ANIMAL CROSSING- Beverly Island updates
UPDATE #3- SEPTEMBER 2025
Summer is winding down, which means it's fall/spooky season here on Beverly Island! During September, Beverly saw some of its biggest updates so far, including huge amounts of progress towards pathing, new stores opening, huge updates to the house, and the completion of the amusement park! Honestly, even though there's still plenty to do, I'm getting to the point where I’m not sure what to tackle next, given what I've been able to accomplish so far. But that’s a problem for later – so let's get into it!
Starting with my house, I decided to relocate from the third-level plateau I moved to last month to a second-level opening that sits directly to the southwest. The layout of this new space has allowed me to be more ambitious with how I plot things in the yard. For example, my walkway is now much longer than it previously was, the side of the house now features a driveway occupied by my bike and moped, and it even has space for some Halloween decorations that I recently put up.
Inside the house, I've finally completed my music room! It comes loaded with two acoustic guitars, a rack effects unit, a drum set, a vintage microphone, an LED screen, and a plant I've placed in the corner to add some ambiance. I'm hoping to add some amps and electric guitars in the future, but I'm at the mercy of what Nook's Cranny decides to sell the residents, so we'll see if it happens! On the other end of the house is my kitchen, which has seen a few, but notable changes, including a double monitor menu screen which makes the room look like a restaurant. I'm not sure that this was the vibe I was initially going for, but for some reason, I like it! I'm still waiting for Nook's Cranny to stock another diner couch so I can complete my kitchen table area, so until then, I'll refrain from hosting any dinner parties.
Moving on from the house and onto the island itself, you'll notice that I've finally completed the theme park! It now features four park rides, a theme park ball game, and a separate section complete with four picnic tables for park goers to sit and enjoy their snacks! All we have available at the moment is cotton candy, but folks still seem to be enjoying it nonetheless..for now. The front of the park has also been outfitted with a grand entrance and a neon welcome sign, elevating it to feel like a legitimate theme park!
The largest update so far comes by way of pathing. I've finally provided stone pathing for the entire main section of the island, which consists of the town square, the resident services building, Nook's Cranny, and Mabel's clothing shop. Now, Beverly looks like a legitimate town that feels lived-in. The idea is that from the moment you exit the airport, you're greeted with a bustling town full of things to do, and the implementation of pathing -- which is strategically laid out to guide residents and visitors to shops and other points of interest -- is a major step towards realizing that experience.
As for next month, as I mentioned at the beginning, I'm honestly not sure where to go next. I have some bridges currently under construction, so I may shift my focus to connect more of the island. I imagine that I'll probably add pathing to other parts of Beverly as well; however, I'm undecided on where I’ll want to tackle next. Maybe I'll let the inspiration come to me! In any case, thanks for sticking around for another Animal Crossing update. I'm already excited for next month's check-in, where I'll show off all of the cool Halloween decorations I will have outfitted the island with.
UPDATE #2- AUGUST 2025
Another month means a new slate of changes for Beverly! Welcome to update #2 for my Animal Crossing island. I set some lofty goals for last month, some of which I achieved, and others that'll have to wait a little longer. Nevertheless, the island is coming along slowly but surely. So, what's new?
My two biggest goals for August were to erect an amusement park and create a neighborhood on the island’s second level. Going into the creation of the amusement park, I didn't initially realize how expensive the attractions would be! Well, they'd be a lot easier to get if I could buy them with bells, but these items require a bit of extra work, as they can only be paid for with Nook Miles. So far, I've been able to obtain a Ferris wheel, a tea cup ride, a horse ride, and a ball game. Once I get the train ride and the merry-go-round, the rides and games section of the park will be complete, and I'll then move on to food attractions like vending machines, and whatever else I can find that fits that criteria. Lastly, I'll outfit the park with streetlights, bushes, and other accent pieces. I'm hoping to have the full park completed by the end of the month, so my residents and I have some time to enjoy it before winter rolls in. Maybe I'll turn it into a winter wonderland when that happens?
As for my neighborhood project, I was able to get the majority of this task done. Part one was getting all of the houses out of the way so I could erect the amusement park, but there are still a handful of houses near the city square that I need to figure out places for. However, now that the neighborhood is set up, I'm beginning to think that it may be better to spread the houses out a little more throughout the island. The main reason being, that other than Mabel's clothing shop, I can't think of any other buildings that would get built down the road, and with all of the houses grouped into one space, it's going to leave a lot of empty space on the island. I'm thinking it may be better to place my residents throughout the island and utilize the open space. I'll decide on that once I complete the park, because after all, relocating residents can be expensive.
