Spectacle: the new great green jewel of the Commonwealth

Part 1 of the Spectacle Island series.

NEXT — Randy: a dark past, haunted present, and unpredictable future

Spectacle, officially known as the City of Spectacle and nicknamed “The Beacon of the Commonwealth” is a large post-war settlement on Spectacle Island in the Commonwealth. The city, occupying well over half of the island, was founded in 2287 by a group of settlers from Sanctuary Hills, a small settlement northwest of Diamond City.

A brief history

Pre-war amenities for the post-war Commonwealth

Prior to the Great War of 2077, the island was home to an eccentric millionaire with dreams of his own private island paradise. A mansion was built on the northwest shore of the island; it was destroyed during the war. Nearly two centuries after the war, a small group of settlers established a settlement on the island around 2270, installing a sonar pulse beacon that released a high-pitched sonic pulse capable of deterring mirelurks. The beacon was connected to a sunken ship on the southern shore of the island with a functioning generator via a long copper wire that was attached to the sides of trees in what is now the Island Forest Preservation. Unfortunately, since they set up camp on an island, they did not consider another threat—raiders. The island was attacked by raiders in 2277. Some settlers were able to flee; others were killed by raiders—or mirelurks. During the attack, raiders disabled the pulse beacon. In 2287, when new settlers arrived to survey the island, two bodies were discovered: a raider and a settler named Randy. It is believed Randy died defending the island and could be the reason some were able to escape. The settlement of Randy, a post-war settlement established on the island in 2289, is named for him.

Today, the city is the largest permanent settlement in the Commonwealth. It features ten roads and more than fifty buildings. The population swells in size daily as it has become a popular tourist destination, offering pre-war amenities to the post-war Commonwealth. In turn, this has also made it popular with businessmen and skilled workers, some of whom even commute from all over the Commonwealth. On any given day, the population of the settlement doubles with visitors and workers. At night, the city boasts a thriving night life scene complete with bars, breweries, live music, museums, parks, restaurants, shops, and theaters—to name a few. This is a result of years of surveying, planning, design, construction, and economic development initiatives like the Spectacle Community Market, a gathering of vendors including artisans, farmers, wholesalers and more, all packed into Capital Square—more on that later.

The new settlers surveyed and planned what is now the City of Spectacle. They initially built two roads and four buildings, including the Capital Building, and established a municipal government including a mayor, council, security system, and school. In 2288, the settlement, nearing completion, was open to more settlers from Sanctuary Hills. During this time, the settlement built two roads and three buildings, with more planned. By 2289, the settlement had six roads and eighteen buildings; a new district called Lowland; and a new governing body, the Spectacle Island Authority, to oversee the rest of the island outside the city boundaries. The settlement was opened to the public later that year.

A special district

In 2289, when the City of Spectacle sought to develop the whole island, some members of the community began to push back, claiming the City was “straying from its purpose” and was “driven by greed” in a meeting with the City Council. Concerned over the environmental impacts of development and overcrowding, tensions eventually resulted in the settlers leaving the city and setting up a camp on the coast by the bay, claiming secession from the City and sovereignty. They called the new settlement Lowland in reference to its low elevation on the island. After much deliberation, an agreement was eventually made between City leaders and residents of Lowland in which the settlement would remain part of the City as a special district, known as the Lowland District, with certain self-governing powers and, perhaps most critically, funding.

Later that year, leaders and residents of the Lowland District organized a commission with the City of Spectacle to establish a conservation easement south of the city in which no development could take place. When the City was less than eager to cooperate, residents distraught over the subsequent political back and forth left the city and set up a camp on the southern shore of the island, claiming sovereignty, and unwilling to cooperate with the City. They staged protests outside of construction sites across the city, as well as Capital Square, where they lobbied for their own commission outside of the Capital Building every day for almost three weeks. Leaders and residents of the Lowland District and students from the Research Institute joined and protested with them. 

