Open Forum: What Is Second Life's Most Stylish Hangout?

As part of New World Notes' ongoing coverage of Second Life society, style writer Iris Ophelia and I are going in search of the world's most noteworthy social space. We're taking reader recommendations to help us narrow down our search.  Here's our five main criteria:

• Must have regular live music performances or DJs.
• Imaginative, high quality design.
• Already relatively popular.
• If site has membership/entree fee, must also have regular free/open house events.
• Hangout needn't be a literal night club -- any specific site with the above criterion qualifies.

Have a favorite?  Please suggest in Comments, and include a SLurl to the site.

Comments

[Judi Newall]

Mama's at Rasta Ventures http://slurl.com/secondlife/Rasta Ventures/139/244/22
Blues and more.

[Mariposa]

Nancy Blake's Pub in the West of Ireland. Nice people, great concerts, lots of activities.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/West%20of%20Ireland/136/233/27

[Tycho Beresford]

The Glamshack is a must-see. It is a half-sim with a nightclub on one part and an open-mic venue under a magnificient dome on the other. Many events are also help ont he beach outside of the club.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Holmesk/63/40/22

[Harper Ganesvoort]

Frank's Place, without a doubt. In fact, the Place is turning into quite a complex; it stretches over 4 regions now (almost needs its own ZIP Code) with shopping, the main Rat Pack-themed nightclub, a forest region, a new rock club, and the membership-based Elites, which will be moving from a separate sim to Franks Place 4 according to my spies. (Just for full disclosure, I'm a member of the Elites, and I blog frequently about the Sinatras' activities, as well as running a Flickr group for photos from the clubs old and new.)

[Thoria]

Roll Over Beethoven's Dance Club and Pub on Robs Rock Island.

[Derry McMahon]

West of Ireland - the whole sim - especially Nancy Blake's Pub with great people, lots of super live music and DJ events. There is also a Library with storytellers and special events, fab shops, a beautiful art gallery with changing exhibits, big waves and a championship surfing team!! No admission charge, donations are requested for our RL charity - Project Children. (Ok full disclosure...I am the Librarian there. But it is a wonderful place with witty, fun people.)

[Lucretia Brandenburg]

Nancy Blake's Pub in the West of Ireland has fantastic performers and DJs and everyone there is friendly. No rude language, no griefing is allowed there, all but insuring a fun time .. it is definitely a place that must be experienced!

[Leondra]

love Hedonism.... lots of dance.. fun caring people.. zyngo.. and my 'OHM.

[Chihaya Nakajima]

I'm partial towards:

truehouse cafe - http://slurl.com/secondlife/House%20Music%20Island/114/148/21

Scoutlounge - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Swiss%20Media/87/74/22

Also Sands House Club from waaaay back in the day.

[Nadine Nozaki]

I think the Blacklist is definitely worth a look, It's being rebuild at the moment into a completely new look. This is the forth time during my two SL years it been remodelled. Always great fun, open and anything goes. It's more or less the hole sim Cataclysm, but most living when a DJ play.

[Sparrow Letov]

Nancy Blake's in West of Ireland, hands down! Dunno about "stylish", but comfortable and "real", definitely. Note that it's a nonprofit, and sends contributions to the RL charity Project Children every month.

[Emeline Magic]

The Titty Bar!
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Delchdork/183/39/31

[Pietor Grigorovich]

Organica on Happy Clam Island (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Happy%20Clam%20Island/133/125/33/).

An beautiful outdoor dance club with some of the best trance DJ's in all of Second Life and some of the nicest people anywhere. Live DJ's are performing Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday nights.

[Parke L]

The Crown and Pearl has to be one of the nicest venues in SL:

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Crown%20and%20Pearl/116/75/44/

Also, seen VibeHQ?

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Shaea/228/224/25

[Doubledown Tandino]

Doubledown's SL Joints in the Scene
March 2009 in Second Life
(totally not meant to be exclusionary because I can easily list 100 SL clubs I love and hang out at. I'm just picking out some of my favorites of the moment)

United Beats - consisting of Session One, Code 415, Contrast Club, and Black Box + an open rooftop area.
Muse Isle
Toontopia
Scoutlounge
Radiant Bliss Music Project
Bassline Junkiez
Poetik & Sintetika

New on the Scene making an Impact
Sin City
Club Eruption
Shmooz
Solice Lounge

(sorry I don't have the slurls on me but all come up in sl search how I wrote em.)

[Toko]

My favourite is a very international club run by my Chinese friend Radi in Japanese sim, live DJ from Tokyo and Europe every night in Asian time zone.

