, and huge snails, and you might even find Sponge Bob hiding in there.

The Rooftop is our Pool area - on top of the Cave, and has a fun beach set with a pool where you can hang out and swim with Oyster Annie and Siren Sadie.

Siren's Shores is a magical land where you can explore - just across the cove from the Cave, it has 7 rental properties, where you can actually live among the Mermaids and creates here :-)

JB:    And how about the future?  Do you have any changes in mind?

RR:  We would love to eventually expand our hours so we are open longer.  We plan to continue to add hours as our audiences grow.

IV:  We hope to continue to grow in group membership and daily visits to our events. We also might do occasional special events.

JB:    Do you have any special events planned? And how can people find out what’s Happening at Siren’s Cove?

RR:  Each week, we alternate to a different venue - Pool Parties at The Rooftop, and then a week each at The Cave and The Aquarium. To see what’s happening, I encourage you to check out the links at the end of this article for our Website, Flickr, and other Social Media URLs.

JB:    Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?

RR:  Support live music on SL!!!

There you go folk.  For a truly unique experience, you have simply GOT to check out Siren’s Cove.   For unrivaled entertainment, SecondLife style, you owe yourself a visit.  I guaranteed it. You WILL be impressed!

Tell ‘em Josh sent ya.

Be there!  Aloha!

JB

SURL: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Redd%20Starrs/68/71/17 

Web: www.sirenscoveclub.com 

FB:   www.facebook.com/sirenscoveclub

FLICKR:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/195166491@N02   

FLICKR Groups:  https://www.flickr.com/groups/14840434@N23/

Discord:  https://discord.gg/qcv9Pzt8

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PETRICHOR: A PERFECTLY PIXELATED PARADISE – JOSH (THOMAS1 BELLIC) REPORTING

 

Petrichor: (Noun) a pleasant smell that frequently accompanies the first rain after a long period of warm, dry weather

This week’s hidden gem of a Sim is managed by the rental company Petrichor.  Anyone who has been in SL for more than about a week has learned to recognize the difference between a poorly built sim and a beautiful one.  In a Grid full of sims of “comic book art” caliber, this place is indeed a Michelangelo.  If Bob Ross could have painted in 3D, he would have designed a place like Chrystal Island.  If you are a lover of beauty, scenic views everywhere you look, and lag-free properties on a grid of omnipresent lag, you will find this place to be a refreshing change.  As I was exploring this once in a SecondLife time creation, I came upon The Starchilds, Night, and Onyx.  They couldn’t wait to tell me about this Garden of Eden that they had created (minus the snakes).

Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) JB:    What a lovely build.  Did you do this yourself?  Or were others involved, and what were their roles?

Night Starchild (NS):  We had a vision and we involved some of our friends to help us build the sim.  For the build I provided the building materials and designed a few parcels on my own, then our friend Julia (Judithan Resident) stepped in and used the materials to help design more parcels. She was also very helpful in bringing in her own creativity enhancing the feel of the parcels even more. She turned out great at designing the hot springs with crystals in particular. We also have some properties with the interior design already done by my lovely wife Onyx Starchild and our friend Winter Rose (Abraa Xue).  If a renter isn't comfortable decorating their own home, they may choose to take advantage of the designs already made by them.  Our friend Winter Rose also loves ripping some houses apart and making extra rooms or create a new upper floor and new stairs. She customized a few houses for us in that way.

Onyx Starchild (OS):  Night Starchild, who has lots of skills and previous experience as a sim designer, started creating the sim, bringing to life the vision we had for Petrichor. Later on, some friends joined us to help along the way. Our friend Julia (Judithan) brought her building expertise, and our friend Winter Rose (abraa.xue) her abilities in the field of interior design and customizing houses. All of them are very talented, As for me, my role is mostly dedicated to the interior design of some of the properties.

JB:       There are many beautiful Sims out there. What is the Petrichor Difference? 

NS:  We focus on the beautiful views of nature all around the properties and have privacy as a priority.. So, we obscure the view of other houses in the sim using nature and blend the houses in so they become a part of nature. We use only the best quality materials and we re-texture a lot to our own liking to make everything blend together. We built the sim using a particular set of textures that we think makes it so beautiful and by controlling the texture set size also eliminates lag.

