Show me your builds - Magnolia Promenade

JAL

It was a while ago that we did one of the Show me your... posts, so I thought it was time for the least appreciated world in sims 4 (or so it seems on this forum) - Magnolia Promenade. And yes, it is small, the four lots we get are sorely lacking in inspiration and execution, but all the more reason to get some inspiration.

So show me what you've made of Magnolia Promenade!

JAL

This is my Magnolia Promenade (at the moment)


Plumbobs map replacement does a lot to make the world feel more inviting in my mind. It was one of the first things I downloaded after getting the pack.

For me, what was mostly lacking in the original was the experience of going out and spending a few hours going to stores, browsing, sitting down in a café, talk to your friends. So I wanted to recreate that feeling, preferably without having to move between lots too much as I don't like loading screens. Therefore all my lots contain several different stores.

Preeminent Domain:

This build is by the wonderful Peacemaker, who has builds for all these lots. I especially liked this one because it had a beautiful art-shop that I could see my sims using again and again:



I then added a fashion shop for women. With a trendsetter as one of my main sims at the moment, this was an absolute must. I've focused on everyday, hot weather and party wear in this store:



I also added a book shop, though I am considering if I want to remake this one, mostly because I hate those bookcases. I am considering either changing it to a nail and pedicure salon, or download a mod that lets you sell books from ordinary book shelves. I have yet to decide.



I also added a bakery/café that works perfectly if you just call the barista. A perfect place to sit down and take it easy for a while, and it will be lively as NPCs go in to buy the baked goods. Many will also sit down and chat, which I love.



And finally a high end restaurant that fitted the location but which obviously won't work while the place is a retail venue. Then again, it's easy (for me at least) to think that they're just not open for business at the same hours at the store, so it would be closed.

Paddywhacks's Emporium:

This is a build I made myself, and I am quite pleased I have to say. It only has two businesses, a sporting goods store and a bar.


The storting goods store has athlete wear for men, women and children, but you can also buy a machete for your jungle tour or a snowboard or skiis for your trip to mount Komorebi, a football and I am planning on adding books on things like fitness, wellness, skiing or snowboarding.



For the bar to work you obviously need to hire a bartender first, but I am intending to create clubs that has it as their hangout with mixing drinks and drinking drinks as their main activities and that ought to make sure it functions as it should even with the lot as a retail lot. I imagined when I built it that this is where detectives, judges or secret agents go, so I'm making a few clubs for these to use it. Basically I just wanted a use for Magnolia Promenade that wasn't only shopping.

The roadstead

This is another one of my own builds, and I used three of the in game live mode shells to create this block of buildings. Two of the shells are actually used in the buildings you can see right behind Magnolia Promenade, so that makes the house fit well with the surroundings.

This is quite a large build with a three story furniture store, a two story toy store, a wedding shop, a photo studio, a music shops, a hifi store and finally a crafting store.

The furniture store was inspired by the roadstead that was there before I built this, but is significantly larger. I like the idea of bringing sims that are moving out here to buy their first furniture:






The toystore is in two stories and have both toys, toy boxes, and children's books as well as skill books on parenting.


The music store:


The hifi store:


The photo studio:


The craft store (this could use a bit more tlc, but I am a bit out of inspiration right now so I'll come back to it later.



And finally the wedding store. I'm hoping this will make planning my next in game wedding a lot more fun:

JF&S Clothiers - or JF&S shopping perhaps?

This is no longer just a clothing store, but a clothing store for men and children (as there already is one for women) as well as a flower shop and a convenience store. I am not sure how much I'll use those two, so I'll see I'll keep them or change them for something else entirely. This is my most recent build so the shops have yet to be set up to work properly.

Clothing store:


Convenience store:


Flower shop:

viola-illyria

That replacement map really makes it feel like it's part of Willow Creek! I think I'm going to have to download them. What worlds do the replacements cover?

JAL

@viola-illyria quite a few of them by now. There are 20 map-replacements, one (evergreen harbor) is still in early access, but the other 19 are free.

viola-illyria

JAL wrote: »

quite a few of them by now. There are 20 map-replacements, one (evergreen harbor) is still in early access, but the other 19 are free.