When it comes to my own home, I've made some big changes! For one, I've officially moved to the third level of the island, and inside, I've added a few cool things, such as a new couch and a flatscreen TV. The kitchen is also finally taking shape with the addition of a fridge, a proper kitchen table, and some diner seating! This month, I'm hoping to finally pay off my home loan so I can expand into a third room -- finally achieving my goal of creating a dedicated space for music equipment!
The last big update for August is that I finally jumped into the Happy Home Paradise DLC. So far, I've only designed one vacation home, so I don't have much to report regarding actual work progress. However, I can say that I'm somewhat disappointed that I can't use Poki (the currency used on DLC island) back in Beverly. Maybe I'll be able to buy some useful stuff I can take back with me down the road. In any case, while I am looking forward to seeing what my new job as a paradise home planner has to offer, my main priority still lies with the development of Beverly.
UPDATE #1- JULY 2025
Back in 2020, when the pandemic kept us locked inside with all of our games, I decided to jump into Animal Crossing: New Horizons. As it was for many, ACNH quickly became the perfectly-timed escape from reality that I needed from a world that felt like anything but an island getaway. I played it for a month or two, putting in about 90 hours, and then I dropped off of it to play other games. Five years later, the launch of the Switch 2, paired with its relatively thin launch lineup, introduced a valid enough reason to jump back in. So, I started up a new island, which I named Beverly after the neighborhood I grew up in, and am now even more obsessed with crafting my perfect island getaway than ever before. Here's my first island update detailing what I've achieved in July and what I hope to achieve in August!
Buildings and Structures - Off To A Fast Start
Starting up a brand new island after putting in 90 hours of work was a tough decision to make, but I feel like I gained back plent of ground pretty in July. As for buildings, I got the Museum and Resident Services building up and running. However, because I've opted to sell any and all fossils, bugs, and fish to fund my goals for island infrastructure, I haven't donated much to Blathers. Once the majority of those goals have been reached, I'll strike a balance between selling my findings and donating them, because I definitely want to have a museum to brag about!
As far as my house goes, I've upgraded the main living room space, built a bedroom, and am currently working on building a kitchen. While the living room is coming together nicely, it won't truly feel like a proper living room until I can get some sort of sofa or couch in there. The same can be said with the kitchen -- once I get a proper counter space and kitchen table in there, it'll feel like a proper kitchen. Beyond that, everything is coming together nicely! Next month, I'm hoping to expand to a fourth room that I'll aim to turn into a music studio. I've got the recipe for an acoustic guitar, and I was able to snag a pedal board from Nook's Cranny pretty early on, so we're off to a good start!
Island Infrastructure
Island infrastructure is by far and away my biggest interest for Beverly. My goal is to create an island that strikes a balance between the lived-in hustle and bustle of a city and the relaxed nature of a getaway island. If anyone reading this has ever been to Cape Cod/Martha’s Vineyard, then this is essentially the vibe I'm going for. With that said, my biggest goal from the start was to get as many bridges built as possible, and so far, I've managed to build four of them! My next step is to finish funding an incline that'll connect the first and second levels of the island near the Residential Services building. I'm also working on adding pathways -- perhaps the most important step to making Beverly feel lived-in as well as providing that "city" feel. I'm hoping to unlock something similar to your typical city street pathing from the ABD so I can begin to build roads.
Aside from bridges, inclines, and pathways, my other big goal has been to create a series of parks for my residents and I to enjoy. To start, I've created a flower garden that sits right behind Resident Services. The flowers consist of what I was able to buy in the early game, so lots of tulips for now. However, as I progress, I plan to update the garden with a wider variety of flowers to add some visual diversity. For now, though, the flower garden looks great, especially now that I've added some walkway pathing. Now that I've passed the K.K. Slider concert event, I've gained access to more elaborate structures such as a flower pergola and a gazebo that would fit perfectly in the garden.
Goals For August
My #1 goal for August is actually two goals that go hand-in-hand with each other. When initially forming the island, I placed the first batch of new residents in one space behind Resident Services to create a “neighborhood”. My new goal is to move all six houses to the second level of the island, spread them out, give them all fencing and roads, and build out a proper town within a town. From there, I plan to build a park where those six houses would have previously stood, complete with amusement park rides, a cotton candy machine, and whatever else I can buy that would fit that theme. Between the time and cost associated with moving each house and acquiring all the materials for the park, I assume that this will take me an entire month of work, so I won't stack any big goals on top of that.
That's it for now! If you've enjoyed this update, feel free to leave a comment below. Are you working on an island of your own? Are you 900 hours into your getaway masterpiece? Let me know!