Linden Labs bills its virtual world, Second Life, as a place built by its residents. The idea is to create a second life, albeit in a digital environment instead of an analog one; but in this case you’re limited almost entirely by your own imagination. If you want to, you can build a house in the sky, made of clouds. You can live inside the head of a hollowed out snowman. There are plenty of fantastical places in SL, rife with psychedelic animated sculptures and structures that defy the laws of physics. There are also places built to emulate places that exist in the real world: the NW 21st Avenue Project, modeled after 21st Avenue in Portland, Oregon, is a well-done example.
The project begins with a single block of NW 21st Avenue, including virtual versions of the movie theater, bars and restaurants, convenience store, and residence that exist on that block in real life. The neighborhood around NW 21st Avenue is not the only key Portland location represented. Visitors can also enjoy a portion of the newly re-developed Pearl District, complete with condos and art galleries; a small version of the Saturday Market, an arts festival running every weekend from March to December; and Pioneer Courthouse Square, commonly called Portland’s “Living Room.” And because I’m always on the lookout for good coffeehouses in SL, I was happy to find a replica of the Haven Coffee Shop. Seating options are important, though; I wouldn’t mind seeing a better selection of sit poses offered at Haven.
Walking around—and sometimes flying, just because I can—I find lots of little details that I recognize from the real Portland. The structures are mostly architecturally accurate, the sky is often overcast, and photos of the places represented provide truth-telling and sometimes an extension for the eye to follow down the street. A giant screen image of Mount Hood looms over the plaza. I do have to quibble with it being placed to the west, though. Mt. Hood is east of the city in reality.
One of my favorite little details is that the builders have placed several replicas of the Benson Bubblers, drinking fountains that were installed throughout Portland between 1912 and 1917 to encourage lumber workers to drink water instead of alcohol. I’d love to see a replica of Seward Johnson’s statue, Allow Me, a bronze man holding an umbrella, which stands in the real Pioneer Courthouse Square, just because it’s iconic.
The founder of the project, Ty Magpie, explains that the build is more than just a model of the city; the intent is to provide a platform to introduce “trademark Portland” sites to visitors from all over the globe, helping promote those neighborhoods and small businesses in the real world. Ultimately the site will be an SL venue offering street parties, live music, movies at the theater, and art festivals. In the meantime, it’s a cool place to explore and hang out, and I bought a wonderful piece of glass art for my SL home at one of the galleries.
