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THE CENTRAL DISTRICTS
There are various parts that have accumulated since the earliest days of Southowilson, all of them on or near what used to be “Grizzly Island” on Suisun Bay. Most of it is pretty typical 2090’s metroplex; some areas are new, shiny, and well kept, while others are old and dilapidated. It is nevertheless dominated by the Harbor, Laramie Park, Eddings University, and most of all Glory Lane. The individual districts and features listed below are simply the most noteworthy ones, specific neighborhoods and districts which stand out above the neon and plasticrete hell that is modern Southowilson. The Central Districts rely heavily on an effective system of above- and below-ground mass transit systems to move people around, both train, slidewalk, and bus. Though there are countless streets available, these are usually choked with vehicles, and it is often easier not to own one at all. City police and medical personnel are available on short notice in the Central Districts, usually via aerodyne or spinner. The heart of Southowilson is bustling, packed, and frantic at all hours of the day, every day of the year.
1. Chappell Hill- This is a slightly upscale area of townhouses, small apartments, and private residences located right in the center of town, between Turner Plaza, Laramie Park, the New Cali Arcology, and Eddings University. Effective use of green space, such as trees and parks, makes Chappell Hill a nice place to live. The low-key but very effective private security makes Chappell Hill safe as well. Many fixers and other semi-wealthy individuals live quietly here, leaving their business at the front gates. At the west end of the district is a small marina, housing a number of yachts and recreational subs owned by Chappell Hill residents, as well as some exclusive restaurants.
2. Eddings University- Eddings University is NorCal’s largest university, with approximately 20,000 students ranging from undergraduate to post-doctoral work. Funded by government and Megacorp sponsors, EU is well known for its excellent programs in the sciences, medicine, and business. A twenty-foot high ferrocrete wall surrounds the campus, with a brick facade on both sides and gene fixed ivy on the inside. Security at the gates is heavy, but once inside the campus it is relatively light and unobtrusive. EU is a popular market for drugs and stolen scientific gear. The university sports teams (the Eddings Dragoons), draw big crowds for home games. Most locals regard EU with pride, but there is tension between local gangs and some student organizations.
3. Eddings District- The area around Eddings University is Southowilson's art and cultural district. Mixed in with the usual urban dwellings and EU student co-ops are various cafes, drug bars, galleries, showrooms, studios, and homes of artists and their hangers-on. Many small and unusual specialty shops can be found here. Eddings District residents have a reputation for out-of control political demonstrations, and frequent hallucinogen use. Many radical political types, such as terrorists and ideologues, find a sympathetic ear here. Most street corners have people espousing various doctrines vociferously, especially on weekends.
4. New Cali Arcology - Located adjacent to Eddings University is the New Cali Arcology, an urban monad combining several shopping malls, residential areas, and corporate facilities into a single self-contained structure. The Arcology is composed of two enormous domes linked by a number of smaller structures, all erected in the 2070's as a more modest and practical counterpoint to the Ikebara Tower. It is entirely possible to live one's entire life within the confines of the New Cali Arcology; more than a few people choose to do.
5. Laramie District- Laramie District is a stylistic interface between the downtown residential districts like Freidland and the more homogeneous "mega-block" style residences of the Projects, mixing both architectural styles. Located at the east end of Laramie Park, the district is largely unremarkable; in fact it is only noteworthy because of the frequency of odd news stories of the "Man Bites Dog" variety that originate here. There are several highly visible gangs in the area, but none rate serious attention from local law enforcement.
6. Turner Plaza - Built on the site of old Fort Wilson, Turner Plaza is the seat of government power in the San Francisco Bay region. It is built along utilitarian, almost military lines... with massive, "brutalist" architecture. A twenty-five foot high wall surrounds the district, with limited access to the general public. Both national and local government offices are located here, doing most of their business with the public through the Net or at offices outside the walls. Metpol's main office is here, as well as the main city computers. Most of the nations that maintain consular offices in NorCal have established them on the west side of Turner Plaza.
7. North Harbor- This section of Southowilson's harbor has been recently updated to handle the increased numbers of large cargo subs and dirigibles that transit the Pacific Ocean. It is mainly Megacorp owned, and is well lit and well maintained, and operates around the clock. NorCal maintains a small naval facility here, mostly charged with customs and air search-and-rescue.
