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Just a quick thank you for all your amazing creations. Without yours and feindbild content, it would really be pretty much impossible to make a North American style city. Thanks.

Aww thanks. Glad that after all these years people still find value in all those bats I created all those year's ago.

A very well done Santorini!

Today's update will see Lockhart Island recede over the horizon as we head back up river to explore Bunting. Here's where we're heading Bunting, Aulburn, and Lockhart, are the Rossignol area's original settlements so our visit to Bunting fills in the story of Rossingol's early origins. Bunting is directly across the river from Aulburn and the two communities have been traditional rivals. Before roads and railroads and large ships, they competed to dominate trade and commerce along the Aulburn River. While Aulburn always seemed to come out ahead in those early days, Bunting ended up with the last laugh as the forces of urbanization and industrialization propelled Rossignol from a series of small independent settlements into one large metropolitian area. Bunting's location on the Aulburn River's east bank meant it was more readily able to tap into the growth of Rossignol as a whole. Today, it's hard to pick out the exact boundaries between Bunting and surrounding neighbourhoods in the urban jungle. Below are some of the spots around Bunting we'll visit We'll start where Bunting began, the waterfront! Bunting's waterfront is defined by the nearby headland, Point Avorn. The Point creates a quiet cove right in front of Bunting. A gentle current, a sheltered cove, and relatively deep water made for a perfect stopping place for river boats. As the patterns of trade changed and boats were replaced with roads and rail for moving goods, Bunting had to redefine the waterfront. Luckily, the solid stone quays weren't going anywhere and, today, the waterfront is a hub for pleasure boats, locals, and visiting sightseers. The view from the waterfront across Bunting's cove to Point Avorn and Aulburn (the sandy bit and wind turbines) beyond The smell of sweet magnolias dominates along the the waterfront walk in the spring. The waterfront's cove ends in one of Rossignol's few marshes. Much of the Aulburn River's course through the Rossignol area is cut through steep banks, which doesn't leave much space for low-lying marshes. Around Bunting though, there is a relatively level area that's just perfect for a range of wetland plants and grasses. Bunting's marsh was never given much respect in the past. About half the marsh was lost to infilling as Bunting's growth took its toll on the natural environment. A significant restoration effort in recent years though has brought back what's left of this unique habitat. Once again the calls of herons, ducks, and other wetland critters can be regularly heard along Bunting's waterfront. Leading up from the waterfront is Bunting Boulevard. Like across the river in Aulburn, Bunting's founders set City Hall on top of the hill with a commanding view of the waterfront below. While Aulburn just ran a street down to their waterfront and called it a day, Bunting's opted for a wide formal avenue. Bunting Boulevard is the civic space that links City Hall to the waterfront. Old and new framed with flowers along Bunting Boulevard. Looking down Bunting Boulevard towards the waterfront. Bunting City Hall at the other end of the Boulevard. The wires from the tramline throws off the carefully arranged architectural symmetry. The Town's original planner would no doubt disapprove of this utilitarian sacrifice of the original vista. Bunting City Hall was built to replace an earlier wood structure that was lost to fire. Bunting's first City Hall was burned by a pack of rowdy sailors (aka Rivermen). The Rivermen descended upon City Hall after one of their colleagues dispute with a local innkeeper over what was owed for room and board escalated. City Hall was where Bunting's meager police force was based and where the defendant was held. The mob of Rivermen forcefully freed their compatriot and in the excitement set the building a blaze. A rather rash move that they didn't have long to regret. The Rivermen fled, but the next morning Bunting's outraged residents formed their own mob. They caught up with the Rivermen a few kilometers up river and brought them back to Bunting. A trial was held on the grounds of the still smouldering City Hall and in one of the Baltic Republic's last executions, they were hanged for their crimes on the same spot. A new brick City Hall eventually rose in place of the old one and it's said to be haunted by the ghost of the 20 Rivermen. Today, Bunting City Hall is a municipal office since, like Lockhart and Aulburn, Bunting lost its local autonomy and is part of the Greater Rossingol Area. Bunting City Hall, the Hofflich Building (the tallest in old Bunting) and Bunting Boulevard. The ornate Bunting Savings and Loan Building occupies the prominent corner just across from City Hall and was the main bank in the community before it merged with what is now the Baltic Republic's largest bank, the Great Baltic Bank (GBB or sometimes GB2) Bunting City Hall isn't just a historic relic. The space around it is one of the major transit hubs in Rossignol's southwest. Several bus routes, Bunting's tramline, and Bunting's Metro all meet at City Hall. The Metro stop is an important one, offering service and transfers on either the Haloran or Capitol lines. The Capitol line runs Downtown and then across the Harbour to Elysia while the Haloran lines traverses Rossignol's south. The Bunting tramline is another good option for moving around the larger city since it snakes its way through Uptown Rossignol before crossing the Harbour into Lilten. You can really get to almost anywhere in Rossignol from Bunting City Hall. The streets are often jammed with people transferring between Metro, bus, and tram. A decidedly big city feel that is in sharp contrast to the small-town character that Aulburn still holds onto. The great tide of humanity comes spilling out onto the streets and sidewalks in Bunting whenever a Metro train rolls through. The Bunting tramline that starts/ends at City Hall loops around the block before rejoining Mercier Street on its journey across Rossignol. There are a couple of noteworthy sights/destinations just a few blocks to the south of Bunting Boulevard, the oldest of which is St. Charles Church St. Charles has always played second fiddle to the religious leaders across the river at Aulburn Cathedral. St. Charles has always been a dependent parish, even as Bunting outgrew Aulburn. St. Charles has held onto it's small-town village church feel even as the population it serves has grown significantly. It is one of the oldest buildings in Bunting. Behind St. Charles is Prentice Park. Prentice Park isn't really all that noteworthy. It's a typical small playground and greenspace. What's a bit different about Prentice Park is how steep the cliff is along the Park's eastern edge, so steep that no one ever built on it, leaving Prentice Park as greenspace. Prentice Park breaks up the rhythm of development in the area: even growing cities have to yield to the realities of difficult terrain now and then. Those steep riverbanks can be quite challenging! Also just a few blocks away from Bunting City Hall is Albans College. Albans specializes in white collar professional trades. It's a great place to become a paralegal, a drafts person, accountant etc. The College's sunken front plaza is a popular space for students to hangout and, to the chagrin of college security, is also a favourite for skateboarders. A short block away from Albans College is Bunting High School, the main high school in Bunting. Another urban high school that has to make due with little in the way of outdoor green space. Luckily, Bunting Park isn't far away. No trip around Bunting would be complete without stopping to visit the jewel that is Bunting Park. Located just a few blocks inland from City Hall, Bunting Park was once on the edge of town. Set aside by Bunting's settlers for the common benefit of all, the land was first used to graze livestock. Once the City Beautiful movement got rolling though, Bunting's leaders opted to convert this Common land that was increasingly being surrounded by housing into a park. The result reflects the ideals of the time. The formal layout and symmetrical lines have carried forward to today with very few modifications. If Aulburn gets a guy on a horse statue, Bunting needs one too. That's just how they roll. Bunting Park isn't just green space, it's an important pedestrian connection between neighbourhoods. The centre portion of Bunting Park is known as Bunting's lawn. Depending on the day, you can find people sunbathing, flying kites, or playing informal games like frisbee. The western end of Bunting Park is planted with flowering trees. The grove can be quite stunning when it's in full bloom. A popular spot for wedding and prom photos. Plenty for young kids to do at this end of the Park too with two playgrounds. That concludes today's tour. So long from Bunting for now

