Central City's Famous Places

More than any other district of October City, the Central City district has the most to offer when it comes to tourist attractions, famous locations, and places of note. These places, in addition to attraction millions of tourists annually, are also frequented by the majority of October City's supernatural element.

Famous Places
To list all of the points of interest for Central City would be an intense labor, so for purposes of brevity listed here are the top ten places that capture the tourist's eye, heart, and imagination.

1. The Pink House More than any other night club in October City, The Pink House draws in tourist and resident alike because of its propensity not just for great music and better food but for frequent visits by celebrities. The Pink House is so named because of its lurid colored facade. The House is two stories, three if one counts the extensive underground room as well. The main entrance, located on the middle of the three stories houses the expansive dance floor and an elevated stage where live music performances or DJs can set up shop. Along one side is an extensive bar that is liberally stocked with imported beers, liqueurs, and spirits for those seeking to let their hair down or get smashed. The huge room is totally sound-proofed so that those seeking more eclectic entertainments can do so without being disturbed by the middle-floor raucous. The basement level of the Pink House is the proud and fine dining establishment Turquoise. Two-star rated chef Alan Sandberg specializes in Asian-fusion cuisine, offering succulent dishes such as pan seared bay scallops wrapped in Prosciutto with mango salsa, Osso Bucco with butter-fried asparagus, and chicken with honey-roasted walnuts. Turquoise has an extensive wall rack of the most excellent international wines which, themselves, draw in hundreds of wine lovers monthly. Chef Sandberg often hosts tasting menus while, although expensive, offers small bites of the very freshest seasonal ingredients cooked in sublime ways. The uppermost level of The Pink House is more of a stately gentleman's club where revelers can seek refuge from the noise downstairs without having to fret over the exorbitant prices of the basement restaurant. The gentle ambience is meant to help people relax with some fine brandy and imported cigars, or help themselves from the lavish extension of books available to read. The Club also offers small dining plates provided by Chef Sandberg.Popular rumor has it that here in the Club a man can find any particular delight he seeks, illicit or not. The owner of The Pink House is Bekkah Swann, a Cult of Ecstasy Adept whom is unaffiliated with the Chantry. Unconfirmed rumors circulate that Bekkah left the Chantry because of irreconcilable difference between herself and Pandora. Bekkah is quite friendly to the Chantry mages and always willing to lend a hand when asked for help.

2. The October City Performing Arts Center hosts some of the most endearing performing arts groups in the country. Bruce Springsteen, Josh Groban, Hope Springs Eternal, The Rolling Stones, and Enya have all performed here. The October City Opera House located just inside the center has hosted the October City Opera, the second largest opera troupe in North America, The Three Tenors, Charlotte Church, and Placido Domingo. The OC Ballet Theater gives performances by October City's own Autumn Ballet, The Paris Opera Ballet, and The Bolshoi Ballet. Fillmore Hall, the newest addition to the center, is the home of the internationally famous Wainbridge Symphony Hall, where the London Philharmonic performs concerts every December.

3. Central University is the only campus in the California University System that has devoted itself entirely to graduate studies in health and biomedical science. It is ranked fifth of the top five schools in the United States and operates the October City Medical Center, which ranks as the number one hospital in California. OCMC is a major local employer, second only to the City's government.

 4. The Chinatown  of October City, centered on Grant Street and Octavier Avenue in Central City, is the largest Chinatown anywhere in the continetal United States and has the most densely populated Asians outside of the Asian areas themselves. It has been the most influential in the histories and ethnic diversities of Asian immigrants in North America. Though called Chinatown, the area is really an enclave of five different cultures (Chinatown, Little Tokyo, New Korea. Tiny Thailand, & Neo-Philippenes) that each retain their own languages, cultures, and customs. Chinatown has numerous parks, theme parks, cultural museums, and holiday events that draw in countless tourists annually. Some really notable place in Chinatown are the Li Po Chinese restaurant which first opened its doors in 1912, making it the oldest Chinese restaurant in the city, which is still highly celebrated. Sadly, October City's Chinatown has never been able to shake the stranglehold of Asian street gangs. Two gangs in particular: The Jade Fan and The Black Rabbit Clan, remain a consistent threat to residents but tend to leave tourists alone. At one time, The Akashic Brotherhood had a very strong presence here and kept violence in check, but since every single Akashic in the City, expect Pandora, has mysteriously vanished, gang violence is on the rise.

5. The Central City Historical Society building is located on the corner of Tenth and Grand Avenue. The Society building is one of the oldest buildings in the City, opening its doors in 1899. The Society building is the largest of October City's museums, seperated into distinct historical ears and cultures including wonderful artifacts dated back to the Stone and Bronze Ages, Ancient Egypt and Ancient Mesopotamia; a massive locomotive and aerial display, and rooms dedicated to crystal and mineral formations. The Society also houses the Twilight Children's Museum, which is wholly interactive; children are allows to touch and climb on the displays and play interactive games that teach young minds about mathematics and science.