Thanks! I love your MP, by the way. I'm midway through my save file makeover of every world and I was stuck for ideas for Magnolia Promenade, this has been quite inspiring.

elanorbreton

Here is mine, from top left going clockwise: Landgraab Bank, Magma Office Complex, Empty Retail, Magnolia Arts Centre.

Landgraab Bank, which is where rich sims can keep their simoleons:

Top floor for bank staff:

Reception and toilet:

Cashier area:

Public area to cashiers:

Down in the vault:


Magma Office Complex: (set as a library, but I mostly use it for fake career days with GTW clubs)

Top floor for those in the business career:

Next down, for secret agent office days or tech gurus:

Next down, for painters:

Next down, main reception/library/bathroom area:

At the back of reception is for chefs and mixologists:

And down in the basement for the criminals:


Empty retail is just a small lot I built ready for someone who can't afford much of a start:

Rear:


Magnolia Arts Centre, I originally built as a bakery but never ever used it so turned it into this instead, which is why it doesn't really look like an arts centre lol:

Other side (there is spray painting down the alley):

Woodworking and artist balcony:

For magical arts:

Bar/cafe area:

Instrument area:

Kids area:

JAL

@viola-illyria.Thank you! I'm glad to hear it. After all, inspiration, both giving and receiving is the entire idea with these threads.

@elanorbreton: Your office building is amazing! I love the idea of it. I might just steal that idea and use somewhere, though I'm not sure yet where.

CK213

Mine looks really boring, but it is supporting my game play purposes.
I tend to make business so my other sims can buy things they don't have the skills or time to make for themselves.


Roadsted Unlockables Retail Store

I repurposed the Roadsted building to be a furniture and decor store for unlockable objects.


I really don't want to be bothered with unlocking objects.
You will be bored with the activity by the time your sim's actually get objects that support that activity. So just buy it and enjoy it before you get bored with it.


And this way you get to see everything.
You might not have even been aware of them.


The store isn't compete, I just wanted to get it started for my master save.


I really want to buy these.
I don't want my sims to have to paint dozens of painting before they can have them.

Priya's Herbals and Potions.

The next shop is my Herbal Remedies and Potions store.
Very few of my sims will have access to remedies and potions, so they can go here to buy them.


Unfortunately NPCs do not restock when the owner is not there. So that's why it looks empty.
I wish EA would fix that. It is a bit tiring to have to control the owner in order to restock the shop.




Remedies are made up here. And extra potions and remedies are also stored up here.


Potions are made down there and ingredients are stored down here..
Copypasto comes in very handy for creating ingredients.


Priya Ramaswami and her daughter, Riya, run this shop.

Olivia's Boutique

Olivia's Boutique is primarily a retail game play lot than one that serves my sim neighborhood.


I really enjoyed playing this when we got Get To Work and it's still in my game as I restarted the story associated with it.




The story of the banks family is Olivia's mom had a dream for a very large modern house in Brindleton Bay. Her father sought to earn the money from adventuring in Selvadorada. He died from a cursed artifact. Olivia's mother continued on by opening a boutique. She also died (from a murphy bed) and Olivia inherited the business.

Dream Home Decorator Support Store

My last and latest business is a home decor store that supports Dream Home Decorator.
I found that pack a bit lacking in the game play area, so I added this as the main business and the sim will supply interior design services as I see fit to perform.


This is just the starter version of the lot and it's not much to look at.


This all came about from a test run of Dream Home Decorator.
My sim had the career and used her income to build this lot from scratch.


She started selling paintings here and then started adding decor objects.
The next phase will be to add the Eco Lifestyle 3D printing machine and start producing furniture and other decor

But that was just a test run.
The actual sim who will run this business is still in Uni in my main save. She will buy this when she has the money and begin to expand it.
Other sims will be able to buy her Eco Lifestyle decor objects. I believe this will make Dream Home Decorator more immersive.

JAL

@CK213 That sounds like a good idea. Hmm, maybe a fully upgraded objects wouldn't be amiss in the furniture store? I will have to think about that.

@elanorbreton I was so inspired by your office build that I had find a way to do something similar. Since I didn't want to remove what I had, I used the empty floors on Paddywhacks's to create what I needed. So now....