Today we're going to finish our tour of Lockhart Island by checking out some of the Island's residential neighbourhoods and park spaces along the west branch of the Aulburn River. We'll start at Gilderoy Point just to the north of Lockhart's old centre. Below is where Gilderoy Point is on the map, alongside some of the other places we'll be visiting (Diane Town, Alton Park, Summer View) and some of the places we've already been too on the Island. Gilderoy Point was one of the first "suburbs" to develop outside Old Lockhart's Centre on the other side of Toralene Avenue. The Point was developed to provide housing for newly arriving residents in a traditional rowhouse format. The Point's humble form still exists, but these days its residents are anything, but humble. Commanding views of the harbour, easy access to the Downtown via the ferry, and adjacent greenspace makes the Point a high-end address that's home to many of the Baltic Republic's professional elite. Lawyers, doctors, business leaders now occupy spaces that were built to house people of much more modest means. Gilderoy Elementary and its playground park with the rowhouse on Gilderoy Point in the foreground. Gilderoy Point isn't called the Point for nothing. It's where the Aulburn River's East and West Branches truly disappear into the sea. The West Branch's shore along Lockhart Island is primarily bordered by parkland. It's where people on Lockhart Island go to get away from the concrete jungle. Some of the most expensive rowhouses anywhere thanks to the stunning view Besides the view, Gilderoy Point is also desirable because of Gilderoy Park. The Park runs for several blocks and gives Lockhart Island residents a quiet greenspace where everyone can enjoy the river scenery and even try their hand at basketball at one of the two courts. The basketball courts were somewhat controversial when they were installed as some of the Point residents complained about the noise from the bouncing balls. The City sweetened the pot by putting in extensive landscapping around the courts to lessen the sound. View across the West Branch of the Aulburn River to Summerville from the Gilderoy Park pathway. One of the Summerville Ferries bobbing in the river as it makes its way to Downtown Rossignol Continuing along the pathway from Gilderoy Point, you enter the Summer View neighbourhood. Summer View is a lower-density neighbourhood largely made up of single-family homes, except for Roe Street immediately parrellel to Touralene Avenue where there are some Gilderoy Point style rowhouses, several mid-rise apartment buildings, and one tall condo tower. Summer View's riverfront is protected greenspace, but it's not as manicured as Gilderoy Park. Summer View gets its neighbourhood name from the view across the Aulburn River's West Branch to Summerville. A view out to Summerville becomes Summer View on Lockhart Island. A good name to sell real estate with. Quiet tree lined streets with a view Summer View ends at Alton Park. Alton Park is well known for its beautiful setting, and wide central meadow of mixed grasses. A great spot to go for a walk. Above Alton Park is Alton High School. Alton High is Lockhart Island's other high school, but unlike Lockhart High, this more suburban school has a soccer field. Although the field is next to Alton High, both schools make use of it for sports. We'll conclude our visit to Lockhart Island by stopping by Diane Town. Diane Town is probably the least connected of Lockhart Island's neighbourhoods. Its location on the far southwestern tip of the island by the Lockhart Island Parkway means it's farther away from the rest of the island in distance and also somewhat separated by the Parkway. Diane Town is named for Diane Havelton whose family owned this portion of Lockhart Island for many years. The Havelton's farmed and sold the production of their farm in Lockhart and were well-known in the community. The Havelton's sold off the land for development several generations ago, but their original home still stands in Diane Town just across from the elementary school. That's all from Lockhart Island. Next week, we'll change gears entirely with a visit to Bunting.