OS:   We wanted to provide the experience of a place that not only can offer privacy at its best but also, direct contact with nature. Each house is surrounded by unique landscaping and an enticing environment with breathtaking views. Everything here has been meticulously thought to bring our residents that special feeling that will invite them to call Petrichor their home.

JB:       As we were touring the property, I noticed a lack of clear paths between the properties.  Are you going to add those later?

NS:   Aha, yes.  We did that on purpose because we do not want people to wander onto other parcels.  The property borders are not that clear from the ground when you walk around, which adds to the rural wild feel of the rugged nature around and on the properties. Having paths leading onto private properties would entice casual wanderers to enter private properties, only to be greeted with a security warning.

JB:       Who would you envision as the ideal renter?

NS:   Everyone has a different taste. Basically, someone that really enjoys the beauty, the privacy, and the overall energy of the sim. Someone that feels at home here. If they like to play the occasional board game with us at the community game center area then that would make for a fun renter in my book :)

OS:   Someone who appreciates nature, and privacy and is looking for a comfortable place to live that they will proudly call their home.

JB:       How are your properties laid out here?

NS:   On the ground level, we have 8 big elite properties laid out in each wind direction. North South East West, and also on each corner. These are located on parcels that are around 4560sqm in size. They have around 2400 prims of which I use about 900 for the house and the nature around it. I tune the size of the parcel and its nature to have 1500 prims available for the renter to decorate their own space further and make it their own.

JB:       Tell us about the different areas here?                                    

NS:   On the ground level we also have the center of the sim, a big greenhouse is located in the middle of the forest there. This could be used by renters to have a wedding party or something like that. Free of charge that's a perk of being a Petrichor Resident. When this space is not in use, we provide some game tables there. This area is completely obscured from view from the private properties, yet freely available to all.  No roads lead to the center. The public center is separated from private parcels by streams of water.

OS:   To clarify, this area is not connected in any way to the houses, so the residents won’t be disturbed in the privacy of their homes.

JB:       What are some of the things that guests can do at Petrichor?

NS:   Guests are welcome to wander the public center part of Petrichor sims, and play board games there. Of course, Petrichor residents can have their guests on their private land as well. Guests should not wander into rented homes or they will be returned home by security, although some renters turn off security and run an open house, and available cottages have security disabled as well.

OS:   They can explore the public area of the sim, where the community center is located. And the guests of our residents should remain on their own property to respect the privacy of the other residents.

JB:       Is the natural lighting changing here?  What’s that all about?

NS:   Yes, I’m glad you noticed.  We have our own shared environment settings.  The sim goes through about 6 or 7 different settings in the course of a day, which takes 6 hours in this sim. These settings change over time, along with the seasons of nature. It just makes the sim look so much better.

JB:       Do you have any plans for future development?

NS:   Yes.  We are making a small community of a few very affordable tiny homes on smaller 1024 sqm private parcels on a platform at 2000 meters. This is currently under development to accommodate people with a smaller budget.

JB:   Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

NS:  We see our properties being rented really quickly and we cannot keep up with demand. We have started building PetrichorSL.com where people can add themselves to our waiting list. The website was just started so for now the best thing is to contact me or Onyx Starchild if you want to be on the waiting list, and you will be notified when we create new rentals or one becomes available.

OS:   We have put on this sim everything that we thought that the perfect place to live should have, such as stunning views of nature all around, lots of space and lovely comfortable homes. We love to invite everyone who appreciates nature with a dash of spirituality to come have a feel for the amazing atmosphere at Crystal Island.

Sooooo….there you have it.  These properties are going to go fast.  If you are interested in only the finest of residential properties in an idyllic mountain setting, you are going to want to get in on the ground floor of this deal.  Go visit Petrichor at the SURL below. Tell ‘em Josh sent ya.

Be there!  Aloha!

JB

SURL:  http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Crystal%20Island/119/87/23

FLICKR:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/petrichorsl/

Website:  http://www.PetrichorSL.com (UNDER CONSTRUCTION)

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