Night city districts
Night City is a city in the process of rebuilding even now. The old Neighborhood Zones of the 2020 period have
been rearranged, renamed, or even scraped off into the Bay if they're still too radioactive. Instead of neighborhoods, locals now refer to these new areas based on the type of environment they're dominated by: Hot Zone,
Rebuilding Urban Center, Executive Zone, Overpacked Suburbs, Reclaimed Perimeter, and The Open Road.
In addition to this urban re-designation, each new area has now been given a Threat Rating by the City
Council: a designation of just how dangerous the area is and what kind of threats might be encountered there.
You can find more about these Threat Ratings below.
Note that while the majority of a region might fit into a specific Threat Rating that doesn't mean a region
may not have other Threat Ratings in and around the main classification. An area undergoing reconstruction or
gentrification may have several Threat Ratings, or even be transitioning from one Rating type to another.
Remember that treasure map idea we mentioned back on page 288?
▶ The Hot Zone ◀ Threat Rating: Combat This is the area that used to be the central city Corporate Zone. While much of this area has been bulldozed into the Bay as fill, the remainder is still a haunted landscape of wrecked, twisted skyscrapers, burned-out vehicles, and entombed bodies of the unlucky. Although the radiation has subsided, it's still present, and most people have abandoned the area to the worst of the gangs. If you go here, you probably are either a ganger, suicidal, or driven there to find something that's hidden in the endless wreckage. Old Neighborhood Zones included in the Hot Zone Wasteland are: The Old Bank Block: Housing all of the old banks of Night City, the Bank Block is mostly rubble but it was never cleared out officially. The Old City Center: Only radioactive ruins remain of the once-bustling City Center. The Old Corporate Center: Once the heart of the Corporations of Night City, the Corporate Center is a ruin of its former glory. The Old Medical Center: Largely irradiated, the Old Medical Center houses many hospitals buried under rubble.
▶ The Rebuilding Urban Center ◀ Threat Rating: Corporate/Moderate Not all of Night City was obliterated in the holocaust. Already heavily built up with skyscrapers and densely packed urban construction, a considerable amount of the urban center has survived. But the detonation and subsequent destruction has damaged the seawalls and breakwaters that kept the Bay and the outer Pacific Ocean from overwhelming the fill the majority of the Central City stood on. Periodic flooding is a regular occurrence, and power and water are chancy at best. The NCART subway still runs, when it isn't flooded by the tide; the City planners are working to raise the majority of the track into a new monorail configuration, but that will take time and money the City scarcely has. In the Rebuilding Center, cranes and construction gear (like the ubiquitous Zhirafa mechanoids) are everywhere. The looming skeletons of new corporate towers rise from the ruins of the Old City, patrolled by vigilant private armies and mechanical sentry drones. The work never stops, and the Center is always alight with the slam of heavy machines and brilliant with construction arc lights. Chief among these new constructions are the rising mega-buildings of the Watson Urban Reconstruction Zone; all-in-one mini-arcologies designed to house the millions of people who were forced to leave their homes when the Nuke went off. Neighborhood Zones included in the Rebuilding Urban Center are: The Glen: A burgeoning new district which contains most of the important governmental buildings of Night City. Little Europe: A divided district composed of tightly knit neighborhoods made up of old brick buildings and tall sky scrapers alike. NorCal Military Base: A heavily fortified military base north of Night City, staffed primarily by Militech soldiers. Mostly shut off from the rest of the City. Pacifica Playground: A largely Corporatesponsored district built around the Playland by the Sea amusement park, which is in the midst of massive development. Upper Marina: A bustling urban district with a mix of old industrial zones and gentrified "International" style neighborhoods built around a well-maintained marina. University District: A slim district on the edge of the Combat Zones which houses the city's only still functioning university. Watson Development: A developing district where megabuildings and arcologies are being built to house the thousands of homeless from the War. Much of Night City's Asian population has moved to the Watson neighborhood colloquially known as Kabuki.
▶ The Executive Zone ◀ Threat Rating: Executive. This area is a special gated and heavily defended community reserved for High Ranking Corporate Execs and their families. As well as luxury homes, this area has its own shopping and recreational facilities, including golf courses, private spas, and clubs. The Executive Zone: A new Zone with only one district for the safety and pleasure of the Corporate elite, carved out of the open hills surrounding the City
▶ The Combat Zones ◀ Threat Rating: Combat Gangs are the absolute rulers of the Combat Zones. Moving between the slums, tenements, and ruins of abandoned city blocks, the gangs and their allies divide up turf, control the limited resources, and kill anyone or anything that gets in the way. There's no reconstruction going on in the Combat Zones, although sometimes Corporate or City Lawmen drop down on the area like a ton of ferrobrix and start killing the gangers wholesale, a process the City likens to trimming back kudzu. Neighborhood Zones included in the Combat Zones are: Old Japantown: A once, popular Japanese cultural center that fell into chaos and disrepair during the 4th Corporate War. Much of the population has moved to Watson and the area is now mostly empty save for the gangs. Little China: A sprawling, dangerous Chinatown with many small communities fighting to stay alive and fend off the gangs of the Combat Zones. Old Combat Zone: A district of the City long ago abandoned to the gangs and psychos, the Old Combat Zone is the seed that the rest of the Combat Zones grew from. South Night City: An industrial sprawl, filled with trigger-happy gangs and abandoned warehouses repurposed into hide-outs and headquarters.