Bit of pause between this entry and my last... Summer doldrums with family downtime away from the computer Anyway, let's resume our tour around Rossignol. Last time, we toured Lockhart Island's old commercial core. Today, we'll look at how people get around on Lockhart Island. First though, let's refresh where we are in the Greater Rossignol Area. On the opposite side of Lockhart Island relative to the old commercial core is the main route that people take to get to and from the Island today, the Lockhart Island Parkway. During Lockhart's seafaring merchant days, everyone coming and going from Lockhart had to come by boat. Today though, most people drive via the Lockhart Island Parkway's two bridges. The Parkway isn't just how people come and go from Lockhart Island though, it's also a major roadway that links Rossignol's suburbs on the western shore of the Aulburn River to the city centre. It's one of the busiest roads in Rossignol with a steady stream of traffic at all hours of the day crossing the Parkway's two bridges. Traffic is usually free-flowing on Lockhart, but backups from the Parkway's first regular intersection in Lithia onto the Lockhart-Lithia Bridge are common. Running roughly parallel to the Parkway is Lockhart's main transit link, the Lithia Tramline. The Lithia Tramline is named for the Peninsula on the other side of the water that was the Line's original destination before it was extended across the East Branch of the Aulburn River to Lockhart. The tramline runs from Rosetta, across the Aulburn River's West Branch to Lockhart, and then across the Aulburn River's East Branch to Lithia before heading to Rossignol's Downtown. The Tramline is Lockhart Island's main transit link to the wider region. The Lithia Line is separated from traffic through a large part of its route and was built as cheaper alternative to extending the Rossingol Metro out to Lithia, Lockhart and Rosetta. Passengers on the Lithia Tramline can easily transfer onto the Airport Metro Line where the Tram and Metro intersect in Downtown Rossignol. Once on the Metro, you can get to pretty much anywhere in Rossignol. Back on Lockhart Island, the Lithia Tramline provides service to Lockhart Islanders at a hub on Toralene Avenue. Toralene Avenue is where Lockhart's bus line meets the Tram. All transit leads to Toralene Avenue. The hub on Touralene Avenue has become a small commercial office park. A sort of modern Uptown relative to Lockhart's old Centre. Transit-oriented design is very much in favour on Lockhart Island. The Lithia Tramline snakes its way through residential neighbourhoods and across Ajave Road, the traditional commercial main street on Lockhart Island's southern end. Ajave Road has lost a lot of its prominence since the Parkway and Tramline were built since both of those connections favour Touralene Avenue. Touralene is now the main commercial hub outside of Lockhart's old Centre. The six storey Caldwell Building is the largest building on Ajave Road and represents a misplaced optimism in the street's potential to be anything more than a local commercial destination. Early morning sunrise on Ajave Road. Besides serving as transit hub, Touralene Avenue is also an important road on Lockhart Island. Its wide four lanes crosses the Island and serves as a collector street for the whole community. Touralene Avenue is flanked by higher density commercial and residential development. Touralene Avenue takes a sharp bend just before it ends at the waterfront near Lockhart Hall in Lockhart Island's old Centre. No tour of transportation on Lockhart Island would be complete without checking out the third way of getting on and off the Island. Just a block from the end of Touralene Avenue is the Lockhart Island Ferry. The Ferry provides a direct connection from Lockhart to Downtown Rossignol. It's the original point of entry to Lockhart Island, but these days it serves a niche audience. Its importance has been eclipsed by the convenience and speed of the Tramline and Parkway. Still, what the ferry lacks in speed, it makes up for in scenery. There is no better way to come and go from Lockhart than by a short publicly funded harbour cruise. A ferry coming into dock One of Lockhart Island's Ferry making its way around the Lithia Peninsula on its way Downtown. Next time, we'll checkout some of Lockhart's residential neighbourhoods and park space.