Club ViTaL Staff & ViTaL Records Vip group
http://slurl.com/secondlife/ableseed/43/72/36

Here is a Nice Club with a Electro / Progressive / Minimal / Electro Clash / and more more style of Electronic Musics , or Rcok Music at some time :)
And we always great can party at this net world !! Come On ViTaL in your house !!

[Leondra]

Yeah... Hedonism... forgot to mention this a couple days ago.... live DJs, hot atmosphere, and there are 7 Seas Fishing events. Always a fun time.. good banter. FUN!

[Leondra]

Hedonism... live DJs, 7 Seas Fishing, a fun time... lots of good banter.

[Michi]

Club Industry!
Industrial, Electro, EBM, Noise etc... live DJs 24/7.
One of the best old school goth events on every Friday, 80s set on Monday.
Friendly atmosphere, contests, a mall... it's my fave place.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Amberville/181/64/24

[Yak]

Yak Whispers..... "Flashmans"

[Arcadian Vanalten]

Yup, I second the recommendation for the GlamShack. It's just a great rock bar, home to a husband/wife team of live performers who are absolutely passionate about music. They run a mix of live performers and DJ's. Unpretentious, offbeat, and fun. It's not a "Club 54" knockoff; rather, it's more of an unapologetic hole-in-the-wall rock bar. No contests or fussy dress codes; just good music and silly chat in a comfortable (if slightly surreal) environment.

[Sanny Yoshikawa]

Club Raizeen
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Desicalm/0/180/34

Japan's well-known creator LINZOO RINGO's dance club.
You must try the beautifully animated dance ball here.
You will receive newly released items of LINZOO for free in some events.

[Sagara Rau]

"ABS"
http://slurl.com/secondlife/HIPHOP/69/92/30
a Japanese DJ group that deeply loves Hip Hop.
We have our showcase event irregularly but nearly monthly.
Let's have a good time.
ABS consists of 5 DJs.

"DJ Sagara"
(ABS Owner)
[Hip-Hop,R&B,'80s]

"DJ $HIN"
(ABS Owner,Skratch Labo)
[Hip-Hop,R&B,House,'80s,Ellectro,Soul,Funk,Jazz]

"DJ Oasis"
(Funk Poseidon,OLYMPOS)
[Hip-Hop,R&B,'80s,Soul,Funk]

"DJ Mellow Master Macoto"
(Skratch Labo)
[Hip-Hop,R&B,Soul,Funk]

"DJ Hanger"
[Hip-Hop,R&B,BreakBeats,Drum'N Bass,house.Trance,Techno.Gabba]

Come and listen Japanese Hip Hop DJ play!
http://abs.slmame.com/

* This comment was originally posted on "NWN in Japanese". Translated by Sanny Yoshikawa.

[jabara jannings]

●Jabara Land
http://slurl.com/secondlife/jabara%20land/128/128/29/?img=http%3A//jabara.kiteyo.net/urlsl.jpg&title=Jabara%20Estate

・Swing70(展望回転ブランコ）NOAH敷地内
・パラダイス毛布　中央広場
・「廃墟の街-Desolation Row」(ピンキーさん作）

●Jabara Land Atlantis
http://slurl.com/secondlife/jabara Land Atlantis/128/128/0/

・ホロデッキ1（中央広場上空300m）ﾊﾟﾗﾀﾞｲｽ毛布・ﾎﾗｲｽﾞﾝ（ﾎﾛﾃﾞｯｷ内設置）
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jabara%20Land%20Atlantis/126/131/300

・JCG-cafe(邪払沿岸警備隊カフェ)（アトランティス側北西角)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Jabara%20Land%20Atlantis/31/248/28
「おくりびと」のチーフ助監督作成のカフェです。

[Sanny Yoshikawa]

Additional explanation of the comment from jabara jannings.

The slurl shows her collection of "Holo-deck" and "Paradise blanket".These are for public use.

JCC-cafe is designed by Sela Boa.
Sela won the "In-World prize" in the Digital Design Competiton by Nikkei Architecture in 2008.
He is known as the chief of assistant directors for "Departures" - the movie won the Foreign Language Film category at the 81st Annual Academy Awards 2009 too.
The current event is irregular but jabara is planning to organise regular events.

[Elisabeth Beurling]

Cup of Goodness is open at its new location now. We have DJs and live music and Poetry at the Ponds in our art park across the street. Worth having a look at. : )

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Atlantis%20City%202/34/207/23