8. Laramie Park- Yet another of Southowilson's mega features, Laramie Park neatly bisects downtown Southowilson, running over two miles east to west, and about a mile wide. The park is a forested area surrounding a large artificial lake. Park facilities are old but well maintained. The east end of the park has a zoo and a small amusement park, an anachronism in this age of simstim, but still very popular. Both are popular hangouts for booster gangs, making battles common there. The entire park is surrounded by a fifteen foot high brick wall, but has many entrances and is only lightly patrolled. It is a popular hangout, despite the dangers, because concealment is easy there. The major roads and transitways that cross the park nearly all do so underground, leaving the view of the park unobstructed by artificial construction.
9. Harborside- Sandwiched uncomfortably within the southern port facilities, Harborside is a dirty, run-down sinkhole. It is filled with cheap hotels and smoky bars, and caters to freighter crews who haven't the money, time, or proper attitude to make it all the way up the street to Glory Lane. Thanks to subsidence after the 2076 quake, portions of this district are actually submerged at high tide.
10. Glory Lane- The entertainment district of Southowilson, Glory Lane is a glittering neon hell, which combines the worst of Roppongi in Tokyo and Sunset Strip in Los Angeles. Glory Lane stretches almost a solid mile along the south edge of Laramie Park, as well as several blocks north and south, extending from Turner Plaza to the Laramie District. It is loaded with nightclubs, bars, simstim parlors, drug parlors, and other places which cater to every conceivable vice. Glory Lane is one of the largest such strips in NorCal, drawing tourists from all over human space. It is a haven for gangs, crime, and all sorts of human oddities. The alleys which share a wall with Laramie Park are among the most dangerous anywhere.
11. East End- A small residential area adjacent to Glory Lane and the Mashriq, East End is home to large numbers of European immigrants. It is notable for a higher than normal percentage of European immigrants who make their homes here. English is less common here than French, Swedish, and Russian.
12. Freidland District- This is a very typical urban residential district. It consists of neighborhoods with older single-family houses, medium-sized apartments, and strip centers. Most of the streets are lined with trees, nicking it seem as though a suburb was swallowed by the sprawl. Freidland District is relatively quiet, but the northern areas nearest Glory Lane get pretty raw after dark. Police patrol the area frequently but irregularly.
13. Mashriq- Every bit as insular as a prewar Chinatown, this ethnic enclave houses most of the Arabic speaking population of Southowilson. Most of the long-term residents are immigrants from the "Restored Caliphate", largely North African Sunnis. Small contingents of refugees from SACPA have arrived in recent decades. Oddly enough, Southowilson's only homogeneous community of Orthodox Jews lives in the Mashriq, tucked quietly away in the far southern corner of the district. Their religious devotion inspires the respect of their Muslim neighbors, who accept them as closer brethren than the secular world outside the district's diffuse borders.
14. South Harbor- The south end of Grizzly Bay was Southowilson’s port for decades but suffered declining fortunes after the 2076 quake. Once a vital business district, the area was badly damaged by the earthquake, suffering land subsidence – as a result, some parts of this district are actually flooded at high tide. This prompted most of the large businesses to relocate to the north harbor facilities. In their wake, a variety of smaller businesses moved in. Now the district is homeport to smugglers, fishing boats, small freighters working the Pacific circuit, and a variety of eclectic sea- and commerce- related enterprises. The most notable feature of the district is the cluster of abandoned high-rises along the southern shore, their lower floors actually submerged in the bay.
15. Amur Station - This area is mostly dominated by ethnic Japanese, most of who emigrated in the 2070's after political and economic turmoil wracked East Asia, ostensibly to work on the Ikebara Project. Japanese is the most common language spoken there, and the lifestyle is traditional Japanese adapted to an urban setting. Physically, it is a warren of maze-like streets, small houses, and small businesses. Amur Station is the seat of power for the Yakuza, which controls much of the local vice trade. Though there is plenty of crime, there is little of the random violence plaguing the outside. The people are very insular; outsiders may enter freely, but are not invited to stay. This insularity is a legacy of Japan's role during the Third World War... though it was nearly a century ago; certain scars have yet to heal.
16. Presidio District- The Presidio District is similar to Freidland District, but has little to attract the interest of gangs or crime syndicates. It is a generic lower-middle class district, supplying workers to the port, Turner Plaza, and the Southern Industriplex. Like parts of the harbor it used to serve, earthquake subsidence has created some interesting topological issues at high tide.
17. Montezuma Power Plant- The main power plant for the Southowilson metropolitan area is a large fission plant, nearly fifty years old, surrounded by an undistinguished low-rent blue-collar neighborhood. Despite being old and exceedingly ugly to look at, the Montezuma Nuker power plant is reliable and safe, having operated without fail through air strikes, earthquakes, and economic collapse. It is a source of perverse pride for Southowilson, which generates a good portion of the city's meager revenue through sale of power to the various corporate facilities in the area.
