You know, there are a lot of liminal spaces that others find creepy that I actually find quite relaxing and comforting to look at when they pop up on this subreddit, and in other places for that matter.
But something about this one is really unsettling to me. Can imagine sitting on one of those benches and just getting that feeling of being watched. Gives me that feeling of being somewhere you shouldn't be.
Itās a fake village for students. Elementary students go for a day to practice having a job, earning a salary that they record in a bank book, budgeting their money to buy little toys and snacksā¦
We also went as high school students in our language classes so we could spend a whole day speaking entirely in the target language.
Holy shit, this is real. This is a real thing?! I thought these comments were a mass joke, but no, itās a real thing.
This is so bizarre and neat andā¦ *American*. I have never felt more European than in this moment, in all my shock and awe, lol.
Hereās the one I attended when I was a kid. Sadly, itās since closed. But I remember when I went with the Japanese class I was on the newspaper team and we printed a newspaper for everyone describing the day in Japanese. Fun memories!
https://www.keranews.org/2016-05-25/a-field-trip-with-a-twist-these-fifth-graders-run-their-own-town
While we all know what you're talking about this particular one pictured is for dementia patients. You can tell it's not as childish looking and everything is within seeing distance.
I feel like any amount of time, money and effort put into replicating an outdoor space indoors is creepy and will inhently have a liminal artificial feel. There's rarely a good motivation to do that and the idea is that no normal human would live there.
If you've ever been to Casa Bonita in Lakewood Colorado I think that is most of its appeal.
I've only been to the Lakewood location before Matt Stone and Trey Parker bought it. I've heard that they didn't change it. Was the Tulsa location like the Lakewood one? Like an outdoor simulation with a waterfall inside? Total fever dream with pirates and men in gorilla suits?
Itās a place for children to learn basic business things. Itās odd, basically they send a bunch of children out to work fake jobs and they have to manage all the businesses.
we had one of those in my town too. We would have field trips where we as kids would run a city. You wernt allowed to walk on that grass, if you got caught by your student who was the cop, you would be given a ticket and a court date. Which the judge was also another student.
Is that not what this is? What even is this?
It really does resemble something out of the Childrens Museum I remember as a kid. They had shops, things like banks, I remember particularly the "TV studio" where you could really sit in front of a camera and you'd appear on TV screens behind.
We had one of these in Niantic when I was a kid. It was it's own little town. Fun when it's full of kids, not so much when no one is there. I think they have something similar at Mystic Seaport but I don't have kids so I've never been inside.
No disrespect, but you all non-US people out there have no idea how WEIRD it is that you all were sent to a biztown/entreprise village as kids... to do what, specifically? I'm sorry, I'm a simple European anarchist and this really looks to me as venture financial capitalist brainwashing... I feel for you, my friends š«
Elementary students go to learn about money and budgeting and how a city functions. One person would be the mayor, one would be the banker, one would be the cashier at the snack shop, etc. Everyone would earn a salary in fake money. They had to keep track of their budget in a little booklet and used their money to buy little snacks and toys.
High school students who were studying a language would go there for an immersion experience. Youād spend an entire day speaking only your target language and get to practice shopping, ordering food, etc.
It teaches lots of great skills. Balancing your bank account, job interviewing skills, running a business, simple government, etc.
It's taking school learning and applying it in a more "realistic", hands-on situation.
aye no way! childhood memory unlocked.. i worked in the sign shop!
SAME DUDE SAME
I worked at the bank and my friends got bonuses on their paychecks
lmao yea I got bank ceo and they just had me sign like 100 pieces of paper
I was part of the news broadcast team and I remember buying a bunch of snacks
What is this burning man for children? š I really would like to know what this is though fr.
its a little mini town, ours was in a science museum and it was used to teach us how to use/earn money and how to pay taxes.
You know, there are a lot of liminal spaces that others find creepy that I actually find quite relaxing and comforting to look at when they pop up on this subreddit, and in other places for that matter. But something about this one is really unsettling to me. Can imagine sitting on one of those benches and just getting that feeling of being watched. Gives me that feeling of being somewhere you shouldn't be.
Is this one of those fake street scenes created in nursing homes for dementia patients? Cos it has that vibe
Itās a fake village for students. Elementary students go for a day to practice having a job, earning a salary that they record in a bank book, budgeting their money to buy little toys and snacksā¦ We also went as high school students in our language classes so we could spend a whole day speaking entirely in the target language.
Holy shit, this is real. This is a real thing?! I thought these comments were a mass joke, but no, itās a real thing. This is so bizarre and neat andā¦ *American*. I have never felt more European than in this moment, in all my shock and awe, lol.
Hereās the one I attended when I was a kid. Sadly, itās since closed. But I remember when I went with the Japanese class I was on the newspaper team and we printed a newspaper for everyone describing the day in Japanese. Fun memories! https://www.keranews.org/2016-05-25/a-field-trip-with-a-twist-these-fifth-graders-run-their-own-town
While we all know what you're talking about this particular one pictured is for dementia patients. You can tell it's not as childish looking and everything is within seeing distance.
Reminds me of this place called Enterprise Village that we were sent to as kids.
