A Visit to the Village, 2015.1.25

~Text: Faerie Scribe
~Photos: Aevalle Galicia-Constantine

There is something magical about small university towns--the regal old and established architecture mixes with the warmth of charming homes. Somehow, none of it seems to get antiquated because of the constant influx of newcomers, seeing and experiencing it with fresh eyes. This describes Caledon Oxbridge Village, too--a patchwork of veteran shops and elegant Victorian homes and cottages with a few key support areas for the neighboring Caledon Oxbridge University.

Oxbridge Village arrived on the grid in December of 2008, replacing Nova Civis Caledon which took up the space for a year prior.

Nova Civis Caledon from Steamlander

From it's birth, Oxbridge Village was designed to have the look and feel of a small university town, in the shadows of the towers of Oxbridge University to the west. The town was laid out around a central park, offset slightly towards the east as NCI (New Citizens Incorporated) Caledon then had a campus that took up roughly a quarter of the sim.

Over the years, residents have come and gone. Some of the merchants have been there for years. BlakOpal Designs, best known for their pirate and steampunk clothing, has been a long-time fixture along the northern edge of the village. Montagne Noire, a well-loved shop for those looking for Victorian garb or furnishings, recently closed their doors after being in the Village for multiple years. The shop owner retains "A Quiet Place," a park where visitors can sit and watch the carriages and trains roll through.

Some of the best ways to see the Village start at the University. As mentioned in former stories in the Zephyr, there are trains and horse-drawn carriages that run from the University through the Village.
The train may take a while to show up (so patience is a virtue) and you'll not only see the Village but several other sims as well.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge/187/208/28
The carriage route is much more leisurely and mainly tours the Village, around the central park area. The horses, designed by Virrginia Steamweaver, are considered "legacy" to the sim and, no matter how many visitors they may trample underfoot, they are beloved and well cared for by the sim-imps. To catch a ride on one of the horse-drawn carriages, visitors should head to the Oxbridge University Library. The horses stop just outside the northern library entrance. (Of course, if you're quick, you may be able to hop on one while it's on its route.)
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge/198/121/27
Visitors entering from the University side will first come across the University support structures that call Oxbridge Village their home.

Caledon University Meeting Area

These arrangements were made to try to help alleviate traffic once the University sim became a homestead. In the northwest of the Village, stands the University meeting area where students can set their home point. Nearby, there are a series of small platforms, used when there are building and other competitions. Unseen at the ground level but useful for students and residents alike, the University changing rooms high in the sky overhead offer those who needs a bit of privacy the opportunity to expand their wardrobe--the landmark givers are at the meeting area.  Directly south from the meeting area, in the south-western corner of the Village, the University sandbox flies in the skies above, open to anyone who needs to toss some prims around or open packages.

For visitors who are in the mood for shopping, the Village offers a variety of stops with offerings of everything from knickers to knick-knacks.
Just to the east of the University meeting area is the Caledon Adventures Store, owned by Anna Darwinian, which features a variety of Caledon designers, artists, and activities.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/50/198/27
Exiting out the eastern side of the building, visitors find themselves in Jenkin Park, featuring a dance floor, wooded areas and Art Nouveau prints scattered about. (Historical trivia: According to Miss Galicia, a real world university--The University of South Alabama--had a small outpost on what is now the northern half of Jenkin Park.)

Jenkin Park Wooded Area

Traveling east, visitors come across BlakOpal Designs, one of the Village's mainstays on Murdann Street (named after a former Caledon sim). Newbies who stumble into the Village from the University can pick up a new outfit from the entrance to the shop as well as a package that explains the best avatar physics settings for a variety of outfits.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/120/191/23

With a quick walk on Murdann Street to the east, visitors will come across "A Quiet Place" park, owned by another long-time Oxbridge Village merchant, Astolat Dufaux.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/188/185/22
(Watch your step while traveling on Murdann--both steam [menace] trains and horse-drawn carriages come through this area and are known to run down pedestrians.)

At the corner, turn down Oxbridge Street to find yourself in front of the Caledon Oxbridge Fencing Club with pistes available for playing the sword and card game, En Garde.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/223/152/23

Just past the Fencing Club, a small walkway leads to stairs that take visitors into Kintyre to the east. Kintyre has a long history with Oxbridge Village. At one time, there was a role play tutorial "gateway" between the two sims. Even earlier, the owners of Kintyre held a large portion of the southeastern section of the sim which was given the legacy name of Thistle Hill.
Thistle Hill eventually became separated from Kintyre as a property, but retained its name through several owners. It was known as a center of activities in the sim and housed, at various times, a grand hall, a pavilion, an art gallery (Patty's Place Galleria), and a marketplace (Thistle Hill Market). The Thistle Hill Market was known to be a rather raucous area, led by the Sky Pirates Who Don't Do Anything (Except Listen to Great Music) and their leader, Mr. Onyx Plutonian (a rather dapper white tiger gentleman known for his advice column in Steampunk Adventures). Onyx and his Sky Pirates acquired an ornate metal steampunk airship that was said to sometimes shimmy and thump with the rhythm of the musical events hosted within it multiple times per week.

Where Thistle Hill once stood, there now are a handful of individual parcels. Ashbourne & Co, Ltd, creators of fine jewelry, is just off the corner of Oxbridge and Maddy Streets. The same shop houses Blue Moon Atelier which features the works of real life artist, Mary Layton.

Ashbourne & Co, Ltd.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/237/74/22

To the south of Ashbourne & Co, on the corner of Ondrejka and Minerva Streets, University sponsor Nitely Literary Services offers editing and feedback for authors who are trying to get their work published.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/238/31/22

(While she was taking photos, Miss Aevalle spotted this ne'er-do-well hanging out in the neighborhood. Be wary of making any bets or rolling dice with him!)

Bony Man in Bowler

Walking back up to Maddy Street and heading west, visitors will get a nice view of the southern side of the Oxbridge Village town park. The park has hosted many events over the years, from national addresses from the Guv'nah to anniversary dances to art installations (including one that was a "live" exhibit of dozens of naked avatars and it wasn't even a griefing). The park even played host for a time to a large music nightclub venue, Vinnie's, high in the skies overhead.

At the corner of Maddy and Savard, turn south to find Creations by Elbereth Nightfire, Amaranthus and  Star Kindler Designs, at the corner of Savard and Wooster. Amaranthus has had a presence in Caledon for years, once calling an island off Cape Wrath it's home.

Creations by Elbereth Nightfire

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/122/43/22

Right next door on Wooster Street is the Caledon Air Transit station for Oxbridge Village. This gleaming building and tower can be seen from across the sim. The memorial in front of the building is for Kaluura Boa, whose work paved the way for the CAT system throughout Caledon.

CAT Station in Oxbridge Village

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/83/45/23

A quick jaunt to the north (a bit tricky as you have to walk between buildings) will lead a visitor to M'Lady's Designs, another well-known Victorian clothier. In keeping with Oxbridge Village's tradition of helping newcomers, M'Lady has freebies just inside the door to help newbies dress the part for Caledon's theme.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/79/79/24

Just outside M'Lady, on Metropolitan Street (named in honor of Oxbridge's Chancellor), is Littlebird's Dream Creations, a shop dedicated to furniture, art, and accessories from several design eras.

Littlebird's Dream Creations

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Oxbridge%20Village/81/114/26

I hope you have enjoyed our little jaunt through Oxbridge Village and that it will encourage you to spend a bit of time visiting and perusing the goods from the merchants. Have a favorite Village story or pictures?  Share them here in the comments section!