Hepburn Heights



"Territory dominated by Latin American street gangs. Until recently, the activity of these gangs was thought to be limited to minor narcotics offenses and petty car crime."

- Grand Theft Auto III Website.

Hepburn Heights is a district in Portland, Liberty City, which appears in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. A small section of the district also appears in The Introduction in Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The district is bordered by Harwood to the north, the Red Light District to the south, Saint Mark's to the east, and an unnamed body of water to the west.

Description
As of the timeline of Grand Theft Auto III, in 2001, Hepburn Heights is primarily a set of two housing projects containing several apartment towers (two four-pointed towers on the western block, and two four-pointed towers and a five-pointed tower on the eastern block). The district also encompasses a lush ridge to the east, and a waterfront promenade to the west that overlooks Staunton Island. The area has a high-crime rate, as gang members of the Diablos, prostitutes and street-criminal pedestrians commonly spawn. It is not uncommon to see fist-fights and carjackings in the area. In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, set in 1998, the five-pointed tower is under construction, but the district remains largely unchanged otherwise.

Influence
Hepburn Heights is based on various working-class residential areas of New York, such as Queensbridge, Brownsville and Brooklyn Heights.

Gang Control
In Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories, it has been under the control of many different gangs. It is implied that in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories that the Leone Family once controlled Hepburn Heights with an iron fist, but due to the Sindacco Family wanting to expand their influence in the city, the Leone Family began losing to the Sindacco Family. Once the Sindaccos were kicked off the island, the Diablos street gang, backed by the Sicilian Mafia, began an outright onslaught which was defeated by Leone Caporegime Toni Cipriani, but he did not believe that the Leone Family would be able to hold on to this part of town for very much longer. During 2000, Hepburn Heights is taken over by the Yakuza and the Diablos are moved to Harwood. It is possible that the Yakuza took over the district as a revenge for the Diablos not paying their protection money. By 2001, the setting of Grand Theft Auto III, Toni was proven to be right, as the Diablos had taken over Hepburn Heights, with the Yakuza having no influence in Portland at all, and the Leone's staying in Saint Mark's. However, near the border between the two districts, it is common place to find the two gangs warring, with the Leone's mainly winning, due to their heavier weaponry, which includes pistols, and, after the completion of Sayonara Salvatore, shotguns.

Notable Residents

 * Scorelli (2000 -?)
 * Misty (2001-?)
 * El Burro (possibly) (2001-?)

Places of Interest
The district is also a the location for a stop along the elevated Portland El train service, dubbed as the "Rothwell Station" in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. The station is located on the northeastern end of the district.

In Grand Theft Auto III, Claude receives missions given by El Burro by means of a public telephone located in front of Misty's apartment. In Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories (set 3 years earlier) the phones are present, but inactive.

Trivia

 * If the player leaves the Portland safehouse and goes to the housing projects across the north corner, house music can be heard playing from two of the apartments, as well as moans and a man complaining from Misty's apartment block. One of the house music loops seems to be "Took My Love" by Bizzare Inc.

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