Where to Live in Neopia?

1. Brightvale – Brightvale is a pretty place with clean, quaint streets. Brightvale is well known for producing scholars and artists from its wonderful education system, but this has its downsides. The citizens of Brightvale are very learned and can occasionally look down on newcomers who know very little about literature and history. However, if you have an interest in deciphering long scrolls of ancient text, Brightvale is the place to move to. If you are especially bright, there is always the chance King Hagan himself, ruler of Brightvale, will take a shine to you. He is known as the wise king and he is a beloved ruler, though if you live in Brightvale, remember to budget for the ridiculous amount of taxes you'll need to pay him.

2. The Haunted Woods – Well... buying a big, empty house in the middle of the woods has never been cheaper! If you like to keep to yourself and don't mind too much what your neighbours are like, the Haunted Woods can be a good place for guaranteed quiet. But the sun never shines and the eerie fog is unnerving. Many residents become paranoid and end up living wild in the woods. If you have Halloween, Ghost or Zombie pets but you're a bit uneasy about living next to a beast like the Esophagor, moving to Neovia might be an option that would suit you. Neovia is a charming little village on the outskirts of the Haunted Woods and though it is still unnaturally quiet and eerie, it's closer to the shops and if the sun shines it can look almost friendly.

3. Kiko Lake – The lake is usually thought of as the place rich Neopians go when they leave Neopia Central or one of the other cities for a summer break. Most of the year, Kiko Lake is a very quiet, pretty little town. If you have a pet that prefers to live underwater but can't afford the prices of Maraqua, Kiko Lake is great. The water is warm all year round and the weather is always good. The biggest downside to this place is that there's not much to do and if you want to go grocery shopping you really have to go back to Neopia Central – there just aren't many shops! (Unless of course you like a diet of rock candy.)

4. Krawk Island – This is one place you can always count on to be exciting. Krawk Island is very hot and humid in summer and tempers can flare in the heat. It can be a scary place to live too, with pirates roaming the streets and brawls erupting outside The Golden Dubloon every night. Some people thrive on danger, though, and Krawk Island does have a lot going for it. The beaches are great and there are lots interesting petpets floating about in the water. Often you can get some cheap goods at the markets here as well. Stolen treasures have been known to turn up in the markets of Krawk Island and you might find a great deal for just a few dubloons. But for every rare treasure there are a thousand fake paintings, dud codestones and general junk. Many people think Krawk Island isn't the right place to raise a Neopet because of its rough reputation but if your pet wants to be trained, the Academy is a great place to learn. Even if your pet isn't a budding battledome champion, Krawk Island will teach them a lot about the ways of life and they'll grow up very street-smart.

5. Kreludor – Largely inhabited by Grundos, Kreludor is Neopia's only known moon. There's one café, a vending machine and a bookshop. Booktastic Books is famous throughout Neopia but the only reason books are so popular is because there is nothing else to do in Kreludor. Much of the land is uninhabitable and the only neighbours you'll have are Grundo miners. There is one thing that can be said for it - nowhere else in Neopia will you find such a view. The view from Kreludor is spectacular. All around is deepest outer space and Neopia just a far-off planet. It really is breathtaking.

6. Moltara – Isn't it exciting to live in a place not long discovered? Moltara can feel a bit oppressive when you're living there because it's entirely underground but the flaring magma torches do brighten it up. It's a very industrial town but it does have some great natural wonders – have you ever seen anything so beautiful as a lake of molten lava bubbling and hissing? It's not the most friendly place for young pets – if you move here, make sure to keep an eye on your beloved Kougra so he doesn't go tumbling into a pit filled with magma!

7. Mystery Island – For most people, Mystery Island is a holiday destination, but have you ever thought of living there? It does have a lot going for it – great weather and plenty of beaches. Most of the houses are made out of straw or sticks, so after a storm you'll end up needing to rebuild the whole thing. And don't expect to live a simple life with the islanders – Mystery Island has become very commercial in recent years because of all the tourism. Nobody wears flowers in their hair now except those wanting to lure in gullible tourists. Real islanders use neomail and watch the stockmarket just like the rest of the world. If you want a more 'real' experience, I suggest buying a home in Geraptiku, where people still eat bugs and live in the jungle.

8. Tyrannia – Houses in Tyrannia are infamous for how uncomfortable they are. Stone bed? Stone pillows? Not exactly cosy. But you can get used to it and you can live on just a few neopoints a day. Down at the plateau, the giant omelette feeds thousands of pets everyday and it's hard to get sick of omelette when there are so many different varieties. A major barrier is, of course, the language. Now in Tyrammet village there are some classes to teach newcomers how to speak like the natives, but it's a notoriously difficult language to understand. No need to work very hard in a place like Tyrannia - you can make a living etching out cave paintings, making food out of dung and selling leftover omelette. What's not to love?

9. Terror Mountain – This is a place that's not particularly terrifying at all. It's rather cosy with snug little log cabins in little clusters down the mountain. Happy Valley boasts a large skating rink which is a cheap form of entertainment and the ice-cream is to die for. One problem here can be making sure that your pets are wrapped up warm for the snow. But the benefits of Terror Mountain far outweigh the disadvantages - during the month of Giving, there is nowhere I'd rather be! All the streets are lit up and on every corner there's a tree weighted down with decorations. It's a magical place to be and to see all the eager pets waiting to get gifts from the advent calendar is absolutely heart-warming.

10. Neopia Central – Now we get to Neopia Central, the biggest city in all of Neopia where over half of all Neopians live. Many very poor Neopets come to live in Neopia, hoping to scrape a living by the money tree or at the soup kitchen. Abandoned neopets seek out the Neopian Pound as a last resort. There are so many shops and games in Neopia Central but it is still surrounded by grass and trees. Many people don't like how busy it is but if you know where to look there are pockets of calming silence. One of the most underrated place in Neopia Central are the catacombs – a place where artists and writers gather to tell stories and drink coffee. It doesn't quite have the same history as some of the other lands but Neopia Central is certainly one of the best places to live.

Well, Neopia contains quite a variety of environments, doesn't it? There are so many places to build a house but all of these places have their own flaws... There is, of course, one world I have failed to mention because without a doubt it doesn't exist. But just for fun, will I do an evaluation of this world that doesn't exist?

11. Jelly World – Well, the food is free. Of course it wouldn't be acceptable to eat the buildings, but you can gorge yourself on a tree or the ground or a nearby rock. You can also use the jelly to build your house so there you have a free home. And since Jelly World is so far removed from Neopia, nobody wears clothes or goes to school. Each day just consists of playing with your pets, finding different types of jelly to eat and bouncing around. Doesn't it sound like the ideal place to live? No worries, free food, quality time with your pets... Oh, if only it existed!