TheGTAseries is known for its immersive open worlds and iconic locations, which are often modeled on real-life counterparts. From famous landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and the Golden Gate Bridge toentire cityscapes like Los Santos and Vice City, Grand Theft Auto has certainly provided us with plenty of cool locations to explore.
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While it’s fair to say that Rockstar doesn’t cut many corners, evenwhen it comes to the uninhabited wildlands, there are certainly some areas that provide more for players than others.
Whether it’s in terms of missions and vendors or aesthetics and overall enjoyability, there are a few standout places every player should visit in each of the mainline GTA games.
10Sandy Shores
A Remote Desert Community
On the surface, Sandy Shores is a quaint desert town with not a lot going on, but the longer you spend here, the more you learn about its secrets and eccentric residents. Contrasting with the busy city life of Los Santos, Sandy Shores is a nice getaway to a more peaceful environment, withgreat views of the towering Mount Chiliadand across the Alamo Sea.
Featuring as Trevor’s place of residence in GTA 5, the town is presented as a dusty, worn-down trailer park which never moved on. It might not be to everyone’s tastes, but something about this pioneering American spirit and enduring such conditions has an appeal for many players, especially when they get bored with exploring the city.
The town itself also has a number of useful commodities, such as an Amm-Nation and a nearby airfield. With ready access to land, sea, and air, Sandy Shores makes a great base of operations when it comes to planning heists.
9Chinatown
One Of Liberty City’s Distinct Enclaves
Liberty City’s Chinatown is certainly one of its most unique districts. Much like Little Italy, this ethnic enclave is immediatelyrecognizable through its stylized architecture, Chinese street signs, and decorative red lanterns hanging overhead.
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Niko will visit this area several times through GTA 4’s main story, including the missions “Dining Out” and “Three Leaf Clover”. However, it also features in several missions for both Johnny and Luis in the Episodes of Liberty City expansion.
This fascinating area also gave rise to GTA: Chinatown Wars,a very unique game in the GTA franchisewhich centers around Triad member Huang Lee.
8Shoreside Lift Bridge
An Impressive Feat Of Engineering
GTA 3’s incarnation of Liberty City is certainly nowhere near as advanced or detailed as GTA 4’s, but it still has its own charm and reasons to visit. One of the main landmarks in the game is the Shoreside Lift Bridge connecting Staunton Island to Shoreside Vale.
Not only is the bridge fully functioning and fun to go across, itcan also make an excellent escape route when pursued by police. The Staunton Island side of the bridge has a much more metropolitan feel while Shoreside Vale is more of a laid-back mountain town.
The views both of and from the bridge are good, especially with classical lighting enabled in the GTA 3: Definitive Edition. Though it might not be the prettiest structure, its monumental size dominates the area and makes it somewhat unmissable.
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Modeled on Brooklyn, New York, Broker is the starting island for Niko in GTA 4 and represents one of the city’s less affluent areas. Nonetheless, it is a fascinating place to exploredue to its many diverse communities. Russians, Puerto Ricans, Jamaicans, Asians, and many more can be found in this district, which sits in the shadow of the marvelous Broker Bridge to Algonquin.
In addition to its old waterfront, the island also has a thriving commercial district, tranquil residential areas, and the Funland Amusement Park on Firefly Island. It is also home to the Francis International Airport and many train stations which can take you around the city.
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As well as being a fun place to explore and relax, Broker also has a number of useful shops, from food and clothing vendors to weapons and car shops. Additionally, the district’s custom radio station, Radio Broker, has an interesting selection of music with a fair few hidden gems.
Home Of The Rich And Famous
Based on Hollywood, Los Angeles, Vinewood is one of the most opulent areas of Los Santos and home tothe city’s film industry and its stars. The many mansions dotting the Vinewood Hills showcase the wealth and variety of its residents, with a huge range of architectural designs from traditional Spanish villas to modern minimalist rectangles.
Featuring in both GTA 5 and GTA: San Andreas, the area sits on the north side of Los Santos City and features several purchasable and accessible properties across the two games. Additionally, many of the most valuable player-homes in GTA Online are also found in this district.