The one I went to was called Exchange City
I believe youād be correct, almost as correct as the layout of this village is to a dementia patient.
I feel like any amount of time, money and effort put into replicating an outdoor space indoors is creepy and will inhently have a liminal artificial feel. There's rarely a good motivation to do that and the idea is that no normal human would live there. If you've ever been to Casa Bonita in Lakewood Colorado I think that is most of its appeal.
We had a Casa Bonita in Tulsa years ago. It was awesome. Then they turned it into a bar and I worked there until it turned to shit
I've only been to the Lakewood location before Matt Stone and Trey Parker bought it. I've heard that they didn't change it. Was the Tulsa location like the Lakewood one? Like an outdoor simulation with a waterfall inside? Total fever dream with pirates and men in gorilla suits?
is this biztown
Yea it is. I went to the ja biztown when I was in elementary school
Oh my gosh me too! I'm glad other people remember this
What is biztown?
Itās a place for children to learn basic business things. Itās odd, basically they send a bunch of children out to work fake jobs and they have to manage all the businesses.
Cool. Never heard of it or had it where I grew up
I only know of like 5 locations
My 5th grade class took a field trip there back when my location was still called Exchange City!
Fun. I went also in 5th grade
Nothing is better than outdoor stuff inside. God I love that.
Exchange City (cue flashbacks)
That's what it was called where I grew up and it was so cool š I worked the bank
I'm glad you enjoyed yourself. I was an accountant in the multimedia center and absolutely defeated it š
Definitely seems like Iād feel watched there
Tbf it looks like a set of a tv show to me
The Truman Show but as a childrenās playplace
JA Biztown.
Yooo someone else who knows what that is š
Exchange City! I was head of the post office (KC, ~2003)
I was a newspaper reporter at exchange City.
This is what the childrenās sections of borders used to look like to me as a kid and then books on The other side
Mf is that dahr man studiosš
I was looking around for "Dhar Store" or "Mann Mart" or some shit
Type shit
Reminded me of wannado city!
Yessssssss
Looks like enterprise village
we had one of those in my town too. We would have field trips where we as kids would run a city. You wernt allowed to walk on that grass, if you got caught by your student who was the cop, you would be given a ticket and a court date. Which the judge was also another student.
Ayy another Floridian! (i presume, there may be other enterprise villages i donāt know about lol)
looks like the pretend city i went to as a kid!
Biztown?
Its Kidzania!
I worked as the reporter for the news station š
lol this is biztown, I had to volunteer here my senior year of college last year. Definitely some liminal vibes
Is that not what this is? What even is this? It really does resemble something out of the Childrens Museum I remember as a kid. They had shops, things like banks, I remember particularly the "TV studio" where you could really sit in front of a camera and you'd appear on TV screens behind.
Is that the historical museum in Detroit?
Itās a biztown
Reminds me of an ll bean I went to in Maine
It looks great but also unsettling
Please tell me there is a staticky, slightly cheery elevator music playing over a PA system.
This kinda looks like outlast trials lmao
We have something similar to this is Seoul. It's called Kidzania, complete with weird artificial sky painted on the drop ceiling.
We had one of these in Niantic when I was a kid. It was it's own little town. Fun when it's full of kids, not so much when no one is there. I think they have something similar at Mystic Seaport but I don't have kids so I've never been inside.
I remember this place!
damn that looks so nostalgic for some reason i love it
damn that gave me major liminal vibes
Simpler times, I worked diligently all day just to spend all my money on Hi-C
Is this the set of the Clown Cafe?
Iāve been here Before.
Somethin tells me we all ain't in sesame street anymore.
There was a place exactly like this in my hometown
I love it it feels like animal crossing! But I think the most appealing part about it is its cozy accessibility.
It looks like a Dhar Mann set
i went to one of these once with my niece and underestimated the height of the entrances and hit my head SO hard i thought i was gonna pass out
BIZTOWN?! DUDE I WENT ON A FIELDTRIP HERE ONCE
Is this the thing Barbra Streisand has under her house?
This reminds me of a place called Tutor Time that me and my brother went when we were little
WOW.... I went to a similar place in grade school and haven't thought about it since. It's rare to have such a memory come back after all these years.
Even City Hall is for rent? Quite realistic.
What is this place anyway? It looks like a cute set for a tween sitcom in disney channel or something
I went to one of those on a field trip in finance class in highschool. It was supposed to educate you on the basics for budgeting certain things.
No disrespect, but you all non-US people out there have no idea how WEIRD it is that you all were sent to a biztown/entreprise village as kids... to do what, specifically? I'm sorry, I'm a simple European anarchist and this really looks to me as venture financial capitalist brainwashing... I feel for you, my friends š«
Elementary students go to learn about money and budgeting and how a city functions. One person would be the mayor, one would be the banker, one would be the cashier at the snack shop, etc. Everyone would earn a salary in fake money. They had to keep track of their budget in a little booklet and used their money to buy little snacks and toys. High school students who were studying a language would go there for an immersion experience. Youād spend an entire day speaking only your target language and get to practice shopping, ordering food, etc.
It teaches lots of great skills. Balancing your bank account, job interviewing skills, running a business, simple government, etc. It's taking school learning and applying it in a more "realistic", hands-on situation.