Great Ballrooms of Second Life

If there's one place where elegance and style REALLY are shown off in Second Life to the maximum extent of pixels in 3D, then it is the formal Ballroom. Ever since finding Camelot Gardens years ago, I've found this is the place to meet the most beautiful people in SL, and also the most stunning Avatars. The ballroom generally attracts a more mature kind of SL user, and the most extravagant of costumes!

The Ballroom is not just a place for dance - it is a place for courtesy, chivalry, wit and romance. Often a Ballroom will have a theme or era in which visitors may dress or roleplay for. Camelot Gardens has a hint of the Medieval, Avilion is something of a Elven Middle Earth SIM, Frank's Place for elegant Jazz, Casablanca captures the movie theme. While there are many serious roleplay SIMs which demand costumes to suit, nothing quite like the ballroom invites elgant dress-ups combined with non-combative intimacy - no clans and combats, this is one-on-one moving of minds and hearts together.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Franks%20Place%202/167/106/36

Franks's Place is often mentioned as the quintessential ballroom. It has style, a broad theme (named after Frank Sinatra), a hint of formality with staff for greeting and welcoming, a lovely ballroom and side areas for sitting to chat, even faux dining. In some ways though, it is a victim of its own popularity, I visited at 11:20pm Monday (SLT) and there were more than 45 Avatars causing considerable lag, making it difficult to enjoy the experience for some time.... and of course it is a classy place - you must have a premium Avatar and stylish, top-dollar attire to be taken seriously there... that's fair enough to.

Frank's Place Elite Club (http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Franks%20Place%207/132/48/26) is an attempt to address the overcrowding issue by setting up a Premium Club on a new high-grade SIM. To be allowed there you need to join the group (500L$) - at the time of my Visit there were just 8 Avatars at the Elite Club, and it looks a beautiful location too, relatively Lag Free!! (at the time of my visit I saw a 1 month old Lady Avatar with the group title "Sexy Freebies Paradise" being told at the entrance about the 500L group joining entry requirement - and making sure she got a free dress on Joining!)

The Ballroom - quite apart from the dancing - is quite a beautiful place to escape and enjoy, especially with that special someone!