Bewitched

I love Bellisseria. That’s no secret. I’ve loved it since the launch in 2019 and I even went Lifetime Premium so I could keep my little homes forever.

Yesterday I woke up to find that the new Ridgewood Enclave, which first appeared on the west coast of the OG Bellisseria continent, has now crept north and is just one region away from blocking my beloved Victorian Linden Home. It’s one region away from destroying my waterfront view.

Unblockable waterfront is the dream in Second Life. People pay big money for it on private estates and when it comes with a Linden Home for the cost of a yearly Premium subscription it feels like winning the lottery. For years we believed our rare coastal homes were secure, that our unblockable views would always stay that way. That sense of security was tossed out the window this week when Second Life started building in front of the very views that made Bellisseria magical.

I’m disappointed. I know many residents who live along these coasts will feel the same sadness when their open water is suddenly replaced with rows of concrete houses. Bellisseria was supposed to be the sure thing, the continent where you could settle in, decorate, and trust that your neighborhood and view would remain untouched. Now that certainty is gone.

Part of the charm of Bellisseria is its consistency. When we choose a theme we expect it to stay that way with only minimal or optional updates. We don’t want drastic changes that undo the very reasons we moved there in the first place.

I wasn’t going to say anything. But the truth is, as residents, we should feel free to voice our opinions when the HOA, also known as Linden Lab, makes sweeping decisions without considering the people already living there. It’s not unreasonable to expect at least one buffer row of ocean regions between themes, something to preserve the views and avoid jarring transitions.

Bellisseria isn’t just a collection of regions. It’s the neighborhoods and views that matter to us, and we don’t want to see them ruined.