The Historical Charleston
Karensunshine Emerald, Owner of Charleston Enterprises Group, began as one lone sim in 2010. Charleston Belle was and is a re-creation of Charleston, the second largest city in South Carolina, and the site where historically the first shots were fired in 1861 , at the start of the Civil War.
The brainchild of Karen, Charleston and
Charleston Lace Grand Ballroom was planned and developed. The ballroom was planned to mimic the ambience and elegance of the South , a place where beautiful ladies in elegant gowns, compliment their Tuxedo clad partners to the strains of the music of the modern Ballroom, where the Waltz, Fox Trot, Quickstep , Tango and other favourites can be danced. The one year anniversary of the Ballroom and the first sim were celebrated in November 2011.
2010-2012 has been eventful for Charleston, as the development continued. South Charleston was planned and developed and saw the creation of the following;
2011-Exciting Moments!
March. The Charleston Belle Queen was developed and anchored on the shores, aboard the riverboat
Belly Up Blues and
Rhett’s Place ,two clubs, set on board a replica of the River Boats that plied the Waterways of the Southern States , here the music is Blues ,where blues lovers can listen and in an elegant and luxurious setting.
June, saw the creation of
Charleston’s Low Country Saloon, a club for Country & Western music and Southern Rock.Where the rhythm and patterns of Line Dancing is at its best situated in a old shed on the waterfront, realistic to what one finds still today at Charleston, the courtyard beside graced with a replica of the famous Pineapple Fountain.
August, brought
Charleston Vintage Jazz and Swing club, an elegant and magnificent setting, where one can dance the Charleston and enjoy the burlesque shows which are occasionally held there. A natural progression and extension to the venues, as the Charleston dance originated in Charleston, SC
Not content with developing Charleston Belle and South Charleston, Karen spread her wings; July, brought
Elegance Ballroom under her wing situated on Elegance Sims, this venue was developed and created with an Egyptian theme where the music is Romantic and the dancing elegant and varied.
November, was the start of
Josephine’s , a 1920`s club situated in the heart of Paris under the shadow of the Eiffel Tower, named after the famous chanteuseJosephine Baker, that took paris by strom when performed there, and yes you guessed it, she performed the Charleston; here one can listen and dance to the music of the 20`s-40’s, including jazz, swing and big band,in comfort and style, the club a reflection the character of that period.
All the above venues are supported by a variety of shops and stores from some of the most creative and imaginative designers in Second Life, specially chosen to enhance the pleasure and enjoyment of these venues , set in areas of scenic and natural beauty.
All became housed under one umbrella collectively known as Charleston Enterprise Group. Which includes all venues, and sims owned by KarenSunshine Emerald and Jo Renierd.
In November 2011 the first anniversary was celebrated in grand style. And the New year began with the 2nd New Year's Eve Masquerade Ball.
2012- Exciting Changes
January 2012 brought changes to Charleston! The sims were remodeled, and many new designers added with larger shops. The creation of a fantastic open air ballroom as a extension of the Grand Ballroom was a momentus occasion, surrounding it with romantic gardens and gazebos to dance and relax. All placed along the shore for a wonderful ocean view under the moonlight and stars. This exciting new ballroom has become know as
Charleston Lace Romance
The
Charleston Lace Grand Ballroom was remodeled to mimic the historic Calhoun Mansion, that can still be seen and toured today in modern Charleston. Flanked by gardens and cobblestone streets, and the best designers in second life, its an amazing place!
A fabulous testament to Charleston craftsmanship, the Calhoun Mansion is fascinating. Boasting a striking italianate design, the Calhoun Mansion, the largest
residence in Charleston, more than 24,000 square feet. Filled with decorative splendor, exquisite antiquities and works of art, as well as compelling architectural spaces, it's no secret why the house has garnered critical acclaim in Architectural Digest, American Castles, Forbes, HGTV and the Wall Street Journal, to name a few. The exact reason we sought to house our fantastic Grand Ballroom in a replica of it.
Sadly with the new changes, saw passing of many of the old venues. Our Anchor Venue, the Grand Ballroom stayed, and three new have joined Charleston Enterprise Group, as we said goodbye,
Belly up Blues, Rhett's Place,
Low Country and
Josephine's, as well as
Elegance Ballroom
But with great excitement Charleston now has a beach, Charleston Beach. A fun and sun surfing area a fun shop Lifes A Beach, with a great beach club,
Griff's Place.(yes we have surfable waves!)
The Charleston Beach is host to many beach parties and activites, and has quiet romantic areas to reflect or for romance. All adjacent to tons of fantastic shopping on the Charleston Couture sim.
The newest addtion to the venue family is the
Dock Street Theatre at Charleston. An amazingly reproduced building of the original in Charleston. On February 12, 1736 the Dock Street Theatre opened with a performance of The
Recruiting Officer. The Historic Dock Street Theatre was the first building in America built
exclusively to be used for theatrical performances. Flora, the first opera
performance in America, took place at the Historic Dock Street Theatre. The opening of the theatre will be during the 2nd year anniversary weekend!
Needless to say all of this could not have been achieved without the support and assistance of a team of devoted professionals, too numerous to mention, but they all know who they are; who, under the guidance and foresight of Karen created some of the most beautiful and elegant venues in all of Second Life, their skills and attributes a worthy compliment.
The final touch to a perfect two years will be our 2nd Anniversary Weekend extravagana! We will be celebrating November 9-12th ,where we hope to welcome all our friends, colleagues and guests to a magical weekend of Romance, dancing, hunts, extraordianry singers and theatre shows; and who knows , maybe you will meet the one who could be the start of a beautiful relationship.
Truly a Memorable two years. Looking forward for another fruitful 3rd year anniversary with loyal staffs, friends and families. Please join us on the second weekend of November for a weekend long anniversary with blastful events of live dj's, performers and live shows.
Stay tuned for all the details of the anniversary!
Contributed by Jo Renierd