Not only is the location iconic in its own right, with the illuminated Vinewood sign being its most prominent landmark, but the location also provides excellent views out over Los Santos, which are particularly dazzling at night.
5Ocean Beach
An Iconic Vice City Setting
Based on Miami’s South Beach, Ocean Beach is one of Vice City’s most vibrant areas. Home to many waterfront hotels, bars, and a prominent culture of underground street racing, Ocean Beach is certainly the place to be at sundown.
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In GTA Vice City, the OceanView Hotel is situated along Ocean Beach’s main street and is the starting save point for Tommy Vercetti. It seems that it will also feature in GTA 6 as the hotel wasnoticeably included in the initial reveal trailer.
This popular neon-drenched spot sits on the south-eastern side of the map, which is also home to many clothing and weapons stores, as well as the Pole Position nightclub, which can be acquired as an income asset.
4Grove Street
Home Of The Grove Street OGs
Home to the Johnson brothers and the Grove Street Families, this little cul-de-sac in the heart of Los Santos isn’t as peaceful as it might appear at first glance. Embroiled in a perpetual gang war with their rivals, the Ballas, Grove Street Families are one of the most violent gangs in the city, and their turf comes under frequent attack.
Nonetheless, the small hub the street provides does feel very homely and gives off a great community atmosphere. The basketball court next to Sweet’s house provides a fun side activity, while the main Johnson house and garage can be used to save the game and store vehicles.
Grove Street itself is also conveniently located close to several food and clothes shops, a barber and tattoo parlor, as well as the Ganton Gym where CJ can get into shape and learn boxing.
3Malibu Club
One Of Vice City’s Top Nightclubs
The Malibu Club is one of Vice City’s most iconic nightclubs and an asset players can purchase in the game. Not only is it a highly detailed building itself with a fully modeled interior, but it is also the setting forsome of the best missions in the game.
After purchasing the club for $120,000, you will then be able to begin the bank robbery missions. These consist of assembling a team and eventually robbing El Banco Corrupto Grande, after which the venue will provide a regular income of $10,000 per day.
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The Malibu Club is the perfect hub of operations for a gangster like Tommy Vercetti, and its idyllic location on the waterside is also an added bonus. We can only speculate as to how the building will be represented in GTA 6, but it is likely to receive a significant upgrade.
2Star Junction
The Beating Heart Of Liberty City
It’s hard to think of any location in the GTA series more spectacular than Star Junction in GTA 4. Based on Times Square, New York, the downtown landmark is a center of trade and advertising, with large screens and neon lights giving the areaan almost futuristic cyberpunk atmospherewhen compared to some of the city’s other districts.
Not only is the recreation relatively accurate to real life, it also provides news and information about in-game events such as the stock exchange or advertising campaigns for certain in-game companies and products.
Whenever driving through Liberty City, it is always a special feeling cruising through Star Junction. The area also has several useful shops to visit, such as food and clothing vendors. There is even a comedy club you can take Niko’s friends to, featuring performances from legendary comedians Katt Williams and Ricky Gervais.
1Las Venturas Strip
San Andreas' City Of Sin
Even among all the beloved locations in GTA: San Andreas, the Las Venturas Strip stands out as the vibrant jewel in the desert. Lined with extravagant casinos such as Caligula’s Palace, The Four Dragons, and The Camel’s Toe, Venturas beams in the night sky and gives an unmistakable atmosphere of fun and chaos amid its barren surroundings.
The Strip is home to many purchasable properties, expensive vehicles, entertainment venues, and lucrative mission opportunities for both the Triads and Mafia. It also provides one of the longest and straightest roads in the game, which can begreat for testing out the top speeds of cars and bikes.
Overall, the Strip has just about everything you could possibly need in order to keep CJ happy. As an added bonus, the Triad Robbery missions are some of the best in the game and center around a huge heist which takes place in Caligula’s. With Vice City confirmed as the setting of GTA 6, we can only hope to see Las Venturas return in GTA 7 or beyond.
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