Central Park Makeover Series | Central Park Boulevard (2/4) | No CC

Oh, this was a monster.

They said you need to save the best for last, but honestly, I just can't wait to share this one.

So here it is, the best build (in my humble opinion) of the series as the second out of four lots in this Central Park Makeover Series.

I present to you: Central Park Boulevard

7 unique builds in one large lot. As a frequent apartment/small house player, this was a giant task.

Lot description:

Welcome to Central Park Boulevard!

Upgrade your wardrobe at H&M Central Park with the latest fashion, fast!
Stock up your fridge with the highest quality of produce at Belladonna's Best Groceries.
Enjoy swimming in all seasons at our brand new Central Park Community Pool.
Find a peaceful nook for your study and research needs or join community classes at Central Park Public Library.
Have an exquisite dining experience overlooking Central Park's grand fountain at Mortimer's.
Work hard? Play harder. Get your rock on and sway to the music at X-Belladonna Theater.
Burn those calories and build that muscle. Join Catalyst Gym membership for access to our "latest" gym equipment and dance classes.

I absolutely adore this lot, because every time I visit it, it truly feels like I'm in an open world. All builds have different styles of architecture, so you can kinda tell which buildings are newer and which ones have been around for much longer.

Let's start with the first quadrant of the lot, Central Park Public Library/Mortimer's.



The library has 3 floors. On the first floor you have the entrance and the reading area, on the second floor you have the chess lounge and the computer room, and on the third floor you have the painting lounge and the private rooms to hone your crafty talents, such as pottery, toy making, robotics, sewing, and flower arranging. I imagine this library would have regular community classes on the third floor.

The restaurant has 2 dining floors and a balcony overlooking the grand fountain in the lot. Very fancy! I added a piano on the first floor so your sim could perform for tips if the restaurant is full.

Next, we have H&M Central Park/Belladonna's Best Groceries.



The H&M has 2 floors while the Grocery only has one. Nothing crazy really. H&M tends to keep their store clean, simple, and minimalist. The grocery, well I imagine the owner thought that they don't need to make it big and fancy. They have a premium spot and people are still going to shop from them anyway, so let's put the money elsewhere.

Next, we have X-Belladonna Theater/Catalyst Gym



The theater has 2 floors while the gym has 3. I imagine these two were the oldest buildings in the lot. The theater used to be a small cinema turned into this live music venue/club by a group of small artists, making it their home venue to perform and have some fun. On the first floor you have the stage with all the music instruments, and on the second floor you have a mini club with a DJ booth and a bar.

The gym used to be a small motel with a view of the giant Bella statue and the lake. But after it went under and got abandoned, someone bought it for cheap, and with a little remaining money that they had, they bought some secondhand gym equipment and called it a day. On the second and third floor you can learn how to fire dance and breakdance. I guess this is the equivalent of those workout classes that you can take in a typical gym.

Lastly, we have Central Park Community Pool



Unlike the rest of the builds in the lot, this community pool doesn't share their plot of land. I imagine this is the newest building in the entire four lots because it just feels so fresh and bright. The pool might not be big, but it is an indoor pool so that's a plus! On the second floor you have the locker room/toilet/shower area and a BBQ, so if you don't feel like spending money, you can grill your own food here.

Something to note if you're planning to tweak some stuff in this lot. Both the pool and the theater have a bar, but I don't recommend putting barstools in front of it. Because the lot has a restaurant, the game would consider the entire lot as part of the restaurant. In my first play test, the host and waiters were walking all over the lot to seat the townies, get them food, and clean the plates. It just look so messy. So to contain them in the restaurant, don't add the barstool to remove the option to sit at the counter.

Well, two down, two to go. I hope you stick around for the third and final lot. Enjoy!