Impressive work. Very much feels like Midwest America.

Today we're off to explore one of Aulburn's old rivals in the Rossignol area, Lockhart Island. Below is where we're heading Lockhart Island sits at the mouth of the Aulburn River and enjoys good access to both the river and sea. Lockhart's position as a port meant it was one of Aulburn's rivals in the competition for handling trade coming down the river from inland and heading back in the opposite direction. Aulburn was founded first, but Lockhart Island became an equal in many ways. Lockhart eventually surpassed Aulburn in terms of wealth as shipping changed to larger vessels that couldn't sail upriver to Aulburn as easily. The limited supply of land on the island pushed development in Lockhart to a more dense form than in Aulburn, which had the luxury of being able to sprawl outwards. Below is a close-up of the Island from above today (we'll be exploring Lockhart's old Downtown core on the bottom right) Lockhart is accessed by road via the Lockhart Island Parkway, one of the busiest roads in Rossignol because it's one of only two ways across the Aulburn River. Other options into Lockhart include the Lockhart - Rossignol Ferry and the Lythia Tramline that crosses the island on its way to Rosetta. Lockhart's old Downtown is located above the old docks (just the ferry wharf remains). Let's take a closer look. Lockhart Island's Downtown is almost a perfect turn of the century time-capsule. The Island prospered as a trade centre, but then as Rossignol itself came to dominate in the Region, the Island became more and more isolated and its economy stagnated. The lack of economic growth meant that Lockhart was bascially frozen in time, losing very few historic buildings to the wrecking ball because there was no profit to be had in tearing them down to build something new. The Island's fortunes have turned in recent decades thanks to preservation dollars made available through its designation as a national historic district, and thanks to greater integration with Rossignol's economy through the construction of the Lockhart Island Parkway. It's not the trading hub that it once was, but today's Lockhart Island is once again a popular spot to live and work. Flores Street is one of the more densely built streets in Lockhart's old Downtown core. Lockhart High School to the left and the park around Lockhart Hall to the right. The view from the other side of Flores Street Intersection of Flores and Bantberry Streets as seen from the roof of Lockhart High School. Some of the few modern buildings in the old Downtown core can be seen here. They do a fairly good job of blending into the rhythm of the old streetscape. Looking down Flores Street While Flores Street is one of Lockhart's major streets, it's not the "main" street. That honour goes to the single-block Eustace Avenue. Eustace was where Lockhart's commercial wealth was centred. Large import/export companies skimmed profit off of goods going up river and overseas were based on the street, fueling Lockhart Island's economy. Those early commercial giants are now almost all gone since the world changed around them, but the monolithic turn of the century bricks and mortar building's remain. Eustace is Lockhart's brick and mortar canyon. Eustace Avenue from above The tallest building on Eustace Avenue, the 11 storey Granfield Building, almost didn't survive Lockhart's economic doldrums. Built for Granfield and Family Company, one of Lockhart's major merchant firms, the building is known for its generous floor heights. It went through several different owners once Granfield and Family disappeared into the history books, and its fortunes largely mirrored Lockhart Island's as a whole. Almost empty of tenants the building leaked and was slowly being demolished by neglect. Heritage grants and tax incentives, combined with an economic turnaround though came to the rescue, tipping the scales in favour of saving the Grandfield. After extensive restoration work, the Granfiled today offers several levels of office with expensive residential units on the upper floors (the views are hard to beat). A lucky turn for Lockhart Island as Eustace Avenue wouldn't be the same without the Granfield. As Lockhart Island prospered as a centre of trade, growth prompted the construction of a grand European style town hall. Lockhart Hall at the end of Eustace Avenue dominates the old waterfront lookoff and is surrounded by carefully tended grounds. Like Aulburn, Lockhart is now part of the Greater Rossignol Area and has lost its local political autonomy, but Lockhart Hall still serves as a local municipal office. During the summer months, tourists can take in an hourly guided tour that takes them into the Lockhart Hall's prominent tower, the defining architectural symbol of the island. The grounds around Lockhart Hall are a great place to enjoy views of the Aulburn River, the sea, and flower gardens. Looking out to sea with many ships coming and going to Rossignol's Harbour in the background. Looking over Lockhart Hall's grounds is a row of townhouses on Flores Street. Built for Lockhart's merchant families, these prestigious addresses overlooking the park and in close proximity to the waterfront have been home to Lockhart's wealthy for generations. That's all for now from Lockhart. Next time we'll explore the Island's other neighbourhoods outside of the old commercial core.