▶ The Overpacked Suburbs ◀ Threat Rating: Moderate/Combat In the aftermath of the War, most of central Night City was uninhabitable, not because of residual radiation, but from the loss of power, sewer, and water services. The suburbs became host to a huge number of tent cities and unregulated refugee camps smack in the middle of what had previously been safe suburban corporate "Beavervilles." While huge mega-buildings are under construction to house the refugees, this region is crowded, crime-ridden, and on the edge of disaster all the time. Neighborhood Zones included in the Overpacked Suburbs are: Heywood: A truly overpacked sector of the City, housing a large percentage of the City's population and already starting to divide based on wealth and power—The rich in the north, the poor in the south (who call the area Santo Domingo instead). Heywood Industrial Zone: The largest industrial zone in the City, overflowing with warehouses, construction equipment, factories, and even some derelict cargo ships. New Westbrook: An urban sprawl built in the remains of the original Executive Zone, still gleaming with glitz and glam, but now packed with homeless citizens who either fled other areas of Night City because of the War or who were pushed out more recently by the ongoing gentrification of the Rebuilding Urban Center. Rancho Coronado: A vast stretch of old Beaverville style housing, taken over by tent cities and industrial zones that have grown out of the corpses of previous mini-malls.
▶ The Reclaimed Perimeter ◀ Threat Rating: Outskirts While Night City was the regional hub, it was surrounded by a constellation of smaller towns and suburbs. Most of these were abandoned during the 2000-2020 period, as they were too far out to protect from the roving gogangs that plagued the area. Now, supported by Nomad Families and private security, the Reclaimers are attempting to make new homes for the dispossessed of the City in many of these abandoned places. Neighboring Cities included in the Reclaimed Perimeter are: Atascadero, Avila Beach, Cambria, Los Osos, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, and San Simeon
▶ The Open Road ◀ Threat Rating: Outskirts In the 2020s, the Open Road was home to roving gogangers and well-defended Nomad caravans. But as the Nomad Families take greater control of the world's commerce and shipping, they're using surplus military hardware to drive out the gogangs and make the roads safe for travel. The roads are still open, wide, and dusty, with dead and burned-out vehicles littering some areas, but more and more the Open Road is looking a bit more like Route 66 than Mad Max. Old Highways included in the Open Road Zones are: California State Route 41, California State Route 46, California State Route 58, California State Route 99, California State 828, Interstate Highway 5, and Interstate Highway 101
Threat Ratings
In Night City, Threat Rating are used to profile armed opponents and levels of overall danger that may be encountered within major areas of the City. Here's a brief rundown on each:
▶ The Hot Zone ◀ Threat Rating: Combat This is the area that used to be the central city Corporate Zone. While much of this area has been bulldozed into the Bay as fill, the remainder is still a haunted landscape of wrecked, twisted skyscrapers, burned-out vehicles, and entombed bodies of the unlucky. Although the radiation has subsided, it's still present, and most people have abandoned the area to the worst of the gangs. If you go here, you probably are either a ganger, suicidal, or driven there to find something that's hidden in the endless wreckage. Old Neighborhood Zones included in the Hot Zone Wasteland are: The Old Bank Block: Housing all of the old banks of Night City, the Bank Block is mostly rubble but it was never cleared out officially. The Old City Center: Only radioactive ruins remain of the once-bustling City Center. The Old Corporate Center: Once the heart of the Corporations of Night City, the Corporate Center is a ruin of its former glory. The Old Medical Center: Largely irradiated, the Old Medical Center houses many hospitals buried under rubble.