18. Riverview District – Located across a river from the Garfield Projects, the Riverview Projects are shabby and somewhat dilapidated. Despite the charming name, the “river” is a shallow muddy tributary of the Montezuma Slough, unsuitable for much besides providing an interesting smell in summers.
19. Julian Hill District – Named for a historical figure of the postwar era, the Julian Hill District is actually a decent place to live. It is a mix of light commercial, single-family residences, and small condo complexes. Julian Hill District is best known as the location of several fairly odd religious groups, operating out of what can only be described as “compounds” in the district.
20. Grizzly Point – A typical residential district in most respects, Grizzly Point (named for the island) also doubles as an alternative entertainment district for Southowilson. The Suisun Sports Complex, which includes two stadiums and a convention center, are located at the westernmost point. The rest of the district is small neighborhoods, apartments, and medium-sized commercial complexes.
Central Projects- The oldest of Southowilson’s projects are block after block of massive multistory housing projects. Densely populated and imbued with an oppressive air, the Projects are hotbeds of grime, violence and human misery. The buildings tend to follow the same patterns and are of sub-standard quality. The streets, flanked by 20-story monoliths, receive very little sunlight. The perpetual gloom shows on the inhabitants. Dozens of small gangs war for control of the endless halls, and the residents can go years without leaving their sector. The Central Projects are heterogeneous in population, but are notable because they are not under the control of any one group. Power arrangements shift daily. Beyond that, nothing distinguishes the Central Projects from any others.
SURROUNDING METRO AREA: Radiating outward a dozen miles from the Central Districts in all directions, Southowilson is densely populated. Most of the construction of the outer districts was Megacorp funded, and took place during the long prosperous period of the 2060’s. This means that many housing tracts are now decades old, and their infrastructure definitely show it. The Greater Metroplex is defined mainly by the geography of Suisun Bay, Grizzly Bay, and the countryside around it. In the north the Metroplex is bounded by the North Industriplex, while in the south, the Southern Industriplex defines the southern limits of current expansion. Ikebara Tower of course dominates the skyline; standing over almost two miles above the ground, it is visible from nearly a hundred miles away, and easily visible from orbit. To the west lie the ruins of Vallejo, Benicia, and San Francisco, all destroyed and abandoned during the Third World War (2018-2023). To the east lie the vast projects and suburbs of the Montezuma Hills, the Sacramento River delta, and the agricultural regions of the Central Valley.
THE NORTH SIDE (aka "Potrero Hills")
Garfield Projects- Located to the north of Grizzly Island, the Garfield Projects are similar to the other Projects in Southowilson, but they are newer and of higher quality. That is still not saying much, but the area is better maintained by the corporations that sponsor the Projects. Many suspect that the quality is up because the corps pay to have a nice view from their office windows, and the residents have some clout with the local powers-that-be. There are a few parks in the midst of the living blocks. A plaza here and there attracts small businesses of a transitory nature.
North Industriplex- The Industriplex is a large area of corporate factories and refineries located in the Luco Hills north of the city, employing a large portion of Southowilson’s population. Access is limited to workers and staff in most cases, a rule enforced by large private armies of Corpcops. Despite this a great deal of black-market commerce goes on, such as hot goods, industrial espionage, and such. Many megacorporations maintain leases here, while keeping offices in the central district.Wilson District- Located along the Montezuma Slough, Wilson District is a unique twist on the "Projects" concept. All of the buildings in Wilson District are connected in one way or another, making it possible to move anywhere without going outside. The buildings still go up as high as 30 stories, making for interesting views. As most of these buildings have internal roadways, some very unusual gang wars occur here. Wilson District is nearly a hive unto itself, making it seem a degeneration of the Ikebara Tower idea.
Stavangrad District- An urban residential district like most others, Stavangrad is populated by blue-collar workers for the Industriplex. The populace is staid, conservative, and a bit xenophobic. Mostly Caucasian and Black, with a smattering of other groups, Stavangrad is surprisingly low on racial tension. Metpol and the corps both have high status here, as the residents are for "law and order". Many Metpol officers hail from Stavangrad District, carrying on long-time family traditions. There is a great deal of tension between the local residents and the denizens of the Wilson District just across the waterway.
Travis Scrubs – These are a series of housing developments wedged between the North Industriplex and the ruins of Travis AFB. They are shabby, desparate, and crime-infested, and have little to commend them. A surprising number of local media celebrities come from this area, for some reason.
