This article is about the location in Cyberpunk 2077. For other uses, see Downtown (disambiguation).Downtown is one of the sub-districts of City Center, located in central Night City.
History[]
Early history - 2050s[]
After the Fourth Corporate War, an effort was made to rebuild this area of Night City along Western European architecture. Known as Little Europe during the Time of the Red, this district became a booming city section in development and a major center of population due to the loss of the neighboring City & Corporate Districts during the AHQ Disaster. However, necessity and budget concerns soon began to outweigh the original plan. By the 2050s, the area was quickly transforming into a blend of entropic and neomilitaristic architecture.[1]
2060s - 2070s[]
During the reconstruction boom of the 2060s, this area and the surrounding neighborhoods were set to become the new heart of Night City's economic power. Alongside the Corporate Center, Downtown served as a showcase of the rising metropolis after years of struggle. Being one of the newest and most populated districts, Downtown was becoming the home of massive office buildings and apartment complexes, as well as luxurious hotels, delectable restaurants emanating a unique posh vibe, and exclusive nightclubs; while the its waterfront was starting to turn into a mecca for artists and snobs, with galleries, concert halls and ateliers around every corner. It wouldn't be long before Downtown became the social heart of Night City.[2][3][4]
By the 2070s, Downtown was buzzling with life, especially during the night, when the wide well-lit streets were filled with people and traffic, and nightclubs and other similar establishments opened their doors. At this hour neon signs were everywhere, advertising all kinds of clubs, fast food restaurants, strip clubs and other upper-tier businesses found in the area. During the day, there were multitude of high-end stores, such as Jinguji, Dynalar and Malorian selling the best clothing, cyberware and firearms respectively. Cinemas, local bars, and fast food joints were easy to find as well. It was said that anyone who visited Night City should begin and end their tour in Downtown. With this description it was clear that this area was one of the entertainment districts of Night City, similar to Japantown and some parts of Watson. However, Downtown was far more expensive. On the other hand, and like the rest of the city, this district was home to two different worlds; one bright and gleaming on the board avenues, with its many popular establishments; and another riddled with dark and dangerous alleys that housed sleazy love hotels, dive bars, and shadowy corners where drug deals, and much worse like the production of illegal braindances, were a common occurrence. These places were usually visited by gang members from other districts, looking to have their own kind of fun too, and some of them even worked as bouncers and bodyguards.[1][2][3][4]
Database Entry[]
DOWNTOWN
Downtown is one of the newest districts in Night City, having been re-built after the Arasaka Headquarters Bombing. If you buy a postcard in Night City, chances are it has a picture of Downtown, with its sky-high office and apart buildings, corporate hotels and exclusive restaurants - it all screams glamor and luxury. No matter where you turn, you'll see animated billboards and ads for bars, BD clubs, or love hotels. For those who have cash to spend, Downtown is the beating heart of the city. But like all other districts, Downtown also has darker side. After dusk, in sketchy alleyways, hotels and bars, you can meet dealers offering synthetic drugs and illegal braindances. Most places offering nighttime entertainment are also guarded by gang members. Businessmen and criminals, prestige and fraud, power and brute strength - these are all two sides of the same coin called Downtown.[5]
Locations[]
Map of Downtown.
- 7th Hell
- Crunch Plaza
- Biotechnica Hotel
- Joanne Koch's Apartment
- Doc Ryder
- Electric Orgasm
- Gold Beach Marina
- Jinguji
- Licks
- Network 54 Offices
- Night Corp Headquarters
- Pharmaceuticals
- Pickles!
- Six Shots
- Dynalar store[3]
- ICON America store[3]
- Malorian Arms store[3]
Behind the Scenes[]
Though in truth locked down and thoroughly corporate-controlled, Downtown feels loose and relaxed compared to Corporate Plaza. There's plenty to do by way of entertainment, but it's not quite "fun" like Japantown is—it is not a district designed for your pleasure, but which pleasures you as a calculated move to maximize your productivity. Few actually live Downtown, but its streets are still filled with life: during the day, pedestrians swarm, taking care of the business of keeping Night City in business, while at night, tourists and corporate employees on "vacation" a few hundred yards from their offices stumble from their Downtown hotels to its many bars and clubs. All in all, Downtown is classic cyberpunk: corridors of glass and steel, seas of pedestrians, in-your-face ads on every corner. In terms of our styles, here you find controlled Kitsch: busy, bright and colorful, but against a Neomilitarist backdrop that reminds you this is still corporate turf.[6]
Gallery[]
See Also[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Mission Kit - Edgerunner's Handbook. Kenmore, WA, R. Talsorian Games, 2024. (pp.17–18)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 BATYLDA, M. The World of Cyberpunk 2077. 1st ed. Milwaukie, OR, Dark Horse Books, 2020. (p.108)
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 CD Projekt RED. A Visitor's Guide to Night City. Poland, CD Projekt S.A., 2019. (pp.24–25)
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 CDPR Forums (District feature: City Center)
- ↑ CD Projekt RED. Cyberpunk 2077. Video Game, Multi-Platform. Poland, CD Projekt S.A., 2020.
- ↑ CURRIT, T. The Official Digital Artbook of Cyberpunk 2077. Digital, Online. CD Projekt RED, 2020. (p.41)
