About Youngvale

everything you need to know about this Idyllic, peaceful, and wholly unremarkable town.

“Enchanting, in an entirely ordinary sort of way”

Founded in 1887, Youngvale is a small, nothing-ever-happens-here town, somewhere in the northeast of the US, a few hours outside of “the city”. Nestled in between several wood-covered hills, it’s a quiet, friendly place where gossip spreads fast, most folks know or know of each other, and town traditions are set in stone. Like any good small town with a fundamental lack of exciting activities, it has its share of interpersonal dramas, low-stakes priorities, and local urban legends.

The original major economy of the gemstone mine that spurred its founding has long since dried up, and town economy today is mainly driven by lumber and the influx of high-earning remote workers taking their families out of the busy city to somewhere quiet and more idyllic.

“A thriving community for people who don’t get up to much”

Downtown

Downtown is the hub of the Youngvale community, home to Town Hall, local stores, eateries, and the movie theatre. There are well-tended flower beds and baskets throughout the central streets and the place prides itself on staying clean and tidy, with an ever-changing banner strung over Main Street, highlighting whatever town event is upcoming.

eASTFIELD

Eastfield is an historic side of town and is home to some of the town’s oldest still-active buildings and residential neighbourhoods, Youngvale’s three schools, and the town cemetery.

rIVERSIDE

Riverside is the closest the town has gotten to gentrification. It’s the product of an effort over the past decade or so to attract young professionals to town or prevent them leaving by providing one to two bedroom apartments for rent, right on the river front and within walking distance of downtown.

wESTCLIFFE

Westcliffe is a non residential part of town, the area covering all of woodland hills on the west side of town, as well as the Westcliffe road out of town and the lumber mill.

nORTHWOOD

Northwood is the name of the woodland hills neighbourhood north of downtown, where the wealthiest residents live in the town’s most luxurious houses. The richest by far live in the “Northwood Gardens” gated community at the top of the hills.

cHERRY hEIGHTS

Cherry Heights is the 1950’s residential neighbourhood and is occupied by those not quite wealthy enough for Northwood, but who need more space or a “nicer” environment than the rest of the town’s accommodations can provide. It’s a great, quiet neighbourhood full of lots of families, but is frustratingly cut off from the rest of the town due to its location and the limited, twice-daily bus service.

sOYO

Soyo (South Youngvale) is the suburban counterpart of Riverside; the newest development in town, a cookie-cutter neighborhood with a “hip”-sounding name and not much else going for it.

Redcreek

Redcreek is regarded to be the “dodgy” side of town. Home to the motel and the most run-down or rough businesses, it’s more or less the “wrong side of the tracks” part of town. The level of “danger” or “crime” or populus of “ruffians” in the area is, of course, relative to Youngvale as a whole. It’s the place that parents will look down on and tell their kids to avoid, but isn't really all that bad.

“There’s something for everyone who wants these things”

Movie Theatre

For just $6 a ticket you can catch the latest movie, though Youngvale puts the “late” in latest. Movies releases are typically a month behind the city and most of the listings are old reruns.

Effie’s Diner

There’s always been a diner in this spot in town, but the past decade it has been Effie’s place. It’s the beloved, go-to venue for coffee, burgers, waffles, and ice creams. A popular hang out for just about every demographic in town.

HoppJava

With a menu of frustratingly good beverages and paninis, HoppJava is a polarising presence in town. It’s part of a chain coffee brand and moved into town just over a year ago, luring in Youngvale’s youth with mocha-macha-PSL offerings and comfy leather armchairs too good to resist.

Huck Trucks Food Truck Park

Generally the domain of the younger demographics in town, Huck Trucks is home to a respectable taco truck, froyo truck, and vegan burger truck. Good vibes and a nice place to hang out on a sunny day.

Youngvale Museum & LIbrary

Housed in the old Young Manor this quaint museum chronicles the history and fun facts of the town, including its founding, local legends, and some educational materials about mining. It’s also the location of the town library, though the variety of books available is mediocre at best.

Huckman park

If the surrounding miles of nature isn’t enough for you, you can walk the pleasant manicured pathways of Huckman park or enjoy outdoor events over Summer.

Young FM Radio Station

There are three hosts and a couple of producers / receptionists. The signal doesn’t go much further than the town valley. Fans call themselves the FM MFs. The morning host is Brent Fawkes (6am-12pm), the afternoon host is Jesse Mckann (12pm-6pm), and the night host is “Dr Vibez” who plays weird EDM and 50’s sci-fi B-movie soundtracks from 6 until 6.

Rik’s Market

The only grocery store in town. Selection is limited, prices aren’t ideal, and Glynys the checkout lady has been scowling at customers since 1993.

Frank’s Liquor Store

On the rougher side of town, Frank’s is the place for cheap booze and a concerningly endless supply of mini pretzel bags. Rumour amongst teens is that Frank looks the other way when someone can’t provide an ID.

Youngvale Gazette

Astonishing that it’s still in business, the gazette delivers hard-hitting reporting on subjects like the switch to paper bags at the grocery store, the missing stop sign on 4th street, and the memoirs of the editor-in-chief’s latest holidays to Oregon.

Pickson Trail

For the hiking-inclined (pun intended) there’s a well-trodden trail that runs through the hills north of town. There are some good views overlooking the town and the trail runs all the way to the outlook on the north east side of town if you have the stamina for it, with a brief pit stop at the remains of Old Youngvale on the way. Be careful though, hikers have been known to disappear down hidden shafts in the undermined hillside when they wander off the trail.