Northpark District- Located northeast of Stavangrad, this is one of the oldest of the Projects. It is without any notable features, being identical to the Central Projects in substance. There are a high number of scrap yards here, along the fringes of the waterways that run through the district, as well as a number of smaller industrial complexes and factories.
Northeast Projects- Still more Projects, this area is basically identical to neighboring areas, and has little beyond location to highlight it. The Northeast Projects are rife with small gangs, and occasionally suffers from fiendishly creative serial killers. Many blame this on supernatural activity, probably mere rumor, but the area does have an exceptionally bad reputation. It backs up against the Montezuma Hills, providing some interesting scenery for the residents.
Barrens- The devastated ruins to the north and west of the Southowilson Metroplex, the Barrens are the general termed used to demote the ruins of Concord, Vallejo, Benicia, and the Fairfield/Travis AFB areas. Destroyed in the nuclear attacks of 2020, the cities were abandoned and never rebuilt. When civilization returned after many decades, the areas remained toxic, radioactive, and dangerous. To minimize the impact of the “Barrens”, an extensive series of earthen walls were built between the Barrens and Southowilson using soil and sediment dredged from the deepwater channels of Grizzly and Suisun Bays. To this day, the ruins are mostly empty – considered cursed and deadly, they are home only to the most desperate and deranged.
THE EAST SIDE (aka "Montezuma Hills")
Ikebara District- This is the area near Ikebara Tower, a mile high monolith that dominates the entire region. Aside form this, this area is essentially a typical but rough urban district. It is primarily apartments, brownstones, houses, and a few high-rises. What makes the area distinctive is the fact that a large portion of the population fits the label "Cyberpunk" or even "Transhuman". Techies, ripperdocs, fixers, and such make their homes in Ikebara District. Many gangs and a few cults lurk in the area, keeping things interesting. Ikebara Plaza is the area immediately surrounding Ikebara Tower. Physically, it consists of the early support structures; warehouses, offices, garages, et cetera. The majority has been converted to other uses, though a few remain abandoned. The trendy or urban elite has converted many into loft homes. In most regards, it is part of Ikebara District. Due to its unusual nature, Ike Tower is detailed in a separate article.
Southowilson Aerospace Center (S.A.C.) - This major spaceport is a central hub for air transportation in the region. It is quite large by modern standards, with capacity to handle both orbital shuttles and ballistic liners on its large runways and landing pads. Needless to say, noise is quite a problem for the residents of the neighboring districts, especially the Chappell Projects and the Caribs. Its location minimizes the effects of sonic booms on the Central Districts, but it is not terribly convenient to most residents.
Caribs- These parts of Southowilson are collectively named for the region of origin of most of the residents – most of who are employed at the SAC or the Northern Industriplex. There are a variety of different neighborhoods, from upper-class to brutal projects, but all are known by the same name. The bulk of the population consists of Africans, African-Americans, and especially immigrants from the Caribbean. In recent years, large numbers of Haitians and Jamaicans have relocated to the area, changing the makeup. As a result, Creole is as common as English in the Caribs. One man, known only to outsiders as “Big Daddy Mombasa” (a possible reference to his original home in Kenya) has dominated the districts for decades. It is thought that he fled enemies in Azania, and made his way here. In any case, he is one of the most powerful individuals in Southowilson, and even Megacorp representatives tread lightly around him.
East Projects- The East Projects are the some as the Central Projects, but they are even more backwater. There is little of note in the district, barring sporadic media stories about things crawling from the waterways near the Fuser. Most residents are on corporate dole, or have menial jobs in either one of the Industriplexes. The general opinion is that the East Projects are about as low as one can get and still have a home. Residents of the Barrens disagree with this, citing the Metpol presence as a bonus. Nevertheless, crime is quite bad, even for Southowilson.
McKinley Projects- Not much is to be said about McKinley Projects. It is similar to the Central Projects, but with a substantial Chinese majority population in certain parts. These comprise the Triad territories, which war among themselves when not faced with external threats, or fighting with the gangs of Amur Station. Unlike many prewar “Chinatowns”, McKinley District is neither insular nor foreign. Most of the residents are long time North Americans, and the alliance between China and the United States of a century ago left the Chinese a well-regarded mainstream minority in North America. It is usually safe for non-Chinese in the area; at least to the extent it is safe for anyone.
