Vice City

Vice City is a city in the Grand Theft Auto series, based on Miami, Florida. Two versions of the city have appeared in different generations of the series: The Grand Theft Auto rendition is geographically very similar to Miami. The Grand Theft Auto: Vice City rendition (also featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories) is composed of two mainland islands, with five smaller ones in between. This rendition of Vice City draws significant inspiration from the 1980s culture of Miami.

Located in the Florida Keys, Vice City enjoys a subtropical or near-tropical climate with year-long sunny weather, occasional strong winds and rainfall. It is also suggested that in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City and in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories that the city is exposed to hurricanes, as is Miami; early in Vice City, bridges are closed to the public as Hurricane Hermione is believed to be approaching the city. Similarly in Vice City Stories, Hurricane Gordy is believed to be approaching the city.

Grand Theft Auto rendition
Compared to Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the Grand Theft Auto rendition of Vice City is more geographically accurate to Miami. Eastern Miami, Fort Lauderdale, and the surrounding areas are depicted as "Vice Beach;" North Miami Beach and the Central Business District have been tagged as "Felicity". Western Vice City is made up of Miramire, Coral City, Greek Heights, Little Dominica, Little Bogota and Richman Heights, each representing the counties Broward and Dade. Although it is more geographically accurate it is not as accurate in culture.

Districts and locations in the city taken from Miami include:
 * Miramire
 * Little Haiti
 * Coral City
 * Miami Shores
 * Miami Beach
 * Little Havana
 * Greek Heights
 * Felicity
 * Richman Heights
 * Banana Grove

Note: All of these areas have been renamed in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City. See below for more information.

Grand Theft Auto: Vice City rendition
Vice City, as depicted in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, is set in 1986, a reference to 1980s Miami, which was a major trans-shipment point for cocaine from South America at the time. This is further reinforced with its theme of the drug business and crime, as well as the presence of new upper-class businesses and residents in the city, with some of them likely to be funded by the drug business. The city is also located on the same fictional universe as Liberty City, San Andreas, Carcer City (Manhunt), Cottonmouth (Manhunt 2) and Bullworth (Bully). Vice City is specifically indicated to be located within the state of Florida, while Vice City was suggested to exist alongside Miami in Grand Theft Auto III.

Vice City consists of two major islands and five smaller islands, Prawn Island (northern-most island), Starfish Island (southern-most island), and Leaf Links (consisting of three islands). Both main islands are separated by a large body of water similar to that of Biscayne Bay, which separates Miami Beach from mainland Miami in real life. Each major island is divided into several districts. The population of Vice City is given as around 1.8 million.

The city has four hospitals (two in each major island) and four police stations (two in each major island) distributed evenly in the city; these facilities serve as respawn points after the player dies or is arrested, respectively. As in other Grand Theft Auto cities, there are no children or schools present in Vice City. The city also has one fire station and a military base. Unlike Liberty City and the state of San Andreas, however, Vice City has no known railway or rapid transit systems, and all islands are connected by road or pedestrian bridges. While the city contains local taxicabs like other GTA cities, Vice City was the first city in the series to offer functional taxicab services that sends the player directly to a single location for a fee, available in one mission (to a club) or when the player failed a mission as a result of being killed or arrested (to the last mission's trigger point, excluding phone missions). This Trip Skip taxi function has been used in subsequent GTA games, including Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

In the beginning of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City, the western island is off-limits due to hurricane warnings. After the player starts working for Ricardo Diaz, the warnings will subside and the bridges will be open. Conversely, in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories, the eastern island is off-limits during the first half of the game due to another hurricane warning.

Vice Beach
The eastern island of Vice City, also referred to as "Vice City Beach" on the game's roadsigns, is depicted as the more affluent and tourist-oriented side of the city, which is mostly dominated by upper and middle-wealth businesses, as well as residential condominiums, apartments and construction sites. The eastern island is also known for a wide beach, dubbed "Washington Beach", on its east side, which makes almost half of the island's landmass. The island also has a waterway on its west side, including neighboring Leaf Links. The eastern island is clearly based on Miami Beach, Florida.

