All cities in the 3D parts of the GTA series are based on real megalopolises. Developers from Rockstar Games do not limit themselves to the approximate location of streets and houses, but add some architectural landmarks to their games. We talked about them in this article.
Liberty City from Grand Theft Auto 3 and GTA 4
GTA 3 begins on the Callahan Bridge. It looks like the Brooklyn Bridge, which is located in New York. In the fourth part, it was called the East Borough Bridge.
Belleville Park from Grand Theft Auto 3 and Middle Park from GTA 4 are copied from Central Park. In reality, it is much larger than in the games.
New York also has an elevated railway that allows you to quickly cover distances in Liberty City. Today, 40% of this city's subway runs above or above ground.
GTA 3 has several buildings that look like the 22-story Flatiron Building, one of the main symbols of the Big Apple. One of them houses the Rise FM radio station studio. A similar building is also in the fourth part. There it is called the Triangle Building.
And we couldn't ignore the Statue of Liberty, which is associated not only with New York, but with all of America. In GTA 4 it is called the Statue of Happiness.
Vice City from Grand Theft Auto: Vice City
Ocean Drive was transferred to Vice City from real Miami almost unchanged. The developers did not even change its name. Judging by the GTA 6 trailer, it will appear in the new part of the series.
On the waterfront, you can find the Colon Hotel. In reality, this hotel is called Colony Hotel
And the prototype for Deacon Hotel was Beacon Hotel.
The lighthouse you saw on Vice City Beach also has a real prototype. It is called Cape Florida Light.
Los Santos from GTA: San Andreas and Grand Theft Auto 5
The convention center, which is located in Los Angeles, can also be seen in San Andreas. Let us remind you that this is where the E3 gaming exhibition was held.
Los Angeles is governed by the City Hall, also known as Los Angeles City Hall. This building can also be found in Los Santos.
The unusually shaped tower, which looks like a stack of records, in reality belongs to the recording company Capital Records. The building was transferred to San Andreas and GTA 5 almost unchanged.
This mansion belonged to Hugh Hefner, the founder and editor-in-chief of Playboy magazine. In the game, you can meet girls walking around this house without bras.
In Los Santos, you can see decorative towers that look like large Christmas trees. This is a clear reference to the Watts Towers, an architectural ensemble of 17 structures. Simon Rodia built them over 34 years in his free time. Since 1990, they have been recognized as a US National Historic Landmark. You can see them in San Andreas and GTA 5.
The Hollywood Bowl concert hall is an open-air amphitheater. From 1926 to 2003, it looked like a series of concentric arches, and in 2004 they were replaced with one large one. The building can be seen in the fifth GTA.
From the territory of the Hollywood Bowl, you can also see the Hollywood sign itself. Initially, it served as an advertisement for the sale of land and houses on the hills. And later it began to be considered a landmark of the city and one of the main symbols of cinema in Los Angeles. In GTA 5 and San Andreas, this sign looks different — Hollywood was replaced with Vinewood.
On the ocean shore is the Del Pierro Pier. It is based on the Santa Monica Pier, which is located on Colorado Avenue in Santa Monica, California.
Also worth mentioning is the open-air gym where Arnold Schwarzenegger worked out.
San Fierro from GTA: San Andreas
The tallest building in San Fierro is a copy of the 48-story Transamerica skyscraper. In real San Francisco, only the Salesforce Tower is taller. But it was built in 2018, 14 years after the release of GTA: San Andreas. At the time of release, there was not a single building in the city comparable in height to the Transamerica.
Also worth highlighting is Lombard Street, a winding red brick road that is a continuous serpentine. In reality, it is a one-way street.
Las Venturas from GTA: San Andreas
The red Gant Bridge was remembered by players thanks to an interesting inscription that mocked all the stereotypes about Easter eggs in video games. This structure is a copy of the Golden Gate, a two and a half kilometer long suspension bridge that connects San Francisco Bay with the Pacific Ocean.
Hoover Dam is a concrete dam and hydroelectric power station built in the lower reaches of the Colorado River. It was around it that the decisive battle between the factions unfolded in Fallout: New Vegas. This structure is also found in San Andreas.
*** What sights in the GTA series games do you remember? We are waiting for your stories in the comments!