On what would be the last night of the protests, before the City declared a curfew and agreed to deliberate with the former residents the next morning, there were even tourists from the Commonwealth and residents of the City itself who joined in. On that night, over 400 people are thought to have been at the protest; it was so large that it spilled over Capital Square into Main Street and Alley Street, shutting down all commercial activity in the area. Borders were closed until the next morning, and over 40 people were arrested—the only reason that number wasn’t larger is because the Security Building simply did not have room to hold them. Security was eventually able to disperse the crowd, and by the time the sun began to rise the next morning, the situation was mostly under control. Curfew was lifted later that morning, and the City agreed to meet with the former residents to discuss establishing a commission on their behalf. After more than a week of deliberation, an agreement was made and a new government agency formed: the Spectacle Island Authority. The agency would manage all portions of the island not within the boundaries of the city. Additionally, it established two conservation easements: the Island Forest Preservation and Island Coastal Forest and Seashore Preservation, where no development is allowed to take place. 

By the end of the year, the City, as well as the rest of the island, had expanded to resemble what it is today: the new and superior great green jewel of the Commonwealth.

A great green jewel

You see, while those surveyors and planners were getting the city set up, scientists from the Institute were working to revive the island’s flora and natural vegetation that had been non-existent since the war. The Institute had conducted experiments like these on the island before, but never at this scale. This was an island-wide effort to terraform the irradiated soil into fertile ground. Since this experiment would take a team of scientists, including synths, and months of undisturbed soil, the island needed maximum security. When the Institute discovered the group of surveyors there to build a city, the two groups agreed to provide protection for the other. Sanctuary Hills was made up of Minutemen members with alliances to the Castle, located right across the bay. Between the three groups consisting of all generations of synths, settlement guards, and Minutemen, the island was able to be terraformed—and Spectacle constructed—without any interference from the outside world. While the city neared completion in 2288, the effort was still in its early stages; it wouldn’t be until later that year that the island began to turn green. Trees dead for hundreds of years began to grow leaves again. Planted flowers blossomed all over the forest floor. By the spring of 2289, both the city and island were a magical flora paradise.

A beacon of safety

The settlement’s state-of-the-art security, rivaling Diamond City’s, makes the city a beacon of safety for the Commonwealth. The City of Spectacle Security Department, or SSD, consists of three branches: Border Patrol and Customs, Emergency Response, and Investigation. The department is lead by the Chief of Security.

Border Patrol and Customs are headquartered at the City of Spectacle Main Entrance and Screening Center. Anyone entering and leaving the city must pass through the facility. Here, visitors wait outside the front gate to begin the screening process. The process involves a background check, documentation processing, a radiation test, and depending on the results, a sterilization shower. Once these are complete, visitors are free to enter the settlement. To leave, visitors simply check out at the front gate. This branch is led by the Director of Border Patrol and Customs.

Emergency Response is what one might typically associate more frequently with security: police and security officers, firefighters, and paramedics. Interestingly, this branch is partially overseen by three separate government agencies: the City of Spectacle, the Spectacle Island Authority, and the Research Institute, the latter of which provides healthcare and medical attention with its medical students. This branch has stations throughout the city and island. This branch is led by the Director of Emergency Response.

Investigation handles, well, investigating crimes and other illegal activity. They often work behind the scenes with other departments and agencies. This branch is located beside the Capital Building at the Spectacle Security Building and oversees the jail on the bottom floor. This branch is lead by the Director of Investigation.

A beacon of higher learning

The Research Institute of Spectacle Island, home to six schools with almost twenty subjects to choose from, attracts those seeking higher education or trade skills to the settlement. The campus of the higher education and research institute continues the architectural character of the Lowland District down the western shore of the Island. The campus is conveniently located near Alley Street, great for drinking locally-brewed beer and live music; Capital Square for future government workers and local leaders; the Lowland District for artists and history buffs; and the Island Forest Preservation for conservationists and farmers. The institute is fast becoming one of the most desirable institutions for higher education in the Commonwealth—after the Institute, of course. The Research Institute was founded by scientists from the Institute who wanted to remain on the island to oversee the experiment. With so many subjects to choose from, there is something for everyone: the architect, the artist, the businessman, the doctor, the farmer; all nestled on a hillside overlooking the bay.

The city plans for more expansion and growth, as Randy, a settlement just south of the city on the other side of the forest, could be the next big thing.

Neighborhoods and culture

Beacon Heights

Resting on the highest point of the island between Capital Square, The Research Institute, and the Island Forest Preservation, the Beacon Heights community is Spectacle at its most peaceful. A transition from the city to nature, the tree-covered community, comprised of the aptly named Beacon Heights Avenue, is home to several residential jewels, such as the beloved Horn House, as well as Beacon Heights Park including the Historic Beacon Building Preservation and Memorial Garden.

