Northwood

Northwood as viewed to the west above the Northwood Heights Bridge, GTA IV.

Northwood is the northernmost neighborhood of Algonquin in the Grand Theft Auto IV and Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars renditions of Liberty City.

Character

As the northernmost tip of Algonquin, Northwood is fronted by bodies of water to the north, east (the northern mouth of the West River) and west (the northern mouth of the Humboldt River), with its coastline entirely enveloped by seawalls, esplanade and concrete docks. Wardite Street forms the southern edge of the neighborhood, bordering North Holland and East Holland.

Northwood's urban composition is comparable to its southern neighbors in that much of the area is a gritty combination of historical low-rises overshadowed by several modern high-rise housing projects. However, being the northernmost district of Algonquin, it is also one of the least developed, with significant amounts of natural landscapes towards the coastline, and a junkyard and a low density industrial lot the only prominent buildings close to the district's waterfront.

Prominently, Luis Fernando Lopez hails from Northwood, having been born and raised in the neighborhood. While his mother and his drug dealing childhood friends still reside in Northwood, Luis' home is actually situated in adjacent North Holland. Playboy X's Penthouse, an optional safehouse for Niko Bellic, is also located in Northwood.

Northwood is based on a mixture of two real life districts of Manhattan, Inwood and Washington Heights.

Points of interest

• Playboy X's Penthouse
• Governor Greg Johnson Projects
• Angels of Death Clubhouse
• Auto Cowboys, a spray shop
• Arm Wrestling against Uptown Riders members (The Lost and Damned)
• L.C. Cage Fighters (Ballad of Gay Tony)

Transport

Given its northernmost position and its closeness to the island of Bohan, Northwood is naturally a crucial link to and from the island.

By road, Northwood is directly connected to Bohan via the Northwood Heights Bridge from the northern end of Frankfort Avenue. Northwood is also linked to the island via the Liberty City Subway (LTA), serving as the starting and ending points of both the E/B Bohan Line and the K/C Algonquin Inner Line; the southern/eastern line is elevated while the northern/western line is underground.

The neighborhood is served by three LTA stations; Frankfort High and Frankfort Low, both of which are situated on Northwood's border with North Holland, serve as access points to the Bohan Line and Algonquin Inner Line, while Vespucci Circus, located further east on the border with East Holland, provides access to the A/J Algonquin Outer Line.

Northwood is also the starting and terminating point of Union Drive West at the Ivy Drive North and Wardite Street intersection.

Gang control

With Northwood's close proximity with North Holland, the district is unsurprisingly a North Holland Hustlers turf, as well as a stomping ground for the Uptown Riders biker gang in The Lost and Damned.

In addition, members of the Angels of Death can also be found within Northwood in both GTA IV and its episodic packs, as evidenced by the location of their clubhouse as well as the presence of its members of the streets if the neighborhood.

In The Ballad of Gay Tony, Northwood is also the Dominican Cartel's base of operation, with its members visible on the streets of the neighborhood.

Trivia

• The intersection of Walnut Way and Grummer Road also intersects with a access road to the twin housing projects nearby. This road is further identified as Westchester Avenue. A faded address on the front of the building reads "601 Westchester Avenue" on the apartments.

Gallery

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  Early artwork of Northwood found on a wall at the Homebrew Café.

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  Playboy X's Penthouse.

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  The Angels of Death Clubhouse (The Lost and Damned).

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  Northwood's FDLC station.

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  A "Rubin Swinger Basketball Courts".

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  Northwood Cluckin' Bell (closed, "condemned", and under renovation due to violation of health code). The building is based on Malcolm Shabazz Mosque No. 7 in Harlem, Manhattan.