I tried to spread my villagers out and make my island look like it has a town & countryside. Four live in town, four in the countryside, and two live in a market area by the chantry (church). Once I get Ankha, I will need to make some adjustments since I want to make her house fit the bazaar area and look extra special/fancy ^.^.
They're all pretty scattered! The ones closest to each other are Bea, Felicity, and Ruby in the downtown area. Sherb and Shep are around the beach area, Lobo and Vivian would be in the marketplace, and Lily, Genji, and Fuchsia in the forest area. Even if they're grouped together this way the aren't actually beside other (except Ruby and Felicity who live right beside each other because they are BFFs). I like incorporating the characters in areas where they feel most connected with on my island! I think my most favorite house location atm is Lily's since she lives right in the middle of the forest pond.
In hindsight I still have no idea where to place my own house, but uhhh I'll cross the bridge when I get there LOL
I personally like doing small neighborhoods. It gives me a way to spread things out and also more opportunities to decorate in different ways! Total I have 4 neighborhoods with 2-3 houses in each(including myself)
So my "main" neighborhood has me on my own mini cliff, with 2 villagers below/next to me(usually my besties~)
A beach/boardwalk neighborhood
A "suburban" neighborhood near the university
&A natural neighborhood in a woodsy area
Oh! Plus the villagers usually generally match the area they live in, so June is in the beach area, Beau/Tad in the natural area, Chevre/Marshal in the burbs, and so on~
i have one city street with four houses, i really like that area. then i have one in a little foresty area, that's pretty cute, too. the rest of the houses are a mess and i don't know what to do with them, one is on the beach and the remaining four are in a row in an empty part of my island. honestly it's so awkward to design villager house areas in my opinion because i don't want to make them yards but idk what else to do so i just don't do anything ):
I have 4 areas all fairly spread out. I prefer it that way.
One town-y area with 3 houses all next to each other, the're located near the main shops.
A "private estate" kind of area made up of 4 houses spread out evenly with a fountain in the middle.
A more rural area of two houses just below my orchard, they're aligned next to each other just seperated by a small path (as my orchard is also split by this path).
Lastly Julian lives on his own with a pathway going all the way up to his house. I tried to make it look fairly grand giving him a bigger front garden than the rest of my villagers to give off a manor house vibe/
at the very beginning I thought I'd maybe scatter them around my island, but quickly realized that would annoy me to no end if I went through with that I personally prefer a set neighborhood with all my villager houses aligned neatly in it c:
I made a little neighborhood towards the front of my island with a center path that leads up to the town center. So, if you imagine a vertical line, I have 2 rows of 2 houses on either side. Everyone has a yard that I decorated, but what I've found is I gave them too much space and I have 2 extra homes that don't fit into this "model" that I haven't figured out what to do with yet.
I definitely think a more organic, windy layout is the way to go, haha.
The houses are literally just wherever I threw the plot initially. My first two villagers live on the mainland by resident services. The three of us are the only ones who do. Everyone else is just spread around the island.
I spread them around in pairs and make sure every tier i use and access have villager houses too. I did spread them around in nl as well so i guess i did it this way because i am used to it and i like it, but i might try making a one big nighborhood one day.
On island #1 I have a rigid neighborhood with small yards. I organized them into two rows of 5 with a little street and canal in-between. On island #2 I'm spreading them out more and having the arrangement be more organic. I haven't finished yet but I really like that too. I'm not sure which I prefer more, it depends on what your island is like. I've seen both done really well so I was excited to try both for myself!
I have them in groups of 3 and then 1 on its own near the museum. I made each of my villagers a yard big enough to have flowers that match their house and some items that match their personalities. I didn't group them with any reason, except the house I put near the museum. That one belongs to Leopold, the smug teacher lion, so it felt right for him to be there.
Mine are scattered all over the map. Most are paired off to make up tiny little neighborhoods but a small handful are on their own as well. Even though they don't choose where they live I like to make sure there are options for both privacy and community living.
Most of my villagers' houses are in pairs next to each other. These are Apple/Octavian, Cranston/Judy, and Anabelle/Antonio. Cranston, Judy, Anabelle, and Antonio all form a line of houses with space between Judy and Anabelle for a shortcut. Apple and Octavian are nearby.
The rest were just put in random spots and I never moved them. Tangy is down the cliff next to Antonio, Melba is near my house and Nook's Cranny, Marshal and Agnes are next to Resident Services.
I've got all 5 of my deer villagers in a neighborhood area, and themed their yards based on the 5 seasons in animal crossing (counting cherry blossom as its own season since its pretty unique), and they each have a different fruit tree in their yard. Other than that, Raymond, Ruby, and Wolfgang's homes are in the downtown area since their homes double as a clinic, planetarium, and detective agency respectively. And finally Rory lives in a little zen rose garden, and Timbra lives further at the end of the downtown area next to her spa. I like to imagine the five deer are rich and bought houses in Nara to get away from their busy lives and the other 5 moved to Nara to start their own businesses.
I created two neighborhoods, one of them is made out of six villager houses while the other one is made out of the 4 remaining villager houses as well as my house and the one of my alt character. Every villager has a small yard with space enough for one furniture/tree and some flowers. I really like it that way actually.
They all have they own little yard, with an orange tree and few flowers. I also give them different fences. The furniture I decorated there is either depends on the outer appearance of their house or depends on the conversation we have.
I do grouped 4 of them to live in the same area with me and the other 6 of them on another side.
My villagers are all separate, some of them used to be in little neighbourhoods but over time I've moved them all so they're completely apart from each other.
I personally prefer a set neighborhood with all my villager houses aligned neatly in it c:
