West Side

## Across a Bridge, Aztlan

Posted by: Iab Npauj

Only in a city like this would the West Side be fucking south-southeast of downtown. It is on the west bank of the river, though, which is what’s prevented it from becoming another Mafia -controlled sector like Payne-Phalen or the East Side ; the bridges provide natural choke points for the West Side gangs  to resist incursions, and it’s the kind of hilly terrain you have to know to win in. Its hilly, riverbluff geography’s also responsible for the lack of transit a

   nd development in the area, leaving it a refuge for the SINless  and less fortunate.

The West Side is best known as the center of St. Paul’s Latino community, spreading out from Cesar Chavez Boulevard, dating back to before the Awakening . As such, Aztechnology ’s always had a strong presence here. On the other hand, various Latin American factions opposed to Aztlan  or Aztechnology also have been active in the past. Put that together with the Mafia’s interest in solidifying its dominance in the sprawl, and you’ve got a recipe for fireworks.

*In the past? Chummer, if the Don  had any idea how many of the Maya  and other non-Aztlaner gangs were dealing the new Awakened drugs straight from the Ghost Cartels in Amazonia , he’d fucking shit himself.*
- Fight Owl

*Presumably he does. I’m guessing that’s why he hasn’t tried to obliterate their rivals, the Aztlan gangs here.*
- Wired Rose

*And don’t forget, a lack of dominance doesn’t mean the Mob has no presence on the West Side. Ethnic issues aside, Mob money looks pretty good to your average Latino ganger, and some of the gangs are toeing the Family’s line.*
- Wirefrog

*Consider stopping by the Cesar Chavez Blvd area during Dia de los Muertos , especially if you’re Awakened. Some pretty fascinating stuff goes on.*
- Vision Fist

   One notable place on the West Side that any runner should know about is the Lilydale refugeecamp. Just outside city jurisdiction, to the southwest of the West Side, was once a small settlement called Lilydale. Right on the floodplain, it was a terrible place to build anything for the long term. However, when the Ghost Dance War rolled around and refugees started flooding into the sprawl, there wasn’t anyplace that could hold their numbers. The result was a refugee camp on the floodplain, the idea being that they’d be moved out soon enough. And for a large part those particular refugees were.

However, North America and the rest of the world hasn’t settled down since, and new refugees have
been replacing the old for half a century. The current crop is mostly Yucatan  Maya moving out, and being replaced by Angelitos fleeing the earthquake and flooding. It does flood occasionally in the camp, but these people don’t have anything to begin with, so they just move to higher ground until the waters recede. Twenty-year old portable space heaters keep people from entirely freezing to death during the winter, and various charitable handouts keep the camp from starving, but it’s still no way to live. As a result, this area’s been ripe ground for West Side gangs and other elements to recruit. Also, the Fire Girls got their start here, and is the most obvious place to seek out their services.

*I don’t know about you guys, but sex with half-starved refugee girls isn’t really my thing.*
- Gopher Eater

*Really? It’s totally my thing.*
- Phim Kooj Koi

*I don’t just mean that, baka! The gang’s leadership spends a lot of time down here, and if you want to make any major deals with them, this is probably where it’s going to go down.*
- Iab Npauj

   Downtown, across the bridge from the West Side, and just west of the Indian Mounds that cover
most of Dayton’s Bluff is real quiet. Too quiet, if you ask most runners. There are some clubs and restaurants that stay open at night, and one trid theater, but mostly people are off the streets. During the day, the wageslaves labor and don’t have long enough breaks to be wandering. And in the wintertime, everyone with a choice uses the skyway system. It keeps witnesses and bystanders out of the way on the streets, but there’s no crowds to lose yourself in, and in the center of the city, the police are never far away. Nonetheless, sometimes a runner has to do work where the work is, and there are certainly opportunities for that downtown. Remember that the big Ecolab  main offices are here, and they’re a prime target for the ambitious runner.

*Ambitious is right. They may only be an AA corp, but this is their main headquarters! Don’t expect them to be slack on security, or you might get way more than you bargained for.*
- Nodewalker

*There’s some fun stuff to do at night down here. Iab Npauj alludes to the trid theater in Galtier Plaza, which is open pretty late, and there’s a nightclub in the Plaza too. Also, around the Union Depot train station there’s quite a bit of activity. The Station 4 is an old fixture of the St. Paul club scene that’s expanded quite a bit in the wake of Crash 2.0 , as the floors above sold them more space. They’ve got some pretty good shows there oftentimes, especially if you’re into European stuff. Inside the Depot itself, shops stay open late, and you’d be surprised what a runner who knows people can acquire in there.*
- Wired Rose

The exception is the annual Winter Carnival, which draws the local Wiccan, Ergi , neo-Celt and neo-Viking communities down from the Witch District. The Carnival includes a symbolic parade where winter’s King Boreas is forced out by the Vulcans (no, not those Vulcans) and the forces of warmth. It actually predates the Awakening by a century, and only became semi-religious after the post-Awakening growth of neo-pagan faiths. There’s also a big ice castle made every year, ice sculpting competitions, and feats of wintery magical showmanship by local magical groups.

*A Wiccan might argue with you on the “becoming semi-religious” part, as the parade was largely influenced by original pagan Winter Solstice rites in the first place.*
- Gopher Eater

*Does anyone else think it’s weird that nature-oriented neopagans are all choosing to gather in a downtown setting?*
- Juba

*It’s not very far at all from the Indian Mounds Park in Dayton’s Bluff, so, no, it’s not really that weird at all.*
- Red Hawk

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