The Virtual Lower East Side went from a closed Alpha to an Open Alpha on December 31, and the New York Times has already published a story on the The Virtual Lower East Side. The NYT points out that some may be shocked that MTV is behind this Project:

"The effort to recreate the hip, artistic spirit and distinctive geography of the tiny but creatively fertile neighborhood is the brainchild of MTV, an entertainment brand synonymous with populist fare and mass appeal."

But points out for the last two years MTV "was quietly developing another online property that would be based not on any of its television shows but on a real-world environment with decades of creative history underneath its grimy fingernails and an elusive character that is constantly in a state of flux."

“It was a way for us to get back to our core virtues around music discovery and passion for new, underground subversive bands,” said Van Toffler, the president of MTV Networks’ music group and a 20-year veteran of the company.

The result is an experience that feels like a mash-up of Facebook and Grand Theft Auto, with a dash of the indie-rock Web site Pitchfork thrown in for good measure.

On a technical level MTV is working hard with us at DGE to build social networking tools and software that integrate the 2D/3D/mobile worlds into a cohesive social environment. Read the article and check out The VLES.