The night is Young Roller rink

To an invigorating set list of 80’s classics, you can rent some skates and loop round this very modest rink for just $3 a go. The decades-old lighting rig will shine some uninspiring lights across a disco ball that’s missing a few glass tiles as you skate, and when you’re done you can grab a hot dog and a soda and enjoy the 5 arcade machines, including a claw machine that, legends say, contains a bauble that nobody has captured for 30 years, in which there is a hidden map to treasure.

Youngvale Society for Shakespeare Performers Club

The Youngvale am-dram group that does other shows too but always delivers a very modest quality Shakespeare in the park event in the summer months. They meet regularly in the middle school gym and sometimes host fundraiser bake sales down town.

Young Units Storage space

A typical warehouse of storage units. It was was originally planned to be built nearer downtown, but got pushed to outskirts due to objections from the historical society. It is now located in Red Creek, just south east of the map’s edge.

“The only thing bumping in the night is your parents”

Gym Ceiling barry

There's a bit of graffiti on the ceiling of the high school gym, more or less over the bleachers, that seems impossible to have reached and due to its location hasn't been able to be cleaned off despite being there for decades. It reads: “Barry rulz ‘97" School legends about it vary: - The kid who did it got expelled - The kid who did it died - The kid who did it grew up to be Banksy

The Hell Well

In the remains of Old Youngvale, a ghost town in the wooded hills north of the town, there is a well that, supposedly, leads straight to hell. Hikers have reported terrible creatures in the woods in that area: monsters with horns of a devil. Some stories also say that if you lean over the edge of the well you can see the fires of hell burning deep at the bottom. Reports from people who camped up there overnight to test the legend state that they heard terrible sounds from inside the well, or even saw the lid of the well rattle, or one camper even reported something climbing out of the well before they ran. Official investigations have, once again, never found any evidence to support these claims.

The Mystery of Tiffany Sparks

In 1954 a couple of teens were out swimming in Clement Lake at night and discovered a human skeleton sitting on the shore of the lake island. A long-decayed body, it would seem. Police could not identify the body; which appeared to have been dead for maybe 10 years or so and there had been no missing persons reported in that time. However, a few days after word had spread around the town, it was discovered that there was an open grave in the cemetery, under the tombstone of "Tiffany Sparks, 1911-1943". On first impressions, it appeared she had been dug from her grave and taken to the lake. However, the mystery went further: nobody in town could recall a Tiffany Sparks. No records existed of her living in Youngvale and nobody had any recollection of her burial. Indeed, no record of her could be found anywhere. Beyond the details on her tombstone, nobody knew a thing about her. Stranger still, there was no coffin in the grave. There was no evidence pointing to any gravediggers and no clear idea how her body was transported to the island. With no other clues to go on, the town reburied her and the case went cold. Today, kids tell stories of how on a moonlit night you can see Tiffany roaming the streets of the town, taking a walk to the lake where she enjoys the view, leaving muddy footprints on the street in her wake.

The Young Curse

Youngvale, founded in 1887, was named after the town founders, the Young family, who opened the original gemstone mine. Tragically, every member of the Young family met an untimely end, none of them making it further than their 30th birthday. It became a popular belief that the family was cursed, the causes varying depending on the storyteller. This was often credited with the cause of the mine ultimately closing, though that was unrelated in reality. The family line ended with the youngest Young, Ernest, who at age 25 reportedly went on a hike one day and never returned. Theories are that he fell down a mineshaft, his body never recovered. His dogs were adopted by others in the town.

The Beast of Huckman Park

A long-standing legend in Youngvale is that there is some kind of beast that supposedly appears at night to attack people wandering alone in the park. Over the course of decades there have been various sightings reported of some kind of enormous wild cat or bear or dog, though investigation by authorities has never yielded any evidence that there is truth to these claims. There are countless accounts that support this legend, including but not limited to: a teen girl who was mauled to death some years ago, or more than one couple having a late night liaison being interrupted by some terrible fanged creature that chased them down Young Street.

The Great gas leak of '93

In June 1993 Youngvale was host to a terrible gas leak that hospitalised multiple residents and cost more than $12,000 of property damage. Construction and property developer StarBuild was breaking ground on the foundation of what would later become the Riverside Millenium Project when they struck a major gas line, releasing catastrophic volumes of gas into the air. Youngvale's usually-appreciated low wind speeds due to its topography was the curse of the town that day as several thousand cubic feet of powerful, hallucinagenic gas became trapped in the Youngvale valley. This lead to widespread panic and immediate sickness, with numerous local residents being admitted to the urgent care with reports of flashing migraines, severe hallucinations, and multiple cases of hysteria. The toxic air quality also led to multiple traffic collisions and outbreaks of violence between townsfolk as a result of the rampant paranoia brought on by the hallucinations. The incident brought emergency response teams from the city to get things under control and a shelter in place order was issued until a freak storm front rolled in, dispersing the gas from the town. The aftermath was cleaned up and legal proceedings were persued against StarBuild, but many folk in town believe that was too neat of a bow tied on things. The consensus among several Youngvale residents is that the whole event was suspicious, some even believing that it was all an alien landing which was covered up by the government. These theories have been consistently dismissed by local law enforcement as "silly nonsense".