Hove Beach



"Hove Beach, next to the docks."

- Niko Bellic

Hove Beach is a neighborhood in southern Broker, Liberty City. It is bordered to the northeast by the Algonquin-Dukes Expressway (South Slopes); to the north by Gibson Street (Outlook); to the northwest by Cisco Street and Delaware Avenue (East Hook); to the west by the Humboldt River; to the south by Crockett Avenue (Firefly Island); and to the east by Onondaga Avenue (Firefly Projects).

Niko Bellic's first home and safehouse is in his cousin Roman's apartment in Hove Beach.

Character
Hove Beach has a very large population of Eastern European immigrants such as Russians, Poles, Ukrainians, Serbs, and Albanians. The neighborhood, for the most part is generally working-class. The area is primarily made up of various low-rise apartments, bars, and stores - many have an eastern European influence/theme such as the "Comrades Bar" along with the Russian-owned clothing store in the area. Various streets and roads can get quite busy during the day, such as Mohawke Avenue.

Hove Beach is not as dangerous as some of the other neighborhoods in Broker (eg, Firefly Projects), but is not a safe neighborhood either. Those that are not of an eastern-european descent are at a greater risk of crime and harassment.

Most of the inhabitants in Hove Beach are generally hard-working people. Instead, most of the crime in the area is the result of the Russian Mafia - who keep a close watch over the area. The Russian Mafia can be particularly dangerous to Niko Bellic if he starts a fight in the area - as they are heavily armed.

Influence
Hove Beach is based off of Brooklyn's Brighton Beach neighborhood, known for its Eastern European population. This is in reference to Hove, England's proximity to, and relationship with, neighbouring Brighton. The two, having city status, are officially known as Brighton and Hove.

The area is also influenced by Bay Ridge - also similarily famous for it's immigrants.

People and places of interest
During the first leg of GTA IV, Niko's aforementioned cousin, Roman Bellic operates a taxi depot at Cisco Street and Iroquois Street, which would later be destroyed during "Roman's Sorrow". Aside Roman, Vladimir Glebov owned a bar in the neighborhood. Mikhail Faustin and his partner, Dimitri Rascalov control a large part of Hove Beach, as Russian Mafia presence is high.

In addition to containing the first safehouse in the game, Hove Beach contains other places of interest. The Perestroika cabaret club is located in the northern end of the neighborhood, on Tulsa Street. Mohawk Ave, one of the neighborhood's main drags, is home to a Russian-owned clothing store at its intersection with Bart Street. Also on Mohawk Avenue are the neighborhood's police precinct (at Oakley Street), Vladimir Glebov's Comrades Bar at Mohawk Avenue (across the road from the safehouse), and The 69th Street Diner also at the Bart Street intersection.

The DF8-90 can be found in Hove Beach when wanted for the Stevie's Car Thefts. The vehicle can be found parked in a parking lot underneath the Hove Beach Train Station, next to the Amusement Park. The street in which it can be found on is Crockett Avenue.

Transportation
Access points to the Broker Bridge, either on foot or in a road vehicle, are located within Hove Beach. The stairway leading up to the walkway on the bridge is connected to a block in Hove Beach directly under the bridge between Iroquois Avenue and Mohawk Avenue. Vehicle onramps to and from the bridge are situated at Oneida Avenue, just south from Outlook.

The Liberty City Subway serves the neighborhood. The eponymous station is located at the intersection of Wappinger Avenue and Crockett Avenue. The 3/8 Broker Line serves the station, providing service to Francis International Airport and Algonquin.

Trivia

 * Beat-down cars commonly spawn around Hove Beach.
 * Russian gangsters will attack Niko Bellic if they are provoked with either fists or firearms as they are members of the Russian Mafia.
 * Plenty of Russian themed culture exists in Hove Beach.
 * If Niko wears the Albanian biker jacket from the mission I Need Your Clothes, Your Boots And Your Motorcycle he will be attacked by gang members in Hove Beach.
 * Since Crockett Avenue stretches along the beach, it is most likely named after the main character from the 80's TV series "Miami Vice" (1984-1990).

Gallery
Hove Beach Playa de Hove