Ocean Beach
Ocean Beach is an upper-class tourist district consisting of a few skyscrapers and many low rises, directly based on Ocean Drive in South Beach and located in the southeastern most of Vice City. The area is primarily occupied by seaside and beach side apartments, hotels and upper-class businesses. An Art Deco Historic District-like row of Art Deco and Modernist low rises are also present; the road stretched along the row mimics that of Ocean Drive, bearing much resemblance to their real life counterparts in architecture and layout, and includes a flora partition between the low rises and beach, similar to Lummus Park. The lighthouse located at the southeastern most point mimics the Cape Florida lighthouse, the oldest structure in Miami, located in Key Biscayne, and a popular beach side tourist destination.

Inland towards the west, Ocean Beach contains additional commercial and residential buildings, resembling southwestern Miami Beach, westward from Collins Avenue (in fact, the road in Vice City that separates the two sides of the Ocean Beach in the manner that Collins Avenue does to southern Ocean Beach, and would eventually run along several beach side apartments and condominiums in Vice Point, similar to northern Collins Avenue).

The district boasts a marina, Ocean Bay Marina, mimicking a large marina stretched along Alton Road in Ocean Beach and located at the west end of the district. A hospital is also situated on the northwest end of Ocean Beach, named Ocean View Hospital, it is likely named for its locations affront the city bay. Two additional high-rise buildings located beside the hospital bear signage that claims that the tenants are the "Research and Development Department" of the "Ocean View Medical Foundation", suggesting that the buildings are related to the hospital.

Several other features may be noted in Ocean Beach. A park mimicking South Pointe Park is located on the southern end of Ocean Beach, and includes a seaside building with similar architecture designs, and an additional helipad. An open-air mall, Washington Mall, depicted at the northern end of Ocean Beach, is possibly based on the Bal Harbour Shops mall at Bal Harbour. It is also interesting to note the similarity in design to the 1983 motion picture Scarface, particularly during the hotel chase following the infamous chainsaw scene.

Tommy Vercetti's initial accommodation in Vice City is in Ocean Beach, at the beachfront Ocean View Hotel. The Pole Position (strip) Club is also located near the south end of the district.

Washington Beach
Washington Beach is a district between Ocean Beach from the south and Vice Point from the north, encompassing the northern end of the Art Deco Historic District-like beachfront district, its inland area, and the southern half of a smaller island to the west containing two construction sites and several additional apartments and housing (among them, a building featuring a hotel room similar to that in Scarface where the film's chainsaw torture takes place).

Washington Beach also contains a police station located at the northern edge of the district, as well as Ken Rosenberg's office at the southwestern edge. Washington Beach is also connected to Starfish Island via a short bridge between the Washington Beach island; the roadway connecting the two districts stretches across the islands and ends at the edge of Little Havana. The district is likely to be named after Washington Avenue, a major road in Miami Beach.

Vice Point
Vice Point covers remaining areas of the island at the north. It has larger apartment buildings and hotels aligned along the shore as well as medium sized homes and smaller apartment complexes inland. This set-up resembles the rows of developments along Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, as well as the residential set-up of that city.

The North Point Mall (known as Vice Point Mall in GTA:VCS), a large mall located in the north end of Vice Point and accessible by the player, is a parody of Miami's Aventura Mall. Its location in the northeastern most point of the east island is similar to Aventura Mall's location in the extreme northeastern most point of the Miami Metro Area. The mall's layout, though much smaller, also resembles that of Aventura Mall. The mall, among others, contains a few eateries, as well as two weapons stores and a clothing pickup.

The Malibu Club is situated on southern Vice Point. It`s very similar to the Babylon Club in Scarface. A police department is also located further north, as is another hospital.

Mainland
Vice City's western island, also referred to as the "Vice City Mainland" on roadsigns in the game, is depicted as a less glamorous area of the city, although the business district of Downtown is in fact located on the north end of the island. The western island houses much of the city's industrial population, as well as seaport and airport facilities at the south. Two sizable districts housing immigrant populations are located in the middle, with one of these districts depicted in a dilapidated state. The western island contains the wide four-lane Bayshore Avenue (named in Vice City Stories) at its east side that stretches from the south end, at the seaports, to the north end, at the southern tip of Downtown. The western island is based on mainland Miami.

