Iconoclast -- New Aurora Guide
Must See
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From the gloss of the upper city to the shadows of the Dirtwalk, there's much to see and do in New Aurora. And if you take it all, shake it up in a pan and filter out the chaff, you wind up with some pretty amazing stuff. Whether you're a tourist or a resident, there's some stuff you just gotta see. So go see them. Now, man! What are you waiting for? Oh, the list. Here you go. Now go get it.
PHOENIX TOWER (1 South Hatan, at Nexus Plaza; 503/555-5555). Quite possibly the single most impressive building anywhere in the Pacific Northwest, much less the city of New Aurora. Three towers of glass and durasteel seemingly defy gravity as they swing outwards, then in, intertwining at the top to form a single point that hovers above nothingness. Even the street-level facade is gorgeous, what with the massive marble and bronze phoenix overlooking ths street. Just don't try to do business inside, where NA, Inc. operates from. This is definitely best viewed from a distance, unless you like waiting in queues.
NEW BOURBON (New Bourbon Street, accessible from East Cwelan). New Bourbon is a study in contrasts. Though the entire street was modeled directly off the famed Bourbon Street in the former city of New Orleans, obvious differences have emerged. Like the dichotomy between the north and south portions of the street, for instance. The northern stretch of the street is dominated by stores, upscale clubs, apartments and the like, while the southern side is dominated by low-rent housing, bars and liquor stores. Perhaps New Aurora's just trying to tell us that everyone, rich and poor, is entitled to a good time on New Bourbon. Perhaps not. Whatever the case, there's no better place to party on the weekend than New Bourbon, the focal point of the entire Entertainment District.
NEW AURORA CASINO (1 Royal Flush Alley, near Phantasm; 503/555-1213). Who can say no to a turquoise and gold lover's paradise that has a casino-ish charm all of its own? And a better question--who goes to casinos to look at the decorations anyway? This is New Aurora's biggest, best and only. They have it all, from slots and poker to roulette, craps, and blackjack. Not to mention one of the most fantastic bartenders around and one of the largest, most stunning lounges, a wonderful place to relax, enjoy the wonderful winning streak you've been having, and listen to the buzz and music of the gamblers down below. Be forewarned--the security's tight here, so this isn't the place to try out those poker tricks your daddy taught you.
C.S. LANCER OPERA HOUSE (405 Olympia Court, Upper City; 503/555-1749). Elegance. Sheer elegance. That's the only way to describe the C.S. Lancer Opera House. The lighting and acoustics are superb, and the seats are so comfortable you could sit through the entire Ring Cycle without getting cramped. The only downside is that performances have been sporadic of late, thanks in part to recent construction and partly because of an actors' strike. Both have served to bring the price down substantially, though, so now is the time to see an opera if you're on a tight budget.
SLURRY PLAZA AND SKATING RINK (Skywalk, near West Caduceus; no phone ). Snow, in the dome? That's right. This place is a masterpiece of engineering, the work of the same person who developed the dome's air purification apparatus. It's like plunging headfirst into an ice cave, with rivers of blue liquid below and icicles dangling above. Not to mention that all of it, including the massive ice skating rink and snow-producing fountain, are hung hundreds of feet above the ground in the Skywalk. The view is breathtaking. Just try to ignore the commercialism that snuck in over the past few years.
GOTH AUCTION HOUSE (44 Stoker Lane; no phone ). The Auction House is like oral sex. Nobody will admit they've "gone there," nobody will admit they like it, and nobody wants to talk about it, yet everyone who's done it wants to do it again. (Don't get excited now, I'm not finished.) If you're looking for something you can't find anywhere else, or if you're looking to get rid of something that nobody else wants, this is the place to go. It's like Hell's flea market. Who cares who runs the place--it's a definite must see experience for any visitor.
Can't Miss
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Niagara Falls. The Statue of Liberty. The Washington D.C. Ruins. Every city's got stuff that must be seen, but when you see it all the time, you kinda stop noticing. Let this serve as a reminder of those places you walk by every day in New Aurora, so you can go back and take a second look. It's worth the extra few minutes.
NEXUS PLAZA (Cwelan & Hatan). For half of the people who come to New Aurora, Nexus Plaza is the first thing they see. For everyone else, it's the second thing they see. You just can't miss it. And yet even after you've walked around it dozens of times, it still captures the imagination. Standing at the center of the city, with the Spire and New Aurora's tallest buildings towering around you, you really feel the power of the city around you. And seeing all the people walking around the plaza every day, you realize where all that power comes from.
THE CADUCEI (North & South Hatan, East & West Cwelan). By now you probably know there's four of 'em. Chances are, whether you've been here for one day or one thousand days, you've used at least one of em. After all, they're the major access points for the Upper and Lower City. But have you ever looked at them? Intertwined steel and glass. Delicate spires seemingly supporting the weight of the world. A symbol of the human spirit if ever there was one.