Before leaving Aulburn, we're going to checkout the community's other main street, Providentia Avenue. Providentia Avenue runs from Trifford High School, past Town Hall and the intersection with Main Street where Aulburn's Metro stop is, through several mixed-use commercial areas, past the Aulburn Community College, and Aulburn High School, before ending at Aulburn Cathedral. The Aulburn streetcar line runs almost the entire length of Providentia Avenue making it an essential street for moving people around Aulburn. Below are some of the main sites along Providentia Avenue that we'll visit today. We'll start our walk down Providentia Avenue at Trifford High School. Providentia Avenue has a terminating vista at both ends. At one end is the Cathedral and at other is Trifford High School. One is really old and one is decidedly modern. Trifford High School is easily reached by transit, but the heavily built up location means that there is almost no outdoor space on the school grounds. As a result, most students wander down Providentia Avenue to Town Hall's Civic Park at lunch. We had a thorough look at Main Street and Town Hall in my previous update, but it's worth noting that the north side of Civic Park has its own ring of small commercial shops. The intersection of Providentia Avenue and Main Street is the most important intersection in Aulburn. Get out of line in Aulburn and you'll find yourself staying the night on Providentia Avenue. Aulburn's main police station is located here. Just past the police station, we come into a more densely developed commercial centre. The commercial heart of Providentia Avenue is right here with the imposing Aulburn Merchants Bank building. The Merchants Bank is a fairly small bank from an international perspective. It has just a few branches scattered around the Baltic Republic and it has no overseas operations. Small though it is, the bank is still headquartered here in Aulburn. The modern office building across the street is one of Aulburn's tallest and is known as Bankers Hall since AMB employees fill space on several floors. Past the Aulburn Merchants Bank, the streetscape gives way to small apartment buildings. These apartments are popular with students attending nearby Aulburn Community College. The streetcar line makes it possible for students to live farther away of course, but nothing beats being able to just run down the block to slide into class at the very last minute. Aulburn Community College has an enrollment of just under 2,500. Next is another small commercial centre by Aulburn High School. Aulburn High School is much bigger than Trifford High School. The two schools, together, serve Aulburn's student population. Whereas Trifford High lacks for outdoor space, Aulburn High has it in spades with a large ball diamond. Technically Aulburn High doesn't front Providentia Avenue as the school building is situated on the far side of the block, but the ball diamond creates the feeling that it's part of Providentia Avenue. Saving the best for last, Providentia Avenue ends at Aulburn Cathedral. Aulburn Cathedral is built on the point where the Aulburn and Ketsha Rivers meet. The site has a long religious association dating to Aulburn's early days. According to legend, the site was divinely ordained when a series of shooting stars appearing in the sky to the north of Aulburn on the night that the first settles arrived. From their perspective, the shooting stars appeared to point to the conflux of the Rivers, and so that's where Aulburn's first permanent church was built and how the name Providentia Avenue was chosen for the street that leads to it. The original church was a small wood-frame building and when it came time to replace it, the town's growing wealth allowed for a much grander building. Officially designated as a Cathedral shortly after completion, the church serves as the religious centre for not just Aulburn, but nearby Bunting, Lockhart, Paistown, Rosetta, and the townships up river. Aulburn Cathedral is also a public space and is surrounded by parkland. The park around the Cathedral is a popular walking spot and it offers a great view of the conflux of the Ketsha and Aulburn Rivers. Rosetta is the community on the other side of the Ketsha to the left and Point Royale is on the other side of the Aulburn River to the right. The large suspension bridge in the distance is the busy Lockhart Island Parkway, one of only two roadways that cross the Aulburn River into Rossignol. Close up of the view from around the gazebo on the tip behind the Cathedral. The formal garden behind the Cathedral celebrates Aulburn's founding, complete with a settler on a horse. Old meets new in the Aulburn skyline. The wind turbines that provide much of Aulburn's power spin behind the Cathedral's bell tower. The suspension bridges across the Ketsha River and some of Aulburn's mid-rises buildings can be seen in the background. That's it for now. Next week we'll pop out to the harbour mouth to visit one of Aulburn's early rivals, Lockhart Island.

