"One World" Cafe - a community idea that would give something back to the RL

Hey there folks. I'm very new to SL, but am excited about the opportunity to perhaps contribute to the community. I have an idea that I would love to see come to fruition one day and am hoping to network with other like-minded individuals who might be interested in collaborating with me, acting as patron for the idea and helping it come to life on SL. I'm not in a super-rush with this - I'd rather do it right after good planning than slap it together and have it fall apart due to disorganization later.

The idea is this - while there are many nightclubs, casinos, shopping areas and other hotspots on SL, there are not as many cafes - okay, don't stop reading now. I know, I know...a cafe in a virtual world? People don't eat in a virtual world - how could that be profitable?

I was thinking of creating a spot called "One World" - because while we may each have two lives, we still share one world together. It would be a community-type atmosphere where poetry readings, classes, classical/blues/jazz/reggae, etc.-type music could be played...perhaps various artists on SL could have their works displayed there on a rotating basis. Something to promote a meeting place that's casual outside the welcome area. The possibility for other events such as group-interest discussions to happen would also be a possibility.

I think it could potentially be very profitable - if well placed and actively run. I would be more than happy to do leg-work, networking, promoting, organizing of events, etc. I'm sure a separate room could be set aside upstairs for particular events if necessary. It would add to atmosphere and sense of community to a shopping area or park and/or a good counterpoint to an area where there are nightclubs or other active spots - and of course events draw people and bring in profits.

Part of what I would like to do with this idea is to make sure that at least some of any profits are donated toward RL charities, and perhaps events could be scheduled with a particular charity in mind. I have yet to explore much of the grid - but in so much as my avatar is a faerie and the idea of the cafe is a "one world" theme, I would say placement in an area that was prone to more of a natural than industrial setting would probably be appropriate - I'm open to ideas - underwater, foresty, artsy-fartsy, "Third World" or funky eclectic...or others! And the cafe itself could easily be placed in any setting with the inside decor reflecting a more peaceful environment. As they say, the possibilites are endless.

The individuals I've spoken to thusfar have been excited to hear about an active area to come and relax, meet people, network and recharge by giving something back to others while having a good time.

For my part, I have yet to start building or designing anything, but I consider myself an artist in general and a poet in particular and so have a vested interest in helping to bring more poetry, art and funkiness to SL. Individuals interested in helping with this idea can either reply to this thread or contact me in-world. I look forward to hearing from you.

"Put love out into the world and it will come back to you." ~~ Ghislaine

Moved to Event Discussion forum for further discussion.

Ghislaine, I just wrote an extremely long post, but in the end, I think this idea is better served by you just coming over to see for yourself. It's the Tropicali Recreational Center, located at South Beach (144, 192, 22).

I am seeking like-minded people willing to donate their Lindens to help keep this going, and expand further, offering more prims for games, events, and helpful SL machines. If you are interested, please let me know. Thank you!

Katlin Aridian

P.S. Check out the rooftop dance area.

I've also gotten a suggestion from Margaret Mfume to look at Biloxi and the Big Easy for spots - so I'm going to flap my faerie wings and check places out tonight! I'm so glad people are interested.

My cafe was designed by Micky Doctorow. Its a nice simple, open design. You can Instant Message him and get him to help you build your cafe. My cafe was built on un-used land I have. I recently gave the cafe to the independent artists that are signed with MultiVerse Records. They wil be using the space to debut their new music and show their music videos.

Good luck in creating this great venue. Please keep us all updated on your progress.

See pictures of the Under VooDoo Cafe at this link:

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Sorry for the delay in replying - life has been sorta...crazy lately! This is great information and I'll definitely look into it along with my other options. Thanks for sharing!

Sounds like a good idea Ghislaine, good luck with the project!

I was thinking about whether or not folks would be interested in live book readings too...I know I love to be read to personally and with streaming voice, that would be quite do-able. What do you think?

I love a lot of your ideas.. and have had a few of them come to me as well... would love to get together to chat about SL, art, poetry and some of you ideas. I have been involved in a lot of like minded projects over the year I have been in world and always they are some of the best!