Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas/San Fierro

San Fierro, San Andreas is a fictional city based on the real city of San Francisco in the video game Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas. The city bears visible scars of an Earthquake, a likely reference to the Loma Prieta earthquake of 1989, 3 years before the game takes place.

San Fierro is located in the western part of San Andreas. South of the city lies the massive Mt. Chiliad and the little town of Angel Pine. North of the city lies the small town of Bayside. San Fierro is a moderately sized city with a beautiful bay to the north and the Panopticon to the east.

Landmarks
As with every other city in San Andreas there are emulated landmarks. In San Fierro, this includes:


 * Transamerica Pyramid; Known as the Big Pointy Building. One can travel to the top for a bird's eye view of San Fierro. One parachute (And only one, so exercise caution) is provided, in case you get the urge to jump off.


 * The Golden Gate Bridge makes an appearence as the Gant Bridge. This bridge links San Fierro and the Bayside Marina, and also has tollbooths.


 * Lombard Street, the crookedest street in the World, is Windy Windy Windy Windy Street.


 * The Kincaid Bridge is modeled after the Forth Rail Bridge in Scotland, the Headquarters of Rockstar North.

The Zombotech Corporation, a parody of Umbrella Corporation from Resident Evil, is headquarted in San Fierro as well. The sign on the inside says "Zombotech: Sinister Zombie Research Corporation. Visitors Welcome!"

Getting Around
Although cars are prominent, there is a trolley that circles San Fierro. Although you are unable to ride it, it is literally unstoppable, because it plows through any obstruction without taking damage.

The Brown Streak Railroad station is located on the East Side of the City in Doherty, across from CJ's garage.

Storyline
When Carl Johnson escaped Los Santos in the beginning of the game with his sister and her boyfriend Cesar Vialpando, they traveled to San Fierro and began a new life there. San Fierro had a dark secret, however. It had a seedy underbelly that included the Triads, the San Fierro Rifa and a mysterious drug organization supplying cocaine to former Grove Street member Big Smoke in Los Santos. When Carl finds out about these shipments, he destroys the organization and severs the drug line to Los Santos. But the drug organization won't die just yet. The leader, a shady CIA agent named Mike Toreno lures C.J to the desert in the north. He makes good use of C.J's abilities "doing things he can't get caught doing," and uses the thought of getting his brother Sweet out of jail as motivation. C.J travels to the desert in the north of San Andreas to purchase an abandoned airstrip called Verdant Meadows Aircraft Graveyard. Coincidentally, Area 69, a parody of Area 51 is to the south of it. The desert is full of suprises...