Chinatown (GTA IV)



Chinatown is a neighborhood in southern Algonquin, Liberty City. It is bordered to the north by Emerald Street (Lower Easton), to the west by Columbus Avenue (City Hall), to the south by Calcium Street (The Exchange), and to the east halfway between Borlock Road and Albany Avenue (Fishmarket South).

Character
Chinatown is a residential and commercial neighborhood, Chinese descents and immigrants Tongs as residents, business owners and activity. It's a working class ethnic enclave, serving as a stark contrast to the busy nature of surrounding City Hall and The Exchange.



The district features a significant number of narrow streets, and a mixture of small tenement buildings and large low-rise office buildings and shops, some decorated with Oriental or modernist designs. The district is also uniquely adorned with large, overhanging signs reminiscent of those seen in the streets of Hong Kong, despite this practice not being commonly seen in New York City's Chinatown (which signs do not usually extend too far past the edge of sidewalks). The businesses in the neighborhood are Chinese-owned and are tailored specifically for Chinese only. The district is the main territory of the Algonquin Triads in both GTA IV and GTA Chinatown Wars.

Transportation
The Liberty City Subway system serves Chinatown. The Emerald station, located on Emerald Street between Luddite Row and Albany Avenue along the neighborhood's border with Lower Easton, is served at all times by the Algonquin Outer Line.

Demographics
Most of the people are Chinese in ethncity. The spoken lagnuages are Cantonese Chinese and English as it appears in the game. Other things in this topic are unknown. Most of the Chinese businesses get names with Chines/Hong Kong's style. Besides there are some firms which suppose to be unique in the Hong Kong Society, such as "tea restaurant" ("卜街茶餐廳", could be found in the Chinatown is a "tea restaurant"). Interestingly, some Chinese names of the businesses have similar pronunciation with Chinese foul language, such as "卜街茶餐廳" and "杏家富貴",or with some special colors, including "吉川春代", "奔周物業貸款", "藝技文化中心", "柯蘭詩職業服務社" and "黃色網吧". Most of these above have similar pronunciation (in Hong Kong Cantonese") with Chinese phrases, which consist of meaning related to sexual organs and stool, etc.

Points of interest
When originally featured in GTA IV, Chinatown boasts only one useful facility, an underground weapons shop is located across the street from the intersection of Cavity Lane and Bismarck Avenue.

Other landmarks in the district were also featuring over the course of GTA IV's storyline, particularly during "Three Leaf Clover", when Niko Bellic assists Patrick McReary and his peers in robbing the main Bank of Liberty branch in The Exchange/Chinatown and escaping along the narrow alleyways of the district to escape into Emerald station.

The "Dragon Heart Plaza" is a mixed-use office building and shopping center in Chinatown which interior was added for both The Lost and Damned and The Ballad of Gay Tony. In The Lost and Damned, Johnny Klebitz and Jim Fitzgerald attempted to sell the heroin that they stole during "Action/Reaction" back to the Algonquin Triads; the Triads shoot at Johnny and Jim, as they fight their way out of the roof of the Dragon Heart Plaza. In The Ballad of Gay Tony, Luis Fernando Lopez and Anthony Prince must fight their way down from the upper floor of the building's interior against an army of Algonquin Triad members in "Chinese Takeout".

An Al Dente's restaurant may also be found at Albany Avenue and Calcium Street.

When requested for Stevie's Car Thefts, a Super GT can be found parked across the street from the 69 Exchange.

Influence
Algonquin's Chinatown is directly inspired by New York City's own Chinatown in Manhattan. Many buildings in GTA IV's Chinatown are apparently based on those situated within Manhattan's Chinatown as well as adjacent Lower East Side districts.