▶ The Rebuilding Urban Center ◀ Threat Rating: Corporate/Moderate Not all of Night City was obliterated in the holocaust. Already heavily built up with skyscrapers and densely packed urban construction, a considerable amount of the urban center has survived. But the detonation and subsequent destruction has damaged the seawalls and breakwaters that kept the Bay and the outer Pacific Ocean from overwhelming the fill the majority of the Central City stood on. Periodic flooding is a regular occurrence, and power and water are chancy at best. The NCART subway still runs, when it isn't flooded by the tide; the City planners are working to raise the majority of the track into a new monorail configuration, but that will take time and money the City scarcely has. In the Rebuilding Center, cranes and construction gear (like the ubiquitous Zhirafa mechanoids) are everywhere. The looming skeletons of new corporate towers rise from the ruins of the Old City, patrolled by vigilant private armies and mechanical sentry drones. The work never stops, and the Center is always alight with the slam of heavy machines and brilliant with construction arc lights. Chief among these new constructions are the rising mega-buildings of the Watson Urban Reconstruction Zone; all-in-one mini-arcologies designed to house the millions of people who were forced to leave their homes when the Nuke went off. Neighborhood Zones included in the Rebuilding Urban Center are: The Glen: A burgeoning new district which contains most of the important governmental buildings of Night City. Little Europe: A divided district composed of tightly knit neighborhoods made up of old brick buildings and tall sky scrapers alike. NorCal Military Base: A heavily fortified military base north of Night City, staffed primarily by Militech soldiers. Mostly shut off from the rest of the City. Pacifica Playground: A largely Corporatesponsored district built around the Playland by the Sea amusement park, which is in the midst of massive development. Upper Marina: A bustling urban district with a mix of old industrial zones and gentrified "International" style neighborhoods built around a well-maintained marina. University District: A slim district on the edge of the Combat Zones which houses the city's only still functioning university. Watson Development: A developing district where megabuildings and arcologies are being built to house the thousands of homeless from the War. Much of Night City's Asian population has moved to the Watson neighborhood colloquially known as Kabuki.
▶ The Executive Zone ◀ Threat Rating: Executive. This area is a special gated and heavily defended community reserved for High Ranking Corporate Execs and their families. As well as luxury homes, this area has its own shopping and recreational facilities, including golf courses, private spas, and clubs. The Executive Zone: A new Zone with only one district for the safety and pleasure of the Corporate elite, carved out of the open hills surrounding the City
▶ The Combat Zones ◀ Threat Rating: Combat Gangs are the absolute rulers of the Combat Zones. Moving between the slums, tenements, and ruins of abandoned city blocks, the gangs and their allies divide up turf, control the limited resources, and kill anyone or anything that gets in the way. There's no reconstruction going on in the Combat Zones, although sometimes Corporate or City Lawmen drop down on the area like a ton of ferrobrix and start killing the gangers wholesale, a process the City likens to trimming back kudzu. Neighborhood Zones included in the Combat Zones are: Old Japantown: A once, popular Japanese cultural center that fell into chaos and disrepair during the 4th Corporate War. Much of the population has moved to Watson and the area is now mostly empty save for the gangs. Little China: A sprawling, dangerous Chinatown with many small communities fighting to stay alive and fend off the gangs of the Combat Zones. Old Combat Zone: A district of the City long ago abandoned to the gangs and psychos, the Old Combat Zone is the seed that the rest of the Combat Zones grew from. South Night City: An industrial sprawl, filled with trigger-happy gangs and abandoned warehouses repurposed into hide-outs and headquarters.
▶ The Overpacked Suburbs ◀ Threat Rating: Moderate/Combat In the aftermath of the War, most of central Night City was uninhabitable, not because of residual radiation, but from the loss of power, sewer, and water services. The suburbs became host to a huge number of tent cities and unregulated refugee camps smack in the middle of what had previously been safe suburban corporate "Beavervilles." While huge mega-buildings are under construction to house the refugees, this region is crowded, crime-ridden, and on the edge of disaster all the time. Neighborhood Zones included in the Overpacked Suburbs are: Heywood: A truly overpacked sector of the City, housing a large percentage of the City's population and already starting to divide based on wealth and power—The rich in the north, the poor in the south (who call the area Santo Domingo instead). Heywood Industrial Zone: The largest industrial zone in the City, overflowing with warehouses, construction equipment, factories, and even some derelict cargo ships. New Westbrook: An urban sprawl built in the remains of the original Executive Zone, still gleaming with glitz and glam, but now packed with homeless citizens who either fled other areas of Night City because of the War or who were pushed out more recently by the ongoing gentrification of the Rebuilding Urban Center. Rancho Coronado: A vast stretch of old Beaverville style housing, taken over by tent cities and industrial zones that have grown out of the corpses of previous mini-malls.
▶ The Reclaimed Perimeter ◀ Threat Rating: Outskirts While Night City was the regional hub, it was surrounded by a constellation of smaller towns and suburbs. Most of these were abandoned during the 2000-2020 period, as they were too far out to protect from the roving gogangs that plagued the area. Now, supported by Nomad Families and private security, the Reclaimers are attempting to make new homes for the dispossessed of the City in many of these abandoned places. Neighboring Cities included in the Reclaimed Perimeter are: Atascadero, Avila Beach, Cambria, Los Osos, Paso Robles, Pismo Beach, San Luis Obispo, and San Simeon
▶ The Open Road ◀ Threat Rating: Outskirts In the 2020s, the Open Road was home to roving gogangers and well-defended Nomad caravans. But as the Nomad Families take greater control of the world's commerce and shipping, they're using surplus military hardware to drive out the gogangs and make the roads safe for travel. The roads are still open, wide, and dusty, with dead and burned-out vehicles littering some areas, but more and more the Open Road is looking a bit more like Route 66 than Mad Max. Old Highways included in the Open Road Zones are: California State Route 41, California State Route 46, California State Route 58, California State Route 99, California State 828, Interstate Highway 5, and Interstate Highway 101
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