I don't like having stuff on the home lot either, so I build a lot of venues. I have a little church with a graveyard, 2 shopping malls that sell clothes, baby furniture, toys, cakes, electronics, Christmas decor, cinema, arcades, 2 smaller shopping buildings with florists, book store, gems store, ice cream parlor, beauty parlor, bakery, spa, bowling alley, a big city cafe, pizzeria, black tie restaurant, pirate ship restaurant, community pool, community garden/market. I have kept most of the bars and lounges, museums, library etc that came with the game. Where it makes sense, I add the crafting stations so sims could skill-up/earn some money while doing so.