Downtown
Downtown mirrors downtown Miami, where the areas see the highest concentration of skyscrapers, both residential and commercial. Downtown is the more formal, financial district of Vice City, with a number of large office buildings, including the city's tallest building.

The area also boasts the Hyman Memorial Stadium west of Downtown, serving as a staging area for events such as rock concerts, stock car racing, demolition derbies and dirt bike stunt shows. The stadium is also home to the Vice City Mambas football team, which featured former tight-end turned car salesman BJ Smith. In addition, Downtown serves as the location for the local heavy metal radio station V-Rock and an enclosed recording studio, where lead singer for rock band Love Fist, Jezz Torrent, was seen recording a song. The area also has an easily stolen police helicopter.

Other places of interest include the Electronics District, the Vice City News (VCN) headquarters, the Greasy Chopper bikers' bar, and a venue for a Love Fist concert, just south of the V-Rock radio station. An unnamed beach is also located west of Downtown, but it receives no visitors or attention, a stark contrast to Washington Beach in the Ocean Beach area. A police station, hospital and the city's only fire station is situated in the district. One of the main roads Downtown (that leads past the Love Fist venue and the Downtown Pizza Stack) is called "Hoarmount Avenue".

Little Havana
Drawing from the real-life Little Havana in Miami, Vice City's Little Havana consists of a predominantly Spanish-speaking Cuban population. The area is controlled by the Cuban gang, led by Umberto Robina from his father's cafe, located in the southwest end of Little Havana. Due to Little Havana's proximity with Little Haiti, occasional fights and gun battles between Cuban and Haitian gangs erupt in areas bordering the two districts.

A police station is located at the southeastern tip of Little Havana, as well as a hospital at the east side of the district. The Cherry Popper Ice Cream Factory is also located within the vicinity.

Little Haiti
Also inspired by a real-life district in Miami, Little Haiti is predominantly inhabited by Haitians and is home to the Haitian gang. They are led by Auntie Poulet, from her small wooden shack, which is in amongst other shacks at the center of Little Haiti. The gang's solvent factory, located at the west side of Little Haiti, was destroyed in a Cuban ambush, aided by Tommy Vercetti. Little Haiti is noted to be more run-down than Little Havana, with the presence of poorly maintained buildings, low wealth businesses and smaller homes.

A large printing press, which would be purchased by Tommy Vercetti later in the storyline for a money counterfeiting business, is located at the border between Little Haiti and Little Havana. Phil Cassidy's home and weapons armory is located on the northwest end of Little Haiti. Kaufman Cabs, a local taxi cab company, is also based in Little Haiti, located a block north of Poulet's shack.

Airport, seaport, and military base
Vice City's airport is known as the Escobar International Airport (EIA), or Escobar International in short. This is an allusion to prominent Colombian drug lord, Pablo Escobar. Although mildly similar in location as Miami's international airport, neighboring Little Havana, the airport structures and layout of the compound do not appear to be based on any airports seen in Miami. Also, all airports in Miami are located inland, but the EIA is located on a peninsula.

The EIA consists of two terminals, one at the north which is basically a standard blocky terminal with the addition of below ground entrances, while the other in the south is more distinctive, with its weaved roof and roof-high windows facing the airport's southern airside. Both structures are separated by lawns and a car park, and it is unknown if the terminals are connected in any other way aside roads. Further north in the airport peninsula is the Fort Baxter Air Base.

Southeast of the EIA compound is Vice Port (also referred to in road signs as "VicePort"), the city's seaport, and a possible play of the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami-Dade (Port of Miami), located on the southern edge of the bay, similar to the Port of Miami's in Biscayne Bay. However, Vice Port is located in the mainland, while the Port of Miami is located on an island, covering much of the southern entrance of Biscayne Bay. In addition, Vice Port does not cater for cruise ships, unlike Miami Port which has operated a cruise ship terminal since 1968, focusing instead on solely cargo shipping.

Starfish Island
Starfish Island (also referred as "Star Island" by Tommy Vercetti, just before he and Lance Vance kill Ricardo Diaz) is the third largest island in Vice City.