With the intro out of the way, it's time to start exploring Rossignol by stopping by where it all began, the former town of Aulburn. First, let's situate ourselves. Aulburn is located on a peninsula where the Aulburn and Ketsha Rivers meet the sea. The town's location meant it was ideally situated for farmers, foresters, and miners looking to bring the fruits of their labour from up river to market via the sea. Aulburn was where goods could be sold, traded, and shipped. The Aulburn River was Rossignol's first "highway." Rival towns were eventually founded on the other side of the River and on Lockhart Island at the River's mouth to try and capitalize on the same trade, but we'll save visits to Bunting and Lockhart for another day. Our stop in Aulburn features its historic old town centre and beach. First let's check in at Town Hall Town hall sits on the top of the hill at the top of Main Street in Civic Park. Modeled after a similar building in Hill Valley, the Town Hall is one of the oldest building's in Aulburn. The land was set aside from Aulburn's very beginnings to be the community's gathering place. Some early settlers were buried here and a weekend market on the grounds is still an ongoing tradition. Since Aulburn is part of the Greater Rossignol Area, Town Hall is now a municipal office building rather than a seat of government. When needed, community meetings are still held here, but the major political decisions are made Downtown at Rossignol City Hall. Next stop, Main Street Aulburn. Main Street is the traditional heart of Aulburn. With Town Hall at the top and the waterfront at the bottom, the street is packed with businesses, a few of which can trace their origins all the way back to the merchants of Aulburn's early days. These days, Main Street hums because it's the last stop on the Rossignol Metro's Capitol Line. Aulburn's streetcar line and its two bus routes converge on Main Street as well ensuring a steady stream of pedestrians and customers for local businesses at this transportation hub. Commuters jamming the metro in the early morning hours. Town Hall makes for an impressive terminating vista on Main Street. Right out of a City Beautiful textbook. You may have noticed that one side of Main Street is historic and the other side isn't. Such is the random luck of development economics and the occasional fire. Just one block on the south side of Main is still intact, but luckily it's the one closest to the waterfront. Side note, the greasy den's pub in the picture above is known as Lance's. It's not substantiated, but Lance's claims to be the oldest watering hole in Rossignol. It use to be called the Halfway Down since it's halfway down the hill. Too much snickering at double entendres though led to public pressure from a fairly conservative minded town council that eventually forced the owners into a name change. The name change was a tad grudging, which probably explains why Halfway Down became Sir Lancelots Pub of Undying Virtue. Not a bit of sarcasm in that long unwieldly over-the-top name. As the controversy faded from memory though over the years, the name was shortened to Lance's and Lances it remains to this day. A no guff no frills sort of place that has remained steadfast despite Aulburn's change from gritty port town to yuppy beach town/suburb. Since Main Street ends at the waterfront, we'll take a look while we're here. Aulburn's waterfront has gone through some dramatic transformations over the years. Where once the beach area was full of wharves and barges coming and going from up river and ships bound for overseas, it's now a sandy promenade full of sunseekers. On a warm sunny weekend the waterfront gets really busy, but in the winter, it's really just a place for locals. The rhythm of the seasons in Aulburn. Whatever the season though, the waterfront is a great spot to catch a sunrise with a glittering view of both Downtown Rossignol and Belmont's skyscrappers in the distance. Or you can just take in the river view no matter what time of day or season from any number of quieter nearby neighbourhood lookoffs. Really pleased with the results of playing around with grasses and rocks on the riverbank! That's all for now. Next time, we'll explore Aulburn's Providentia Avenue.

