Look. Here is what will happen if you think this place replaces the old. In a few months time, we'll have another lot of new posters who thaink that this place is nothing to do with them, and they will want their own place.
I have seen it happen many times before.
Bottom line is this- one social thread per area only, and that policy would need much wider mod consultation before being changed, as would the setting up of a new social area.
This area was therefore not set up correctly, and there is no actual good reason why you cannot just use the old one. They are just threads. Any difference is in your head.
Hence it will close. If you don't like that, sorry... but there you go.