Starfish Island is a community of upper-wealth residents, most of whom live in large houses and mansions, some with their own jetty. The area also has its own security guards, who patrol the island and open fire upon any troublemakers. The island has a total of 11 mansions, one of which is owned by Johnathan Freeloader, one half of the spokesperson team on VCPR (the other being Michelle Montanius).

The largest residence on Starfish Island is the Vercetti Estate, which was previously owned by drug baron Ricardo Diaz and was acquired by Tommy Vercetti. The mansion comes complete with a rooftop helipad and helicopter and a landing dock for boats.

Prawn Island
Prawn Island is a small island located northmost and center on the city map. It links Downtown Vice City in the west and Vice Point (near the mall) in the east. Prawn Island consists of 3 mansions. In 1984 the mansions were new and full of people. By 1986 the mansions have been abandoned and torn up. They are north of the main highway that runs horizontally through the island and are connected by a small drive circling a fountain. There are also a few businesses located on the east side of the island and a film studio called Interglobal Studios on the south-west part. The homes have been abandoned, and the mansions are now occupied by the Streetwannabes gang. Prior to being abandoned, the mansions belonged to the Mendez brothers (killed by Victor Vance).

The only business not controlled by the gang is the film studio. It is the sole such business in Vice City and presently serves partly as a pornography film studio for film director Steve Scott. Some sets include battleships, a moon landing, and living room setup. The studio was purchased in its entirety by Tommy Vercetti later in 1986.

Leaf Links
Leaf Links is a collection of three islands located just west of Vice Point encompassing the Leaf Links Country Club, which sprawls over many islands and crosses a major road. It is well guarded. Normal entry will cause the temporary loss of all weapons.

The name "Leaf Links" is inspired by Leith Links, a park in Leith near Rockstar North's HQ in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Overview
The Vice City featured in Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories is based on the Grand Theft Auto: Vice City version of the city. The trailer park serves as the location where Victor Vance would receive missions from Marty Jay Williams, head of the Trailer Park Mafia. Sunshine Autos itself has also been known to be operating from an older establishment in a slightly different location (down the road towards the north), with its newer showroom under construction further south. Both the entire trailer park and the old Sunshine Autos yard is absent in 1986, replaced by an empty field. It is assumed that the disbandment of the Trailer Park Mafia (with Marty's death at the hands of Victor) and the relocation of Sunshine Autos led to the demolition of both locations.
 * A modern mid-rise skyscraper, owned by the Mendez brothers, with blue reflective glass is seen across the street from the stadium's main entrance. By 1986, it is replaced with a much shorter building, likely due to Victor killing both of the brothers.
 * The Palm Springs Hotel, in the southern Downtown district, is under construction. The location is featured in one mission where Victor has to kill Biker members in order to save his brother Lance.
 * In 1984, Phil Cassidy's residence is in Vice Port along with his own shooting range. "Phil's Place" in Little Haiti, which would serve as Phil's residence in 1986, is owned by Victor.
 * [[Image:VCS ChunderWheel.png|thumb|The Chunder Wheel before demolition.]] A fairground is based on a patch of land in western Washington, which features a ferris wheel, dubbed the "Chunder Wheel." The area, circa 1986, features a construction site where in Vice City, Tommy Vercetti meets Avery Carrington in a limousine for missions. A park in the immediate west of the fairground would be developed into another construction site by 1986; the site is later damaged in one Vice City mission, using explosives planted by a remote controlled helicopter.
 * The Midland Hotel, a single Streamline Moderne-styled building (which features a jetty, garage, and helipad) exists in the immediate north of the Washington Beach fairground, on what would be the site of low-rise apartments in 1986.
 * The right wing of Ricardo Diaz's mansion (towards the west) in Starfish Island is either under construction or undergoing an expansion in 1984. The hedge mazes that adorn both sides of the Diaz compound in 1986 do not exist in 1984; instead, only a pond is featured in place on the west wing of the mansion.
 * A VIP terminal with its own separate car park and jetty exists at the Escobar International Airport in 1984. The facility is absent in 1986.
 * The Washington Mall doesn't exist, in 1984 it's an empty lot with a small construction site.
 * A small cafe in Little Haiti, dubbed Le Singe d'Arbre (French for "the monkey of [the] tree") exists in 1984. In 1986, a cafe dubbed "Cafe Under The Tree" exists in its place.
 * The Fort Baxter military base has a significantly different layout to the one featured in 1986.
 * A few of the rare interiors have changed. The North Point Mall,(which in 1984 is called Vice Point Mall) for example, has almost completely different stores in 1984 than the ones in 1986.  A few stores, though, are the same in the events of Vice City.  These include such stores as Ammunation and "The Vinyl Countdown".

