Gotham City
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Gotham is a city located in Gotham County, New Jersey.
Largely ignored and abandoned by the federal government of the United States, Gotham is notorious for corruption, crime, poverty, and vigilantism. Gotham is home to Batman and the Outsiders among other crimefighters, and criminal entities like Intergang. It is also a place where people go to lose themselves, particularly those hiding from the law, including metahumans and individuals of a supernatural nature.
Gotham City had a population of 271,939 at the time of the last census.
History
The islands that became Gotham City were originally home to a tribe of Native Americans called the Miagani, who were displaced when European settlers arrived in the 17th Century. The area was colonised first by the Dutch as New Rotterdam, but the land was later lost to the British, who founded what is now Gotham Village, on the banks of the Gotham River.
19th Century
The settlement of Gotham Town - located on the site of what is now "Old Gotham" - had become a major port by the early 1800s, becoming the foundation of what is now Gotham Harbor. It was a British stronghold during the Revolutionary War, but was liberated during the Battle of Gotham by Anthony Wayne and the Legion of the United States. A parcel of land near Gotham was awarded to the General, upon which Wayne Manor was built by his brother, Darius Wayne.
In 1840, Solomon Wayne - grandson of Darius Wayne - led a major urban planning initiative, turning Gotham Town into what is now Old Gotham. He commissioned the architect Cyrus Pinkney to design a bulwark against the godlessness of the wilds, drawing inspiration from the gargoyles and towering edifices of gothic architecture to inspire, intimidate, and humble the people of Gotham before God. Though widely criticised, Pinkney's architectural style became emblematic of Gotham, and was adopted and adapted for civic structures in Gotham for almost a century to follow.
20th Century
Modern-day Gotham City was incorporated shortly after the turn of the century. By then it had become a thriving industrial centre, but suffered greatly during the Great Depression, leading to widespread poverty and a surge in criminal activity that never truly subsided. Gotham City - or parts of it, at least - was eventually led back to fortune by Patrick Wayne, heir to the Wayne Chemical and Wayne Shipping fortunes. He established Wayne Industries, and later WayneTech, and led a rejuvenation of what is now Downtown Gotham in much the way his great-grandfather had with Old Gotham a century earlier, advancing Gotham into the modern era. Many civic structures in Gotham - perhaps the most striking of which is Wayne Tower, and its associated transit and utility networks - were designed and financed at Patrick Wayne's behest.
By the end of the century, Gotham had fallen into decline again, Patrick's son Thomas Wayne focusing more on social programs and charitable giving than on urban development. His efforts proved ineffective at stemming the rise in poverty and crime, ultimately resulting in the deaths of himself and his wife during a mugging in what is now Crime Alley.
21st Century
Despite social decline, Downtown has continued to evolve and modernise, and despite Gotham's reputation for danger and rampant crime, businesses and corporations continue to establish offices and headquarters in Gotham, including the likes of Galaxy Communications, Kord Industries, and Queen Consolidated. Crime and corruption are more pervasive than ever, however, and today Gotham is much a haven for criminal enterprise as it is for corporate enterprise. This has cultivated a resurgence in "costumed criminals" such as the Riddler and the Joker, which has in turn provoked vigilante activity in Gotham by individuals such as the Batman.
Geography
Gotham is located in Gotham County, New Jersey, in the Great Bay at the mouth of the Liberty River, ten miles north of Atlantic City. It is served by US Route 9 and the Golden State Parkway, and Gotham International Airport.
In the real world, Gotham's islands do not exist. Liberty River is analogous with the real Mullica River, and Gotham County is equivalent to real-world Atlantic County. It was intended to represent New York City at night, while Metropolis represented it during the day, though recent depictions of Gotham draw inspiration from Chicago as well.
Gotham Heights | Burnley | Midtown | Downtown | Old Gotham
Gotham County | Bristol County
Gotham Heights
Consisting of the area north of the Uptown Freeway, which connects the New Trigate Bridge with the Robert Kane Memorial Bridge, Gotham Heights is one of the least densely urbanised areas of Gotham, even in poorer neighbourhoods. Despite the presence of public attractions like Gotham Zoo the Giordano Botanical Gardens, and the Knights Dome Sporting Complex however, the borough went through a population collapse during the late 20th Century, leaving many abandoned buildings and leading to a spike in local crime. Several neighbourhoods have seen gentrification, including The Hill - now Cherry Hill - to the east, and Newtown to the west. North Point, on the north shore, is home to the Rogers Yacht Basin and Amusement Mile.
