Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas/San Fierro

San Fierro, San Andreas is a fictional city and county 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 in Whetstone County. North of the city lies the small town of Bayside. Northeast of the city lies the county of Tierra Robada. 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 players have 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.


 * The Oakland Bay Bridge makes an appearance as the Garver Bridge. This bridge links San Fierro and the Tierra Robada near Las Venturas.


 * 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.


 * Fort Point makes an appearence in the game, underneath the Gant Bridge. However, the fort has been taken over by Jizzy, a pimp, and is known as Jizzy's Pleasure Domes.


 * The Castro district is emulated as "Queens", a tongue-in-cheek reference to the neighborhood as being the heart of San Francisco's gay community.


 * The San Fierro City Hall, based off the Beaux-Arts San Francisco City Hall, is located just west of Queens.


 * A replica of Mount Sutro's Sutro antenna tower, located atop Missionary Hill just south of San Fierro. An observation area is located near by, offering a pristine view of the city's southern side.

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, Welcomes Visitors!"

Getting Around
Although cars are prominent, there are streetcars that circle San Fierro. Players are, however, unable to ride it, and the streetcars are literally unstoppable, because they simply plow 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.

The Easter Bay Airport is located to the southeast of the city, off Exit 3, the second to last exit, from the Garver Bridge Freeway.

Storyline


After a deadly shootout under the Muholland intersection in Los Santos, Carl Johnson is dragged by Officers Tenpenny and Pulaski to the little town of Angel Pine. They drop him off there, telling him to do their dirty work for them, including killing witnesses. Along the way, Tenpenny wants CJ to help get some crack, and introduces CJ to the pot growing hippie, The Truth. At this point in time, Cesar calls CJ, informing him that his gang has been disbanded, and that his life is now in danger. After escaping Los Santos, Cesar meets with CJ, and they street race with the mysterious Wu Zi Mu. After CJ attempts some very unsuccessful robberies with Cesar's cousin, Catalina, he flees to San Fierro with The Truth.

Once there, CJ finds that all is wrong. The garage he won in a street race with Catalina was actually a dump, and he finds the disturbing truth about the Loco Syndicate, the crime organization responsible for the spread of drugs in Los Santos. It is run by Mike Toreno, a shady person with a suprising background. T-Bone Mendez, a San Fierro Rifa, serves as the muscle of the orginization; Ryder, CJ's homie; and Jizzy, the biggest pimp in town. As he is investigating the Loco Syndicate, CJ also finds out that Wu Zi Mu (Woozie) is actually the head of a Triad gang, and at war with the Da Nang Boys, a Vietmanese crime group.

After many odd jobs and errands for multiple bosses, CJ, Woozie and Cesar decide to take down the Loco Syndicate. CJ first pays Jizzy a visit, and Jizzy is killed in a speedchase. Then, he heads down to Pier 69, and kills T-Bone and Ryder. Finally, Woozie informs him that Toreno is getting ready to leave in a helicopter, and CJ shoots him down with a rocket launcher. He then destroys the crack lab, ending the Loco Syndicate once and for all.

He receives a mysterious call from a "friend" who knows about CJ's brother Sweet, and CJ heads out to the desert, to find none other than Mike Toreno. A new chapter in the San Andreas storyline unfolds.