Gang control
The distribution of gangs in Vice City circa 1984 is significantly different due largely to activities surrounding the Vance Crime Family, which rose to prominence that year. Their subsequent dominance has devastated a number of existing gangs which previously had a significant stake in the city. In the beginning of Vice City Stories, a number of previously unheard of gangs in Vice City are also present before they disbanded or were wiped out by Victor Vance and his organization.


 * The Trailer Park Mafia, a redneck gang led by Marty Jay Williams, operates from the trailer park near Sunshine Autos and controls much of Vice City's poorer communities, and operates several small businesses. The gang engages in a brief war with the Cholos, seizing more businesses in Little Haiti. With the death of Marty at the hands of Victor Vance, the gang is disbanded as the Vance Crime Family takes control of all his operations.


 * The Cholos, a Hispanic gang, are known to be in control of Little Havana and Little Haiti in 1984. The Cuban Gang (known in Vice City Stories as "Los Cabrones"), led by Umberto Robina, would wage a fierce and violent gang war on the Cholos. The war concluded with the destruction of the Cholo's large illegal arms storage warehouse in Little Haiti by Los Cabrones and Victor Vance, forcing surviving Cholo members to surrender and consolidate with Los Cabrones. With the defeat of the Cholos, the Cubans/Los Cabrones control Little Havana by 1986, while the Haitians are also presumed to move into Little Haiti after the Cholos disappear.


 * The Sharks control the Washington Beach and Ocean Beach areas of the city, dominating in smuggling, robbery, and drug trafficking. After their businesses are seized by the Vance Crime Family, the gang is suggested to have mutated into the Streetwannabes street gang by 1986.


 * As Victor Vance is dishonorably discharged from the military, the Mendez cartel, headed by brothers Armando and Diego Mendez, set up shop in Vice City and become the most powerful criminal organization in the city, basing their operations at Prawn Island and becoming rivals of Diaz' gang. Originally allied with the Vance Crime Family, they eventually betrayed Victor, leading to their own deaths (with the help of Ricardo Diaz) and the collapse of their organization. With the defeat of the Mendez Cartel, the Streetwannabes control the northern half of the now dilapidated Prawn Island, specifically, the former residences of the Mendez Cartel and the Diaz Cartel becomes the most powerful criminal organization in Vice City.

In addition, the Biker Gang, which is featured in Vice City, is stronger and more influential in 1984 than they are in 1986, controlling many businesses in Downtown and Vice Point. It is assumed that the rise of the Vance Crime Family has resulted in the Biker Gang losing control of their businesses, leaving them with only the Greasy Chopper Bar by 1986. An offshoot of the Biker Gang, the Stallionz, is featured in Vice City Stories, consisting of homosexual white supremacists. The Stallionz are wiped out in 1984 by Victor in a bar dubbed "Stallionz," named after the gang.

As a result of the shift of power in Vice City, it is assumed the Vance Crime Family controls a fair share of the city, and both Victor and Lance agree to leave Vice City for several years to lie low and live off of their drug money in the Dominican Republic after Victor kills the Mendez Brothers. In 1986, the Vance Brothers are active in Vice City, although their organization's current size and stake in the city is unknown. Victor is killed at the beginning of Vice City, and with Lance being killed by Tommy Vercetti, the Vance Crime Family's activities are ended. The Vercetti Gang would then become the most powerful organization in Vice City, with virtually all districts under complete control of Tommy Vercetti. Rockstar.com states after the attack on Vercetti's house, Tommy wiped out every single gang in Vice city, and seizes all of Vice City until 1992. It was believed that Tommy was still running Vice City when Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories takes place.