There is an office for tech gurus and internet personalities (where they can build skills such as videogaming, programming or charisma or comedy):


A small law firm where lawyers can build logic, charisma or do their work from home tasks on the computers and research machines:


Obviously the boss has a bigger office:


An office for the business career (I finally got a use for those decor counter thingies we get with the business branch!


Again, boss-sim gets a bigger office:


Finally I added a campain headquarter for the politicians to practise those debate and speaking skills:

elanorbreton

Your offices look great!

Some great ideas for stores, unlockable or upgraded objects would be a good idea.

Jadeleine

Favorited this. I just started building there. My first build will be a wedding cake/gift shop styled retail.

Oldeseadogge

Amazing and beautiful work here, ladies! Thank you for sharing!

CK213

JAL wrote: »

It was a while ago that we did one of the Show me your... posts, so I thought it was time for the least appreciated world in sims 4 (or so it seems on this forum) - Magnolia Promenade. And yes, it is small, the four lots we get are sorely lacking in inspiration and execution, but all the more reason to get some inspiration.

So show me what you've made of Magnolia Promenade!

When this one runs its course, you should do Britechester.
I wonder what others have done with it.

JAL

@ck213 duly noted.

catmando830

JAL wrote: »

This is my Magnolia Promenade (at the moment)


Plumbobs map replacement does a lot to make the world feel more inviting in my mind. It was one of the first things I downloaded after getting the pack.

For me, what was mostly lacking in the original was the experience of going out and spending a few hours going to stores, browsing, sitting down in a café, talk to your friends. So I wanted to recreate that feeling, preferably without having to move between lots too much as I don't like loading screens. Therefore all my lots contain several different stores.

Preeminent Domain:

This build is by the wonderful Peacemaker, who has builds for all these lots. I especially liked this one because it had a beautiful art-shop that I could see my sims using again and again:



I then added a fashion shop for women. With a trendsetter as one of my main sims at the moment, this was an absolute must. I've focused on everyday, hot weather and party wear in this store:



I also added a book shop, though I am considering if I want to remake this one, mostly because I hate those bookcases. I am considering either changing it to a nail and pedicure salon, or download a mod that lets you sell books from ordinary book shelves. I have yet to decide.



I also added a bakery/café that works perfectly if you just call the barista. A perfect place to sit down and take it easy for a while, and it will be lively as NPCs go in to buy the baked goods. Many will also sit down and chat, which I love.



And finally a high end restaurant that fitted the location but which obviously won't work while the place is a retail venue. Then again, it's easy (for me at least) to think that they're just not open for business at the same hours at the store, so it would be closed.

Paddywhacks's Emporium:

This is a build I made myself, and I am quite pleased I have to say. It only has two businesses, a sporting goods store and a bar.


The storting goods store has athlete wear for men, women and children, but you can also buy a machete for your jungle tour or a snowboard or skiis for your trip to mount Komorebi, a football and I am planning on adding books on things like fitness, wellness, skiing or snowboarding.



For the bar to work you obviously need to hire a bartender first, but I am intending to create clubs that has it as their hangout with mixing drinks and drinking drinks as their main activities and that ought to make sure it functions as it should even with the lot as a retail lot. I imagined when I built it that this is where detectives, judges or secret agents go, so I'm making a few clubs for these to use it. Basically I just wanted a use for Magnolia Promenade that wasn't only shopping.

The roadstead

This is another one of my own builds, and I used three of the in game live mode shells to create this block of buildings. Two of the shells are actually used in the buildings you can see right behind Magnolia Promenade, so that makes the house fit well with the surroundings.

This is quite a large build with a three story furniture store, a two story toy store, a wedding shop, a photo studio, a music shops, a hifi store and finally a crafting store.

The furniture store was inspired by the roadstead that was there before I built this, but is significantly larger. I like the idea of bringing sims that are moving out here to buy their first furniture:






The toystore is in two stories and have both toys, toy boxes, and children's books as well as skill books on parenting.


The music store:


The hifi store:


The photo studio:


The craft store (this could use a bit more tlc, but I am a bit out of inspiration right now so I'll come back to it later.



And finally the wedding store. I'm hoping this will make planning my next in game wedding a lot more fun:

JF&S Clothiers - or JF&S shopping perhaps?

This is no longer just a clothing store, but a clothing store for men and children (as there already is one for women) as well as a flower shop and a convenience store. I am not sure how much I'll use those two, so I'll see I'll keep them or change them for something else entirely. This is my most recent build so the shops have yet to be set up to work properly.