THE SKYWALK What? Are we crazy? Maybe, but have you ever really looked around the Skywalk? Sure, everyone uses it. Thousands of us live there. But have you ever wondered at the marvel that it is? Consider the fact that the Skywalk represents millions of tons of steel and cable, hung hundreds of feet above the ground, and it's never collapsed. A feat of engineering if there ever was one. Not to mention, of course, that since the rent up there is fairly cheap (comparatively), there's lots of businesses around, hidden in little cubby holes. You just gotta know where to look. So where do you look? Everywhere.
ARIDAN PARK Aridan Park was one of the first greenspaces anywhere in the world to practice what's become known as "CPR," or "Conservation, Preservation, Reservation." That is, to protect the natural resources of the world, we should practice conservation. When that fails, we should work to preserve what we can in its natural habitat. And when that fails, we should utilize reservations and transplantation to safeguard nature. Aridan Park is a microcosm, representing at least 8 different ecosystems within just a few cubic miles. Portions of the actual Amazon Rainforest lie along one end of the park, with wetlands, gardens, wheatfields and more scattered about in a seemingly chaotic fashion. Yet through it all runs something that is undefinable, something that binds it all together. Something that works. Though the park's seen its fair share of abuse and vandalism, it's still a pleasant place to have a picnic.
THE NEW AURORA MALL (100 New Bourbon; 503/555-6255). If you can't find it in the mall, you probably don't want it. Granted, the New Aurora Mall isn't the largest mall in the world; it's not even in the top 10. But it is eight stories of stores, with over 80 to choose from. You'll find everything from fashions by Titania Alvin and Owen Z. to the latest in raver wear at Shortie's and Rant. Add in a food court, a few specialty stores, and a terrific ambiance, and you've got yourself a great place to shop. Sure it's crowded, but what'd you expect?
All But Forgotten
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Ah. The wonderful feeling you get when you discover something special. Someplace wonderful. Someplace WITHOUT ANY BLOODY PEOPLE. Oh, admit it. New Aurora's a nice place to live, but for the crowd. So the next time you feel like throttling someone because they dripped ice cream on your brand new suit coat, take a deep breath and wander on over to someplace a bit more quiet. But don't tell anyone else. Or it won't be a secret anymore.
CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL PARK (Aridan Park, near Goth Quarter). There's nothing quite like a walk through the cemetery to make you treasure life even more. But this isn't some morbid cemetery--the memorials and graves are all a tribute to famous dead guys (and girls) who've contributed to the city in some way. Of course, due to space restrictions, there's not enough room for everyone's graves, so don't expect to find everyone here. What is here is several hours worth of pleasant shaded walkways. Just don't wander around after dark--the cemetery does border on the Goth Quarter, and like it or not, there are gangs around.
NEW AURORA PUBLIC LIBRARY (1 Veri Plaza, near South Umbrae; phone ). Combining classic elegance and decor with the latest in technology, a trip to the NA Public Library often turns into an entire day's worth of reading. With connections to every major database in the world, the Matrix, and even the city's local PACT system, everything you might ever want to know is at your fingertips. Including this review!
RAINBOW PLAZA/PHANTASM DRIVE (Phantasm Drive, accessible from East Cwelan). Once in a while, you stumble on something that just makes you say "Wow." Yes, this is nothing more than a street lined with tubes of colored light. But the overall effect is stunning; so stunning, in fact, that postcards featuring the view from Rainbow Plaza, looking north, are the third hottest selling tourist souvenirs in the entire dome. Not bad for "just another street."
NEW AURORA WAX MUSEUM (333 East Cwelan, near Ebon; no phone ). There were big plans for the southeast quarter of New Aurora when the Wax Museum first went in. There would be nothing but a square mile of museums, libraries and art galleries. The combination of a massive influx of people who needed apartments built, and a general lack of interest, drove the area into the ground. Despite funding, and the lack of an official name, the museum is still open to the public free of charge, just as it was so many years ago when someone decided that it would be a good idea to let people in without charging them. The graffiti and general state of disrepair will show you what a good idea that was.
VLADIVOSTOV-KNOX ART MUSEUM (341 East Lamneth, near Ebon; no phone ). The "V-Knox" is another example of a good idea gone bad. The museum is actually a late addition to the dome, going up when the first of the Beta GOTHs began their influx into the city. The gallery is a shrine to classical art, with replicas of famous paintings all along its halls. Those halls are usually dark and silent, however, as they have been for over 15 years since the building's owners died and the city left the building to the rats. Someone pays the taxes, though, and scholars still flock to the catacombs to study art and history. Someone's gotta teach it--the city college won't touch the stuff. Pity. Some of it's really beautiful.