Landmarks

 * 51 Bowery at Canal Street (HSBC Bank and former Citizen's Savings Bank). Depicted in game as a Bank of Liberty branch at the southwestern corner of Chinatown at Columbus Avenue and Calcium Street, and prominently featured during "Three Leaf Clover".
 * The Manhattan Bridge approach arch in Lower Manhattan. Although the Algonquin Bridge (which is based on the Manhattan Bridge) exists, the game's rendition of the approach arch is placed in front of Broker Bridge, a representation of the Brooklyn Bridge, and features two arches instead of one in the real life rendition.
 * 241 Canal Street (former Golden Pacific National Bank), depicted in game as the Dragon Heart Plaza. Located in game at Diamond Street and Albany Avenue, the interior of the Dragon Heart Plaza is prominently featured in The Ballad of Gay Tony, during "Chinese Takeout".
 * 277-289 Canal Street (The Oltarsh Building; former Major Theater); its in game replica is located at Columbus Avenue and Emerald Street. The game's rendition was modified to feature the fascia of 277 Canal Street on all four corners of the building. The building also houses the Videogeddon video game arcade, which is a destination in "Ruff Rider".
 * 185 Canal Street (pre-2008/2009 renovation) (United Orient Bank); its replica in game is located at Albany Avenue and Diamond Street. While making use of the building's facade and lobby entrance design, the building is significantly smaller. And unlike 185 Canal, the GTA IV rendition also features a stock and news ticker.

Businesses

 * B.A.H. Finance
 * Bridal Make Up & Hair Styling (Creative Trendy Styling House)
 * Common Travel
 * Cum Ming Traditional Massage
 * Go-Go-Gold Jewelry
 * Dim Sum
 * Fashion Jewelry
 * Hack Computer Inc
 * High-End Massage Spa
 * J.J. Frozen Food Co.
 * Lax Convenient Store
 * Lee Finance
 * Liberty City Telecom
 * People Sport
 * Super Real Fashion Jewelery
 * Sweet Potato Hair


 * 吉川春代文化書局 Kak Chuin Chun Doi (Pierce balls) Bookstore
 * 奔周物業貸款 Ben Zhou (Penis) Property Loans
 * 傻逼翻譯軟件 Sha Bi (Idiot) Translation Softwares
 * 回春整容外科美容院 Beauty Money Can Buy Beauty Saloon
 * 何氏鴨店 S' Ho Duck Shop
 * 波佳超级市場 Bo Gai Supermarket
 * 杏家富貴 Heng Ka Fu Gwai (Whole family going dead)
 * 騎呢健康食品有限公司 Kyle (Weird) Health Food Co. Ltd.
 * 黄色網吧 Yellow (Porn) Cybercafe
 * 地中海髮廊 Dei Zhong Hoi (Mediterranean Ocean *means bold in Cantonese*) Hair Saloon
 * 番薯髮型屋 Sweet Potato Hair Saloon
 * 柯蘭詩職業服務社 O Lan Si (Shit Happens) Job Service Center
 * 藝技文化中心 Ai Gei (Homophone of Geisha) Cultural Center
 * 卜佳茶餐廳 Pok Kai (Planking) Tea Restaurant
 * 銘機茶餐廳 MK Restaurant
 * 利壹利財務 Lei Dab Lei (Debt cover Debt) Financial Company Ltd.
 * 大耳窿財務 B.A.H Finance (Loan Sharks Finance in Chinese)
 * 貴利王 Lee Finance (High Interests Finance in Chinese)
 * 超假珠寶首飾 Super Real Fashion Jewelery (Super Fake Fashion Jewelery in Chinese)
 * 睦福 珠寶 金行 Fortune Jewelry
 * 超世紀水療按摩 High-End Massage Spa
 * 佘 王 士多 Lax Convenient Store
 * 自由城購物中心 Liberty City Shopping Center
 * 粵港居點心坊 Dim Sum
 * 黃綠藥房 Y G Drugs (Yellow Green Pharmacy)
 * 流氓旅行社 Liu Mang (Hooligan) Travel Agency
 * 貳叔公珠寶金行 Uncle E Jewellry
 * 壹天堂中藥研究院 Institute of Chinese Medicine
 * 大大煲廚具 Great Burning Kitchen
 * 老來旺餐廳 Big Wang Restaurant
 * 新萬年小食 New Centry Fast Food Restaurant
 * 自由城電信 Liberty City Telecom
 * 歡樂旅館 Happy Motel
 * 中華樓 People Restaurant (China Floor)
 * 金元寶珠寶首飾 Go-Go-Gold Jewelry
 * 卡明古法按摩 Cum Ming Traditional Massage
 * 大帝夜總會 Li Yi Nightclub
 * 駭客電腦硬件 Hacker PC Components
 * 補鞋大佬 Buxie Boss