Clothing store:


Convenience store:


Flower shop:

What is "Plumbobs map replacement"?

JAL

@catmando830 It's what makes the map of my MP look so different to the original. You can find their map replacements here: https://www.patreon.com/20thCPlumbob/posts?filters[tag]=Map Relpacement

GrumpyGlowfish

Seems like I'm the only one who uses Magnolia Promenade predominantly as a residential world. In my game, it's a post-apocalyptic radioactive wasteland filled with families who have been stuck here since before the calamity, or came here seeking an adventure.



The two buildings in the upper part of the map are a modern home by lilsimsie and the original landfill from Port Promise. I'm only going to present the buildings in the lower part because those are the ones I built myself.



Here live the Grimfields, a family of former morticians who hid in a bunker underneath a mausoleum when the calamity hit, and have since converted it to a home. It was one of my earliest builds originally in Newcrest, and the current inhabitants are much more interesting than the building itself, but that's probably a story for another thread.



The neighbouring lot belongs to the Kailanis, a pair of mermaid siblings and the merwoman's daughter living in the house on the right. One of them is a scientist, the other a (not very successful) environmental manager, and together they run the pharmacy on the left. (Well, not really, since you can't open businesses at home, but... that's EA's fault, not mine.)

JAL

@GrumpyGlowfish Fantastic world! I love your ideas. That toxic-looking fog is that something from eco-living?

GrumpyGlowfish

Yup, that's the industrial footprint from Eco Lifestyle. Too bad it keeps going back to neutral whenever I don't play in the world for a while.

SimplyJen

These are some great ideas!💡

I had recently made an outdoor movie theater for newcrest since drive-ins can't really exist in Sims but I really wanted something with the same feel. Then I moved onto my next reno project in MP. I'm in the middle of turning the Roadstead lot into a proper movie theater/arcade. It's the perfect setup for it. Can't wait to eventually share my complete MP in this thread.

JAL

@SimplyJen I look forward to seeing your build. I made a movie theatre/diner out of Narval Arms,but I haven't been entirely satisfied with it so far, so I look forward to seeing what you build.

Also, why isn't movie theatre or arcade a lot trait or venue type yet?

Simmingal

I did my Magnolia Promenade long while ago so people have probably seen it but well it still is the same

first I built a restaurant,

which is first restaurant I ever made in the game
hence the functionality is bit off with kitchen part and I don't use it too often

but basically its just kinda like fancy restaurant for my sims romantic dates I never remember to take them on


upstairs I needed space for toilet so I added those and 2 random rooms I've yet to decide what I want to do with

and theres also possible attic given the roof style


then I wanted to build a mall or well something like that

it doesn't really function as retail cause the sims are just all gathering in my electronics store


but oh well its fine to hangout in and pretend my sims are shopping or whatnot

will probably update this with the eco lifestyle trashcans and such
oh and basement has simple movie theater room cause at this point i had yet to build my del sol theater venue


don't really use it much anymore either but idk

then I added spa

which is yet another venue I don't use too much

cause I have better spas at more suitable locations now


but I guess its good for pool and quick nap even if the first floor is empty



I think I was gonna add hotel to the empty lot which is why its empty but yeah idk
I think I need to rethink this world eventually anyway to make it bit more functional

SimplyJen

The empty lot will likely be a diner because there's not too many options for a 20x20 lot. Unless I have a sim running a retail store, it won't get any use. I'd rather have more date/hangout spots. @elanorbreton I totally stole your bank idea! I didn't know vaults could be functional on a community lot. Also a great idea to make a small retail shell for any sim starting a business.

The Roadstead Cinema

Inspired by the movie theater next to my house. It's got everything except the bowling alley which can always be added later.

Work It Photo Studio

I wanted a photography lot for the sole purpose of having a place to take the best photos so the inside is kinda basic. The Natural Light lot trait also boost painting so I placed some easels & graffiti stuff. The random bonfire fit the aesthetic and I honestly struggled to furnish this lot.

Sim City Bank

I noticed we are getting art deco themed build items in the upcoming EP. I'd like to revisit this lot and make it more art deco inspired. The basement includes 4 vaults and upstairs has some red couches.