http://www.dds.nl/

"The mother of digital cities" is what Internationale Stadt Berlin says of this Dutch virtual city, and they weren't joking. De Digitale Stad (the digital city) boasts a population of 50,000 residents, who make their homes (huizen) around pleinen (plazas), defined by interest groups. De Digitale Stad feels like a piece of Amsterdam, with small streets, city squares, houses with big windows, and a huge variety of residents. Much like arriving in Amsterdam, visits to de Digitale Stad start in Centraal Plein (central plaza), with different directions to visit. Want to chat? Stop by one of the numerous cafes--try the Grace Kelly Culture Cafe, or the Bruin Cafe. From music to the environment, from women-only to sports or travel, one of De Digitale Stad's 34 plazas offers something feels like home. Speaking of home, residents of DDS build Huizen (houses) off each plein. Residency in De Digitale Stad is free but requires registration (account verification takes 48 hours). Beyond the geography of the city, tourists and residents alike can read the weekly newspaper ("De Digitale Stedeling"). Check out live performances Tuesdays in de Digitale Stad's two Palace spaces, palace://cafe.dds.nl/ and palace://park.dds.nl/ (make sure you have Palace software). - M.W.S.

subject matter: general conversation

regional affiliation: Europe, The Netherlands

format: chat, conferencing, Palace (graphical multi-user environment)

language: Dutch, some English

cost: No cost as tourist, no cost as resident, but residents registration takes 48 hours for verification.