Help - trying to build rather large site

[dreamynest]

Hi all -

I've been playing around with all kinds of scripts, including Joomla, Oxwall, Tomato Cart, etc. I'm looking for the best solution to build a rather large socialization site.

I must have the following:

Gallery - with front-end uploads, categories, ratings, comments
Forum - special permissions for mods/special admin private forums
Blogs - main site blog AND user front-end mini-blogs
Social Integration - Connect with as many social sites (FB, Twitter, Google, etc) as possible
Cart - for downloadable files, with special permissions for contributors and admins
Chat - both IM between friends AND site chat for special events
Newsletter - Not essential, as I can easily add a 3rd-party extension

I've been most impressed with Oxwall, but it has major limitations on permissions, forums and gallery and no cart. I've thought of somehow figuring out a way to bridge a gallery, cart and forum plugin but I don't know how, which ones to pick, and how to ensure the entire site looks seamless. Although I am figuring out to create subdomains to add extra plugins to.

I've tried Joomla and it just seems clunky and I had a hard time trying to set up site navigation.

I'm trying to avoid the standard X-Cart and V-Bulletin software that I see most used on sites like I'm trying to create. I love open source and want to support these communities and I just KNOW there's got to be a way to do this for a newbie who only knows enough to try something and delete.

Any ideas???

[developerguru]

If these are your requirements
Gallery, Forum, Blogs, Social Integration, Cart, Chat, Newsletter

Then the best open source script that is available for you is, Drupal.

You can build your own site with this but you need to have some training.
Before starting your site you must watch Lullabot Training videos for Drupal.
In those videos all the things that you required is covered.

I hope this will help you.

[dreamynest]

Thank you so much for your input. I am looking up those videos now and will watch them. I appreciate it - your advice was exactly what I was needing. Thank you!!!