Mostly Victorian style homes here, with porches on every floor, all clustered close together and very narrow streets (no driving inside the grounds). And the most beautiful flower gardens everywhere you look. I seriously think there must be a community law that says you have to have incredible gardens because this entire place is an Eden. In addition to the private gardens of the homes/hotels/guest houses, there are little public areas tucked here & there with benches. I found a tiny little sunken garden this morning, maybe 15 feet across, where I sat and painted for a few hours. There's another pretty public garden near my guest house, & I suspect more hidden jewels all over the grounds. Plus a couple of larger park areas. AND, to top it all off, so far I haven't seen a single mosquito!! There are lots of little bats that come out at night, & apparently they eat them all!

Major security to get in here--you must have a gate pass which they check every time you come through the gate. Then once you're on the grounds, you enter the 19th century with everyone sitting on porches, walking everywhere, no locked doors, saying hello to everyone you pass, etc. I feel utterly safe here, which I have to tell you is a pretty awesome feeling given how I usually feel at home!!
 

I have my first critique meeting w/ my mentor tomorrow morning (we get 2 meetings). A little nervous about that, as I've heard the critiques here can be pretty blunt, to put it mildly.