As I’ve recently noted in writing about the release of the Aspen Linden Homes and new house styles for the Log Home theme (both themes being available to Premium and Premium Plus subscribers – read here and here for more), Linden Lab has started making renewed noises about retiring the “older” generation of Linden Homes, first introduced in 2010.
On Friday, May 2nd, 2025, the Lab further confirmed the upcoming closure of the older style of Linden Homes (all of which stand on 512 sq m parcels within their own theme mini-continent scattered across the grid), with a post entitled Honouring the Past, Embracing the Future: Your New Linden Home Awaits.
Clearly aimed at users who have not as yet made the move from these older themes and styles of home to the “modern” Homes on Bellisseria, the post reads in part:
As we continue evolving and improving the Linden Home experience, we want to ensure that our residents have access to the best and most modern living spaces available. A couple of years ago, during SLB, we announced our long-term plan to phase out all legacy Linden Homes. The time has come to make that transition, and while saying farewell to your current home may feel bittersweet, we are confident that the next chapter will bring even more possibilities, personalization, and comfort.
We also recognize the lasting impact these homes have had, and we are planning a special tribute to honour the legacy Linden Homes and the memories they have held. We will share more details soon.
Whilst no deadline is given in terms of how much longer the older Homes will remain on the grid, the post does tend to make it clear their days are now definitely numbered. I honestly have no idea as to how active people are / were when in terms of living-in and utilising these older Linden Homes, or exactly how much “community” they fostered. However, they do represent a point in time in SL’s history that is worth remembering in some way; many of us actually appreciated having them – as limited as they are by today’s standards!
However, what piqued my interest was the idea of “honouring” these older homes – and very much hope that whatever is planned goes beyond just the houses themselves. While I’ve no idea how popular the approach was, at least one of the little continents presenting these older Linden Homes carried with it something of a little “backstory” to Second Life; one likely utterly obscure in this day and age, but one my mind immediately sprang to on reading the Lab’s post.
It’s called Cape Ekim, and the legend wrapped around it involves another mythical Linden explorer in the form of Professor Linden (totally overshadowed by the feats and ego of Magellan Linden – possibly because the Professor never survived long enough to be embodied in some manner!), and his hunt for a great and benevolent dragon said to have once roamed the grid.
It’s a fun little mystery (if one a little long in the tooth and genteel / pedestrian in this age of scripted Experiences, mesh, Animesh, and all the rest we can use in SL to create adventures and games), and one I wrote about more than a decade ago.
It may not tax the grey matter too much, but it does features riddles, books, secret passageways, and a cipher to solve to unlock a door (no pesky double-click TPing!), and is of an age and style that allow it to stand as a glimpse of SL’s past as much as the houses close to where it sits. As such, I really hope LL will give thought to the idea – and to any other similar spots which may exist within the old Linden Homes continents.
Certainly, if the history of SL and nostalgia are your thing – and just in case it will soon vanish – why not try exploring / revisiting Cape Ekim for yourself?
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 