The river running through Chocolate City began as a monumental task to both create zones of elevation and bring a bit of order to a growing sprawl due to the rapid growth of the metropolis. While the initial driver was the separation of Paris and London buildings as the project progressed, many began to appreciate the additional benefits for recreation and residential living it would provide.
While extremely costly and setting the city back quite a bit in SimCash and Simoleans the result is something the cities citizens are immensely proud of. The Old Town area on the east of the river has thrived and the Financial District as well as the beachfront as taken a more organized form. One side effect that many are happy about is the current halt in additional Omega buildings as these were originally planned to extend along the eastern side of the city had the river not been developed.
The river begins on the east end of the beach flowing out into the Marina. It then flows in a straight path towards the Financial District before taking a right turn and continuing to the edge of the capital. The rivers path between Old Town and the rest of the city is traversed by eight bridges commonly referred to has the Octa-Path. These allow traffic through 1st to 6th Avenues and Currency Blvd. The river also flows in front of the beach boardwalk from the Mayor’s Mansion to the east edge of the city.
As you travel up the river the first sight is the bright lights of the House of Spades Casino, one of the all-night hot spots. This is right next to the Riverfront Movie Theatre, one of two in the capital, and the SimCity Bank. A block away is the Track and Field Stadium with the gleaming gold Ultimate Mayor Statue right at the stadium entrance. The statue represents the numerous academic, athletics, economic and community-based achievements in Chocolate City.
On 4th Avenue is the Schönbrunn Palace, a 1,441-room palace that is a remarkable replica of that important architectural, cultural, and historic monument. The long-revered Ferris Wheel is next to this and it was a huge debate during the building of the river on whether the Ferris Wheel should be relocated. The resulting furor ended up causing the river to run east of the wheel when those for Old Town hoped for more space. On the river’s bank east of the Ferris Wheel is Whitewater Conservatory, one of the three universities in the capital and the second oldest.
As you approach the Financial District with its massive towers there is the popular Sim’s Night Club between Currency Blvd and 5th Avenue. The night club draws a wide variety of demographics and has dedicated events during early evening hours for the city’s youth. An extremely popular entertainment excursion is starting the afternoon in Old Town at the Hopping Tavern for dinner, drinks and music then walking up 2nd Avenue and across the bridge to catch a movie at the Riverfront Movie Theatre. After the cinema, a few hours of high stakes at the House of Spades Casino followed by partying until the early morning hours at the night club after a ferry ride up the river.
Making the turn east on the river you pass the gleaming lights and digital displays of the Omega Tower, the tallest building in the city. Next to this are the Tennis Stadium and the Evergreen Conservatory. This is where the Omega District appears with its blue, green, and silver themed buildings.
The last development on the river is the Venice row of waterfront buildings. This was, and still is, a controversial addition. The resident homes on Currency in Old Town were furious over the construction after it blocked their views of the river. There are still regular efforts to have these buildings removed by the Old Town Council though they have started to become more ingrained in the city over time. Recently three Elevated Promenades were added joining the existing Venice Apartments, Museum of Saggezza, Garden La Pace and Canalside Inn.
We recommend coming for a full day to experience the entertainment options during the daylight hours and revel in the light show from both sides at night.
Higher view of the river with Venice Buildings and Omega District