Points of interest: Beacon Heights Park, Horne House

Downtown

The cultural and literal capital of the island, Downtown Spectacle is a draw for tourists, playground for businessmen, and sanctuary for its residents. The same could be said of the entire city or even island, but no other neighborhood packs as much of a punch. Enjoy a multitude of places to eat, drink, or catch a live show, often at the same time; the best collection of post-war architecture and landscaped parks in the Commonwealth; and luxurious places to stay while taking it all in. Featuring four areas each with their own distinct character (Alley Street, Capital Square, Main Street, and Overlook), Downtown has a place for everyone.

Points of interest: Capital Building, Spectacle Hotel

Main Street, the first planned and second built street on the island, is today the central business district and is functioning just as intended. Bars and restaurants, hotels, offices, residential apartments, and stores, among others, pack the floors of beloved buildings that tower over the street. Scattered between the buildings are several refreshing parks and gardens to get lost in. Overlooking Main Street is the city’s first residential district, Overlook, which features eight jewels of residential architecture as well as All Souls Chapel and the Mayor’s Mansion.

Capital Square, the terminus of Main Street, features the Capital Building, the tallest building on the island visible from every neighborhood and district; the Security Building; the School of Spectacle; Spectacle Community Garden; and Capital Bridge, the golden, visually striking connector of South Avenue. Alley Street, a former alley, regularly hosts artisans spilling over from the Lowland District, lawmakers taking an afternoon stroll from Capital Square, and students from the Research Institute enjoying the nightlife. All buildings that front Main Street feature an entrance along this historic, tree-covered, Capital Bridge underpass.

East Avenue

Named for the street it was built around, the East Avenue community serves as an important corridor between the city and the rest of the scenic island. One might take East Avenue in order to bypass the city in favor of the natural beauty of the Island Forest Preservation, located south of the city; however, one might be surprised to encounter this charming community along the way, filled with renowned residential architecture and some of the best sunrise views in the Commonwealth. The community has big plans for the future, including a new commercial district (called NAVE), a hotel and resort, and more residences.

Points of interest: 4 N East Ave, 8 S East Ave

Lowland District

Many know and love the Lowland District for its artisanship, environmentally-friendly architecture, progressivism, and scenic bayside views. Lesser known is how the district came to be in the first place. Disagreements within the City of Spectacle concerning development and the environment fueled a fight for secession among some to form a new self-governing settlement to be called Lowland in reference to its low elevation on the island. After a long period of back-and-forth, the settlement was adopted as the city’s first special district and granted certain self-governing powers. The district’s founding serves as a testament to its character and culture.

Points of interest: Lowland Art Gallery, Stonewall Theater

A travel guide

Where to…

EAT—Grab a doughnut and morning cup of joe at Slocum’s Joe; eat a meal fresh out of the garden at Garden on Main for lunch; then eat dinner and enjoy a show at Spec.

DRINK—Take a stroll down Alley Street, home to both of the Island’s microbreweries. Enjoy a Skipper’s Brew from Skipper Brewery while relaxing in the lounge at the Captain; pair the Islander by Commonwealth Brewery with a meal at The Tiki, a restaurant upstairs in the lobby of the Main Street Hotel; and soon, try the Carrot Flower Ale while catching a live show at The Alley, a renovation of the Spectacle Clinic building.

PLAY—Walk down Main Street; shop, visit an art gallery, have coffee, or buy a plant in the Lowland District; watch the sunset over the bay at Park-by-the-Bay; catch a show at Cozy’s; or take a walk through Spectacle Park.

STAY—Stay at the Spectacle Hotel or The Overlook Hotel or any of the other luxurious hotels or rooms throughout the city.

NEXT—Head south on Forest Road just past the Research Institute. To your left, the Island Forest Preservation; on the right, the Island Coastal Forest and Seashore Preservation. On the other side of this beautiful stretch of pristine nature is Randy, a small settlement with a progressive history that remains conscious of the environment. The settlement boasts a strong sense of community and symbiotic relationship with the island it calls home.

READ — Randy: a dark past, haunted present, and unpredictable future