Natural Falls IV

Natural Falls IV, created by Dann (DannChris), looks as good a place as any to get electrocuted: throughout the now-flooded and decaying city, power lines dangle into the water — and the greenish-brown fluid itself looks toxic. Visitors arrive in the middle of ruined buildings in pelting rain, and can set off in just about any direction to explore. Tall boots are recommended.

Despite the crumbling cement, fallen-over radio towers, and general debris that seems to be within view from any vantage point, the city does possess a few signs of life: Camden Records (with a "vinyl is forever" sign in the window); a tattoo parlor; La Petite Joie, a coffee shop; and a marijuana dispensary located far to the north. Under a geodesic dome, a garden flourishes, while another seems to host some sort of sci-fi scene. Here and there, a few light bulbs seem to still glow with power.

Elsewhere, things have fallen in a sorry state. Empty, deserted and in disrepair are a laundromat (second image), a movie theatre, a tea and coffee shop, an additional record store (Record Land), and a former amusement park (image above). The entrances to the subway are completely flooded over, and mannequins seem to have taken over at least two stores (image below). A damp cemetery has sprouted blue and purple mushrooms, and the remnants of a nearby garden are now growing wild on their own. Cars and all sorts of assorted junk dot the landscape.

Visitors are encouraged to stop by often, as Dann makes frequent changes to the sim ("generally moving stuff about," he says) — and, in any case, it's difficult to absorb all the sights in a single visit. There's one more thing: Dann hasn't added a physical teleport to it yet, but invited me up to a pair of small platforms 3000 meters overhead: a garden with trees and a charming little treehouse, and a quaint home reachable by a footbridge (image below). "That's my hammie house," Dann said as we looked about. (He being a hamster.) Contributions toward the support of Natural Falls IV may be made at the landing point. (As always, click on any of these images to zoom in. These and others will appear on Flickr here.)