One of the things I occasionally
like to do in SL is to open the world map, randomly look for new regions, and
TP there. Last week I happened to land
on the Main Street of a charming New England town named Giano. As a long-time
RL resident of that part if the country, I was immediately struck by the
phenomenal similarities between this place, and my happy childhood
residence. From the Giano Pizza Parlor,
to the horse ranch, to the Drive-In Theater, I felt immediately “at home”.
As I strolled the streets, I came upon
Stacey Giano and Ikonn Giano, the owners of Giano. Ikonn was on a ladder, and Stacey was
directing him from the recently shoveled sidewalk below, directing Ikonn as he
strung Christmas lights and other decorations of the season. After introducing myself, they invited me
inside the café for a cup of steaming hot chocolate, and agreed to tell me the
story of Giano.
Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) (JB): Hi Guys.
Thanks for agreeing to chat with me. Let’s start with a softball
question. Just what is Giano all about?
Ikonn Giano (IG): WE are a small community with laid back role
play. We try to provide an environment where people can role play if they like
but if they don’t and just want to be in a community that’s ok to. We don’t
force anyone to role play we are also inclusive. We do our best to make this a
place for everyone to have a fun.
Stacey Giano (SG) To me, Giano is a lot like the community I
live in real life. It's a sleepy small town with mountains, woods, and small
businesses. It's where everyone knows each other. It's not full of crime. And
it's beautiful.
JB: There are many beautiful Sims out there, and several of them dedicated to
RP activities. What would you say is the "Giano Difference"?
IG: I think the biggest thing is how long we have
been around. I started this back 2007 and it has been going ever since. There have
been many other RP communities that have come and gone. Most will not make it. There are things that come with the years of
experience and how we do things here and a formula that I use to ensure we have
enough prims and how we price them.
SG: The Giano difference is it's just a nice
clean and cozy New England style town where you can spend your time with
friends and family without constant crime and violence. It's a place where you can have a good
quality home, customize it, and enjoy your time in comfort.
JB: What a lovely build. Did you do this yourself? Or were others involved, and what were their
roles?
IG: Yes, I did most of the build and layout. I did take in a lot of good
feedback and ideas from my team. I had to custom-make most of the textures for
example, the police and fire department vehicles and other various custom-made
mesh projects around the community.
JB: Where did you get the inspiration for
Giano City? And can you share a bit
about the history of the place?
SG: This was Ikonn's idea. The town's history
comes from the hard-working farmers or ranchers in the New England part of the
United States. These were people who faced harsh winters and warm summers. It's
a close-knit community with a main street. While there are people from all
backgrounds and countries, our culture and traditions are deeply rooted in a
rural way of life.
JB: WOW...Lots of different areas. from Fire
station to Bowling alley, Beach Front and a Ranch. You even have a Drive in Movie theater...with
real movies. What are some of the more
interesting areas here?
SG: For me, the interesting areas include the
trails through the woods. And we love to watch movies together. Our drive-in
has been a really great spot to watch movies with friends and family.
IG: I would have to say some of the most
interesting things here are mini golf. It
seems to be a favorite among the residents. Our horse trails are popular. They
run through 4 of sims. With 7seas fishing you can fish in an open water here.
JB: And are you showing that classic iconic
Drive-in theater movie: "The Texas Chain Saw Massacre"? (grins)
SG: I am sure if its available we could show
this. lol
IG: Maybe around Halloween but we don’t’
normally do horror flicks
JB: I managed to snag a copy of this month's
Giano Magazine. What is that all about?
SG: The Giano Magazine is pretty new. Every
month, we feature as much local information, events, and public notices. We
also provide some grid-wide news, i.e. the last issue had a feature of a top SL
model Dametria. Every month, we will feature something new and different.
JB: What has been your greatest challenge in
building the Town of Giano?IG: One of the biggest challenges is yes,
advertising. So many places come and go.
So always looking for new and improved ways to advertise. We do a lot of this
and sometimes keeping up with all of it can be challenge.
SG: I wasn't part of the building of the city
in the beginning. However, as Ikonn's wife, I have learned the biggest
challenge has been advertising the community grid-wide. Advertising and
marketing in SL needs to be a college level course. It's just simply not an
easy task. However, I have learned a lot of little tricks along the way. And
it's constantly researching all the different new mediums coming available,
i.e. social media platforms. And cutting out the old way of doing things that
don't offer any results as they might have done before. Most importantly, it's
important to really examine the various seasons of virtual commerce and what is
driving interest.
JB: I see you have private residences here for
rent. Who would you envision as the ideal renter?
IG: Anyone who wants to be part of community.
We try to have something for everyone from apartments to mansions. To lots of
role play opportunities.
SG: I think anyone interested in starting a
family, growing a family, or enjoys living in a small town.
JB: So, tell our readers about the "1st
Annual Giano Christmas Stroll" coming up on Dec 14.
SG: The Giano Christmas Stroll is going to be
one of the top events of the year. It's a chance for everyone to come out and
spend time with their friends and family while sipping on hot coco, taking
photos with Santa, and shop, and hang out in downtown Giano. And then we'll
watch a movie in the drive-in. A great way to celebrate the Christmas season and
get to know your neighbors.
JB: Do you have any other special events
planned? And how can people find out what’s happening at Giano Properties? Any Social Media Sites or similar things?
SG: We do many social events throughout the
year. Notifications are sent out in our community group. And we love to play
games, go mini-golfing, movie nights, bowling, hanging out at the community
pool, or having happy hour at the local Admirals Bar. And we also have a
community center, church, and dancing club. Some things are planned in advance. And then,
if we have time, we just send a message to the community that a group of us are
gathering someplace to do something together.
IG: Yes, we do plan special events all year
long. We also have weekly and pop-up events like a few of us getting together
to play a game or do some mini golf. We use our community group as well as our
own Website and social media. We are on
pretty much all the platforms. We also have a discord server.
Check
us out at https://www.gianoproperties.com/
JB: And how about the future? Do you have any construction projects in
mind?
IG: We do have plans to expand and add more
sims. For details on what we have planned I guess you'll have to stay tuned.
SG: Additionally, we are
building a community library. That is unique as I don't know any other
communities that offer a library. This library will eventually have books and
our Giano magazine past issues. As well as any other services you can find at a
public library. And a great place to chill and read a book.
JB: Is there anything else you would like to
share with our readers?
SG: Giano has been around since 2007. That is
nearly 20 years long. And some of the same residents still live here from the
beginning. And I've been here for the better part of 14 of those years. While
the buildings have changed some, the core of what Giano has been has never
changed. And that kind of stability is hard to find anywhere. The success of
Giano is due in large part of Ikonn's fairness, kindness, and willingness to
listen to his residents. Ikonn has put a lot of love into building this community.
And it really shows.
IG: Well, I opened this back in 2007 and I
have seen ups and downs multiple times. So I do have a lot of experience in
dealing with all these things. I have seen it all. Me being the only owner
prevents there from being any issues, unlike other places that may have
multiple owners.
SB: So, there you have it, folks. For those of you who are already familiar
with the delights of a New England community, you will immediately feel right
at home, as you are embraced by the hospitality and warmth of this lovely and
charming build. For those of you who have never experienced this type of place,
you are indeed missing out on one of the most endearing regions of the
Grid. Either way – longtime resident, or
Bucket-List visitor – A trip to Giano will warm both heart and soul. You simply
MUST see this amazing build.
Hop on over to: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Newport%20Keys/142/120/24
And when you do, tell ‘em Josh sent
ya. You’ll be glad you did.
Be there! Aloha!
JB
Posts