6. Union Circle, located directly in the heart of Central City, is the tower that hosts most of the city's legal and economical complexes. The Department of Water and Power, the Central City Sanitary Division, and other such organizations are located here, as is City Hall and The Mayor's Office. The October City Courthouse is also found on the Union Circle grounds, as is the District Attorney's office. Although rightly a business and not a tourist attraction the Court House does offer weekly tours and gives lectures on application of Law.

7. Harvest Wharf is a neighborhood and popular tourist attraction that enncomapsses the Northern Waterfront area of October City from Giga Avenue to the winding and flower-studded Van Ess Court. One of the busiest and well known attractions in the Western United States, Harvest Wharf is best known for being the location of Pier 12, the Cannery Shopping Center, Chocolate Square which is so named for its plethora of candy stories and sweet bakeries; a Ripley's Believe it or Not museum, the OC Wax Museum, and the National Maritime Aquarium. Seafood restaurants are abundant along the Wharf, and the nationally famous Burger Brian's fast food chain has its main restaurant and corporate headquarters here. Other attractions include the Oceanside Theme Park which boasts the Scream which is one of the oldest roller-coasters in North America, a decommission WWII era submarine, and the decommissioned SS Pompano, rumored to be haunted by the ghost of its previous belligerent captain John Trumey. There is a huge seal and sea lion colony next to Pier 12m where visitors can watch the animals sunning themselves on concrete docks placed there for that specific reason by the city's government.

8. Pier 12 is an immense shopping center where one can find shops, restaurants, a video arcade called LegWarmers that features in coin-operated video games popular throughout the 1980s, street performances, and the walk-through Aquarium of The Northern Bay. A two-story carousel is one of the pier's more dominant features, although it is not directly visible from the street and sits towards the end of the pier. The family-oriented entertainment and presence of marine mammals make this a popular tourist location for families with kids.

9. Little Haiti offers more than just bawdy entertainments to tourists but four blocks of mysticism, enchantment, and seduction to all whom venture within. The area, so named because of it's large Haitian and Creole population, is studded with restaurants featuring authentic Caribbean foods from a diverse array of cultures, live Jazz and Shakespeare In The Park performances in the stunningly beautiful Desmodea Park all throughout the summer seasons. Little Haiti boasts a swath of occult shops where people can get their fortunes read, attend seances, and explore the HouDoun and Sangria religions in depth. Because it is steeped in such awe, superstitious belief, and wonder the four blocks of Little Haiti seems to come alive with paradox against the Technocracy when the pogrom makes an incursion into the area, which is exceedingly rare. The most famous spot here is Mama Tachete's, where guests of the restaurant can entertain themselves not only with great food but also dinner theater and prestidigitation acts.

10. The Willendorf Detective Agency is but a seven minutes drive east from the Wainbridge Institute of Higher Learning. Found on Valley Fair Avenue next to The Tapapoco Mexine restaurant and across the street from the Skatelab Amusement Center, the interior of the Afency boasts a large floorspace, where the detectives work with desks facing each other and the receptionists desk near the entry door. There is one large office set aside for Jack as Lead Detective, and a second private office set aside for Sara, which boasts a multitude of the latest high tech computers and multiple monitors.

The Supernatural Element
At one time, the supernatural element of Central City was evenly distributed. Each of the groups studiously avoided the other and kept to itself to create a harmony of co-existence that was rarely disrupted. Since the supernatural community of October City started become predated upon by force or forces unknown Central City has seen a glut of supernatural creatures entering for self-preservation and safety in numbers. Many of these migrants come from Cutter's End, where the disappearances began and remain on the highest.

The vampire population is highest here. There were once at least eight known vampires slinking through Central City's nightlife. Dramatically, the Chantry estimates that only three remain. If Dame Samantha knows whom these vampires are and where they are she isn't saying, but stands firm on her estimations that the vampires of Central City have almost all been obliterated.

Werewolves are all but unknown in Central City. Dame Samantha has never been able to make a positive count of the creatures but has always considered that there were at one time at least of pack of four. As far as she has been able to determine only one remains. She can't fathom what may have happened to the others.

Changelings are a set of the supernatural community that Dame Sam admittedly knows nothing about whatsoever. If there are any Fea in Central City they keep such a successfully low profile that Dame Samantha can only shrug her shoulders and admit that she doesn't know, or if fae even exist at all.

Like any large metropolitan area, Central City has buildings and places that are considered haunted by the locals. In two of these buildings, see above, Dame Samantha was able to make contact but since the storm of unknown has enveloped October City she isn't able to reestablish contact with these departed souls.