Thanks. I have lurked here and there for a while, popped up briefly with a CJ for my first Cities Skylines city, but my file got corrupted so I had to start over with Rossignol, which four years later brings us today! Amazing how quickly time flies when you layer on career and two kids onto life. Every now and then I think about starting to make buildings for Cities Skylines, but I just don't have the time for it, let alone the time to relearn old tricks.

Really impressive work! The accurate road sign is a really nice touch.

Long-time no see Simtropolis! I'm no longer an active batter, mainly due to a lack of free-time (kids plus career), but I do still enjoy the city building genra. I spend most of my gaming time these days playing rather than batting and I have been fully converted to Cities Skylines. The much richer transportation game and lack of a grid just makes it impossible for me to go back to SC4. After four years of play, my main city, Rossignol, is ready for some outside eyes. I'm hoping to every week or two post a tour of a different part of the city. So let's get started with situating Rossignol in my wider city-building world. When I started playing SimCity 2000 back when I was a kid, I didn't just build a city, I put it into a fictional world. The map below contains every city I have ever made in SC2000, SC3000, SC4 and now, Cities Skylines. It was originally a paper map, but I eventually digitized it. It's a very wet world with water making up most of the planet’s surface area. Rossignol is located on the remote eastern coast of the Baltic Republic in the northern hemisphere (no connection to Scandinavia or monopoly, I just liked the name). Here's a close up of the Baltic Republic. The Baltic Republic has a dry south and wet north. The south around Piatro is dominated by a large desert, the centre of the island around Aventura is grassland, with Rossignol and Navatova occupying the more pleasant forested portions of the country. Rossignol is the Republic's capital and largest city. Rossignol enjoys a subtropical climate with warm summers and mild winters (think New York City). Its role as national capital has given it a diversified economy and a very low unemployment rate. The city's geography is dominated by three natural features, the harbour, Mount Rossignol, and the Aulburn River. Below is the satelite view of the city where you can clearly pick out all three plus the various islands clustered around the harbour and river mouth. Quite the urban jungle! Our first update will take us to Aulburn, where the first trees were cut down and a city was born all those years ago. Here's a preview of Aulburn our first destination. A couple of final notes. I'm nearing the building limit for Cities Skylines (only room for about 1,000 more), so they'll likely be minimal change in the size of the urban area. That's okay as I have almost fully built out all the usable space in the 9 inner tiles). I would have liked to have added some more suburban areas, but I'm up against the game's limits. I'm still doing a lot of tweaking and detailing though. I don't use the RICO mod as I enjoy the unexpected that comes with allowing things to grow naturally. I still manage what grows carefully, but I don't plop down buildings. I turned off deathcare as I got tired of bodies piling up no matter how many graveyards or creamtoriums I built (IMHO that's something that's just broken in Cities Skylines), but I still add graveyards here and there. I use all the main modding staples: President's Edition traffic manager, move it, more beautification, prop/tree anarchy, etc. The map is my own creation.

I agree that it would be nice to have more options for zoning. What I did in my game when I got tired of skyscrappers popping up where I didn't want them is I created corresponding themes in the theme manager mod. I have four core themes (1) historic high-rise, (2) historic low-rise, (3) modern high-rise and (4) modern low-rise. When I setup a district, I select which themes I want to apply. Usually that's either all four or only low-rise. No reason you couldn't have an intermediate step if needed. It's a bit of work to create the themes since you have to click through all your downloaded and in-game content to make sure each building is in a set, but, for me, it was time well spent.