Belleville Park

Belleville Park itself in GTA III, as viewed from the northern end to the south.

Belleville Park or simply Belleville (known well in GTA Advance) is a district in Staunton Island, Liberty City in Grand Theft Auto III, Grand Theft Auto Advance and Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories. It borders Bedford Point to the north, Aspatria to the south, Newport to the east, and an unnamed body of water to the west.

Character

Map of Belleville Park in Grand Theft Auto: Liberty City Stories.

Contrary to its name, Belleville Park is actually a district that does not only contain a small, namesake enclave of forest, but also the surrounding urban space.

The park itself is a lush, hilly greenspace containing a maze of footpaths, complete with a pond (with an island and adjoining jetty), a boatyard and three basketball courts on the northern end, an obelisk and underground lavatories (with a detailed interior in GTA III) at the center, and a single footbridge and runs over a below-ground footpath to the south. The serene nature of the park is intended to clash with much of Staunton's heavily developed state, and is essentially the only major park in the city.

The outskirts of Belleville Park consists of multiple skyscrapers and landmarks across the road from the park. To the west, a row of seemingly residential buildings are lined along the park, as is part of an underground roadway that links Bedford Point to Aspatria. To the south are a set of skyscrapers, as well as a "Town Hall" seemingly inspired by the New York City Hall building. To the east are skyscrapers that are also partially located in Newport, including an unnamed shopping mall. Finally, the southern side of Belleville Park encompasses a large number of mixed use commercial and residential buildings. Belleville Park is also the terminating point for the Shoreside Lift Bridge, connected via a ribbon-shared overpass.

The park is loosely based off of New York City´s Central Park, since this rendition of Liberty City is based off of New York City to a certain extent. However, Belleville Park is much smaller than its real-life counter-part. The obelisk in the park may be based on the Cleopatra's Needle in Central Park, but is only similar in the form, not in detail. Probably "Belleville Park" derives its name from the nearby Manhattan suburb of Belleville, New Jersey.

Places of interest

South Belleville Park is most notably the location of the player's Staunton Island safehouse in GTA III, while corrupt police officer Ray Machowski issues orders to the player from within the park's underground lavatories. In addition, a Landstalker parked in front of the park's lake is primary intended to activate a checkpoint side mission, known as "A Ride in the Park".

The GTA Liberty City Stories rendition of the park also spawns a Molotov Cocktail, a Police Bribe and a Health pickup; Avenging Angels members may also be seen roaming around the area.

Belleville Park Fire Station, one of the city's fire stations is located on the northwestern corner of Belleville Park, close to Aspatria, spawning a Fire Truck.

Businesses

GTA III (2001)

Bank of Liberty Cafe Metropolitan Capitali Fabric-8 Hytexti

SEMI Sommers Real Estate TW@ Internet Cafe Uncle BJ's Deli & Groceries

Trivia

• "Belle ville" is French for "beautiful city".
• The interior of the park's underground toilet in GTA III is reused at the end of Manhunt's "Doorway into Hell" level.
• In GTA Liberty City Stories, set in 1998, Mayor Roger C. Hole is assassinated by Toni Cipriani on the grounds of the park while he is jogging during "A Walk in the Park".
• In GTA III, the hut where the Landstalker is parked has a tree growing within it.

Gallery

The central portion of the park, as viewed to the east, GTA III. The entrance to the underground toilet and an obelisk are visible. A closer view of the obelisk in GTA III. It is later revealed in GTA Liberty City Stories that is a war memorial. Entrances to the park's underground toilets, GTA III (Interior). The skyscraper block on the western side of the district, GTA III. The second building from the right (with a facade featuring blue glass) is labeled housing "Orbit". The "Town Hall" located on southern edge of the district, GTA III. The Liberty City Fire Department fire station in Belleville Park, GTA III. A replica of the Flatiron Building in southeastern Belleville Park; two more buildings of the exact design exist towards the south and east in Newport. The Aspatria - Bedford Point Expressway that runs underneath the west side of Belleville Park, GTA III. Belleville Park in GTA Advance. The landscape of Belleville Park, GTA Liberty City Stories, appearing largely unchanged except for textures with lower resolution to accommodate the PlayStation Portable's hardware limitations. The park's sole overhead bridge, GTA Liberty City Stories.

See also

• Park district, a similarly designed park in the preceding rendition of Liberty City.
• Middle Park, a similarly designed park in the succeeding rendition of Liberty City.