Redline Row is a gritty, defiant slice of New Boston. Once lined with smokestacks and rail lines, it fell into decay—but was reclaimed by artists, activists, and mystics. Its streets hum with secrets, magic, and quiet rebellion.
“It’s not a place you pass through. It’s a place you’re called to.”
Historical and Cultural Context
The name Redline Row isn’t accidental. It lay on the edge of redlined maps, denied banks, police, and services. Yet resilience thrived. Today, the Row pulses with reclamation rather than gentrification—a place of cultural rebirth without erasure.
Notable Locations
Steel & Smoke
Ex-dry cleaners turned community hub.
Run by Harland Greene, local godfather.
Features:
Free meals
Pop-up workshops on tech repair and folk magic
Rumors of hidden archives detailing corporate crimes
The Stag’s Root Pub
Hidden courtyard bar run by Luther “Lute” Marron, ex-logger and community keeper.
Vibe:
No social media
Weed, cigars, jazz
Payment in stories or favors
Perks:
Sunset views over three bridges
The Men's Table—a sacred space for elders
Vines and strange fauna rumored to bloom overnight
Gallery Gris-Gris
Rootwork studio and art gallery owned by Ilyana Toussaint.
Paintings often double as prophetic sigils.
Occasional site for private rituals or political gatherings.
Crate Theory
Record store and rooftop party haven.
Known for sets blending jazz, house, and Yoruba chants.
Hosts secret meetings among neighborhood power players.
The Yard
Semi-ruined lot turned public art and ritual space.
Murals shift seasonally, rumored to whisper warnings.
Bonfires blaze during protests or festivals.
The Overlook Apartments
Retro 1940s brick complex with art deco murals.
Residents earn power through community service, not rent.
Hidden sensors track contributions, disputes, and emotional states.
Core Theme: A slow-burn revelation where power belongs to those who learn, serve, and surrender old expectations.
Key Scene: The Diner
Best soul food in the district:
Crackling catfish
Buttery cornbread
Collards that whisper secrets
Rule: White subs sit on the floor as part of consensual, flipped dynamics.
Other Customs:
Barbershop where eye contact must be earned.
Bookstore with a private backroom for trusted insiders.
Park bench engraved with honored tenants’ initials.
Prominent Figures: The Council of Four
Redline Row’s lifeblood lies with its Council of Four:
Harland Greene (he/him) – Shopkeeper, protector of the neighborhood.
Ilyana Toussaint (she/her) – Rootworker, artist, and mystical guide.
Ms. Sunday (she/they) – Bathhouse owner and herbalist.
Javi “Stitch” Moreno (they/he) – Free clinic founder and ex-street medic.
Motto: “Nothing about us, without us.”
Neighborhood Myths and Lore
Makono the Wild King — Local deity of Redline Row. Crowned in vines, antelope-horned, draped in copper snakes. Patron of outsiders: queer folk, unhoused people, night-shift healers. Those dancing beneath bridges with sacred herbs might glimpse him laughing and barefoot.
Offerings:
Animal bones
Crushed fruit
Copper wire
Promises whispered into the dark
Artists credit Makono for sudden inspiration. He’s joyful, dangerous, and never entirely tame.
Everyday Life & Culture
Fashion mixes ritual and streetwear: copper-threaded hoodies, Yoruba-patterned sneakers, silk sashes.
Music fuses jazz, electronic beats, and ritual drumming.
Slang blends Yoruba, Haitian Creole, and tech jargon.
Food is sacred: diners become places for secrets, healing, and conspiracies.
Adventure Hooks in Redline Row
The Vanishing Ledger: Corporate secrets stolen from Steel & Smoke.
Makono’s Silence: Offerings unanswered; vines creep through streets.
Service and Secrets: A new Overlook leader enforces terrifying rules.
Ritual site beneath the old cannery.
Murals reveal omens.
Ghosts whisper through vents.
Missing person after a rooftop party—only shoes remain.
Healing tea grants visions—but what price must be paid?