Gotham Heights is like The Bronx, or Freeland in Black Lightning, mixing urban areas with open space. Crime in Gotham Heights is dominated by The 100.
Burnley
Located to the south of the Uptown Freeway, Burnley is dominated in the west by brownstones and African American communities, and is seen as a thriving cultural district, boasting venues such as the Monarch Theatre, while in the east - also called the Gotham East End - it encompasses the neighbourhoods of Brideshead, Bowery, and Robbinsville, and is a notorious battleground for gang violence. In fact, Brideshead and Bowery are separated by Park Row, an infamous street better known as Crime Alley.
Mercey Island, better known as Arkham, is considered to be part of Burnley as well. The island was once owned in its entirety by the Mercey family, but has since become public land. The old Mercey Mansion and grounds have since become the Elizabeth Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane.
Burnley is similar to Harlem. Crime in Burnley is controlled by the Burnley Town Massive, as well as smaller gangs like the Sprang Bridge Soldiers and the East Side Dragons.
Midtown
The area surrounding Robinson Park is known as Midtown. Much of the island was given over to industry, but has slowly been reclaimed for residential use over the decades.
Gotham Village lies to the west, and is one of Gotham's oldest neighbourhoods. In recent years it has become a centre for art and culture, thanks in large part to the Gotham University campus bringing in money and new residents to the area. Between the Village and the Gotham River is Red Hook, a docklands neighbourhood with a small Eastern European community.
Coventry lies north of Robinson Park, and is connected to Burnley via the southern tip of Arkham. Much of the area was once industrial, particularly warehouses associated with the nearby docks. It is home to one of Gotham's largest Latino populations.
The Upper East Side is east of Robinson Park, and is one of Gotham's wealthier communities, home to much of the city's middle class and professional residents, and has been since the decades after the Civil War. Many of Gotham's most fashionable boutiques and venues, such as the Iceberg Lounge, are located here. Some hallmarks of the city's industrial past remain, however, such as the Ace Chemical Plant.
Crime in Midtown is dominated by the Bratva, who control the Red Hook docks; the Escabedo Cartel who control the drugs through Coventry; and Intergang who dominates white collar crime on the Upper East Side.
Downtown
Also called "New Gotham" to contrast with its neighbour, Downtown collectively refers to the Fashion District, the Financial District, and City Hall. It represents the bulk of Gotham's wealth and economy, home to the offices and headquarters of numerous corporate entities including Wayne Enterprises, Queen Consolidated, Kord Industries, and Galaxy Communications. It was built as part of the Gotham City renovations spearheaded by Patrick Wayne, in the hopes of attracting new businesses to Gotham and thus stimulating the local economy. The endeavour was only partially successful, with many of Gotham's poor being displaced to make room for an influx of the wealthy.
Off the coast of Downtown is Blackgate, a largely inaccessible island that marks one side of Gotham Harbor. It is the location of Gotham State Penitentiary - better known as Blackgate Prison.
Old Gotham
Built with "old money" on the site of old Gotham Town, the historic gothic architecture of Old Gotham stands beside the art deco skyscrapers and highrises of the early 20th Century, all of which towers over and overshadows the poverty, homelessness, and slums that much of Gotham's wealth is built upon. While the wealthy live in comfort in the Diamond District and on the Upper West Side, surrounded by the Museum of Antiquities, Natural History Museum, countless banks, boutiques, and the Gotham Academy, a few blocks away citizens live hand to mouth in Chinatown, Ranelagh, or the Narrows - a slum built on an island in the middle of the Midtown River. Old Gotham is thus understandably lawless, though the crime is largely disorganised and chaotic, with an uneasy sense of peace and safety provided by the officers at Gotham Central.
Tricorner is also considered part of Old Gotham, located on the island of Sandy Hook just off the coast. Tricorner is similar to Brooklyn, built on the back of industry - particularly at the Naval Yards, and Gotham Harbor - and later transformed into a fashionable residence for those who can't afford to live in Old Gotham or Downtown.
Crime in Old Gotham is dominated by the Cosa Nostra, particularly the Falcone Crime Family. Several Triads control Chinatown and its docks, while the Irish and other gangs control the ports at Ranelagh and Tricorner.
