This discussion is interesting, because I just recently listened to an interview with Tegan And Sara on NPR regarding their new album that almost perfectly emulates this (minimalism vs polish). They wanted to make their music more approachable to a wider audience, and their hardcore fans revolted because they just wanted to hear more of the same stuff. In the end, they were right, and the new album was successful.

Musicians (and artists in general) have to evolve, and there is a risk of alienating people with that evolution. I certainly don't want to make people not like NeoCities because the design changes.

However, having a good design makes the site more approachable and accessible for more people, which is the goal of NeoCities: to get people to start making web sites again, even if they aren't a member of the skilled web design crowd. HN has an appreciation for minimalism (that I almost always share), but I want to involve and inspire all users, and not just make it for our demographic, if that makes any sense.

If you had any suggestions specific to the design to improve it, I would love to hear your thoughts, but I do think it's a good design. It has site screenshots on the front page, a great top backdrop, good colors, and an awesome site mascot.