Van Sickle Projects- This large area is marked by a predominantly Hispanic population, a volatile mix of Central Americans, Mexicans, SoCalis and Aztlantls. The fierce ethnic tension between the rival groups is largely indecipherable to outsiders, but is a factor of life and death in the Van Sickle Projects. The SoCali tend to be more Americanized, better educated, and devoutly Roman Catholic. Aztlantls tend to be more "Indio", with a unique take on Catholicism, and speak a dialect of Spanish that incorporates a lot of Nahuatl. Mexicans and Central Americans make up the remaining population. The Van Sickle Projects are dominated by the Chavez family, a powerful group of SoCali immigrants who retain ties to criminal groups all across Latin America. They are opposed by a number of smaller, vicious, and extremely odd Aztlantl gangs, most of whom affect Aztec themes. Mexicans and Central Americans typically try to stay out of the way.
THE SOUTH SIDE (aka "South Bay")
Southern Industriplex – Similar to the Northern Industriplex, the southern side of the bay is home to numerous refineries, metal fabrication plants, and various other loud, noisy, and dangerous industrial plants representing most of NorCal’s chemical industry. The factories tend to be a bit less sparkling and antiseptic than the newer ones to the north, but they still employ the majority of the South Side’s population in the post-Ikebara era.
Lindsey District- Lindsey District is located directly south of the Industriplex and east of the Concord Barrens. It is mainly tract housing, low rent apartments, and small projects. The people are poor, desperate, and seemingly without hope, all of which contributes to a high crime rate. Law enforcement is sparse at best. Lindsey is a bad area by any standard, maybe even worse than the East Projects. Lindsey is home to the "Death's Head" booster gang, the area's only claim to fame.
Rust Belt- This is an area of old warehouses, junkyards, small machine shops, and a few old abandoned factories, overtaken decades ago by growth of the Southern Industriplex. In the past this was essential to the construction of Ikebara Tower, but those days are long gone. By day, the air is filled with the whine of heavy machinery from the few operating factories. At night, everything shuts down; the Rust Belt empties out and becomes ominously quiet. This is because the Rust Belt is the scene of several murders gruesome even by modern standards. Metpol patrols the main streets, but whatever stalks the alleyways rules the night. Pitts- Pitts used to be the small town of Pittsburg, predating Southowilson or the Third World war by decades. In the modern era, it is yet another suburb of Southowilson. It is also home to the Suisun Corrections Center, a NorCal prison where most of the criminals of Southowilson have spent at least some time. The area around the prison is home to families of correctional officers, hotels for families of inmates, and numerous small farms growing specialty luxury crops.
Pinewood City – Named for the forests that used to fill this area, Pinewood City now has few trees. Instead, it has huge tracts of single-family houses, home to thousands of factory workers. There are countless small retail and service businesses catering to this population, but otherwise has little of note. Pinewood City is an enormous area, with a wide variety of types and qualities of neighborhoods, but would still be recognizable to a 20th Century American as a suburb.
Fort Concord – The southern terminus of the Benicia Bridge, this area is much like neighboring Pinewood City. It is home to Fort Concord, a NorCal Self-Defense Force military base. The facility is home to over five thousand soldiers of the NCSDF Suisun Brigade, responsible for patrol and defense of the region around Suisun Bay, the Sacramento Delta, and the ruins of San Francisco. As such, they are mostly light infantry and amphibious patrol units. The area around the base is home to families and supporting businesses. These forces often train in the nearby barrens, making it dangerous to travel in the ruins. Most of the forces based here are deployed to trouble spots around the border, especially to the south. Those that remain are primarily support units and a training cadre.
THE WEST SIDE (aka "Napa Hills")
Chappell Projects- This region is one of the oldest of the Projects, parts of it reaching to the Suisun Slough. This makes it a favorite for water-pirate gangs which otherwise have no turf in Southowilson. Beyond this link with the bay, Chappell is identical to the other Projects in Southowilson in most respects.
Suisun Point- Among other things, Suisun Point is the northern terminus of the Benicia Bridge across the bay. An older neighborhood fallen on hard times, Suisun Point was part of an attempt to reclaim the Barrens for use by the living. Land was cleared and a model city was planned, but it proved impossible to get sufficient numbers of people to move into the area. Wedged up against the Wall along the Barrens and the Caribs, Suisun Point is a collection of obsolete brownstones, abandoned office buildings, and small shantytowns. Potentially a relatively nice area, it is a haven for outcasts, the homeless, blanks, and various other disenfranchised and displaced people. Many nomad packs base in the area when in the city. Metpol restricts itself to aerial sweeps at night, making Suisun Point a very tough place to live... but free living space is hard to beat.
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