Idlewood

File:Idlewood.jpg

Idlewood, Los Santos (near), showing Big Smoke's home (light green) and Downtown Los Santos (distance); as depicted in GTA San Andreas.

“

Contested Turf, currently under control of Front Yard Ballas, a major set of Ballas. Old Reece's barber shop has been the local news service for years. Worth hitting up for information.

”

— GTA San Andreas Website.

Idlewood is a district in Los Santos, San Andreas. North of the district are Glen Park and Jefferson, while to the south are Willowfield and El Corona. Districts west of Idlewood are Commerce and Little Mexico, while to the east are Ganton and East Los Santos.

Character

Idlewood is an African-American neighborhood with a high crime-rate and, just like Ganton, is notorious for gang violence, drug-trafficking and prostitution. Idlewood primarily consists of single-family houses, housing projects, stores, a Pizza Stack restaurant, a gas station, a few warehouses and the Alhambra nightclub, the most visited and known place of interest in the area. Other places in the district include a tattoo parlor, Old Reece's barber shop and an unnamed train stop in the border with El Corona. Although Idlewood can be classified as a low-income district, the west area appears to be middle-class, and bigger houses can be found there.

Influence

It is likely that Idlewood is based on real life Inglewood, California. However, the projects area of Idlewood, known as Crystal Gardens (where the crack house is during the mission Cleaning the Hood) is based on the Jordan Downs housing projects in Watts.

Gang control

Idlewood, in 1992, had become a stronghold for the Ballas gang, specifically the Front Yard set, but the district had previously been held by Grove Street Families. Sometimes Aztecas members can be seen walking their turf in the southern end of Idlewood as their territory shares a border with Idlewood (violence between them is common when this happens). Later on the game, in the mission Grove 4 Life, CJ and Sweet go to Idlewood and took at least two territories from there back. Carl Johnson can acquire Idlewood as GSF turf by starting a gang war, depending on the player's actions. After taking over the territory, there can be a lot of fighting between Varrios Los Aztecas and Grove Street Families in the area of Idlewood lying towards Unity Station.

Events of GTA San Andreas

• In the mission Ryder, the player is introduced to restaurants and barbers by Ryder.
• In the mission Tagging Up Turf CJ must spray over some graffiti while Sweet sits in the car waiting.
• Idlewood is the main place to receive the Big Smoke's missions.
• The neighborhood plays a major role in the mission Grove 4 Life, where Carl and Sweet take a part from the neighborhood back to the Grove Street Families.

Notable Residents

• Kane
• Alan Crawford (formerly)
• Madd Dogg (formerly)
• Melvin "Big Smoke" Harris (Early 1990s - 1992, moved to East Los Santos)

Places of Interest

• Alhambra
• Big Smoke's House

Businesses

Reece's Barber Shop in Idlewood.

• 1 Day Service
• 24 Hour Motel
• 25¢ Video Arcade
• 69¢ Store
• Car Wash
• City Burgers
• Exotic Boutique
• FLOWERS
• Going gas station
• Liquor Deli
• Pay 'n' Spray
• Perfumes Flatware
• Old Reece's Hair & Facial Studio
• Security Storage
• Super $5.00
• Tattoos
• Well Stacked Pizza Co.
• Wholesale Produce

Weapons

• Fire Extinguisher (behind the counter at Well Stacked Pizza Co.)
• Flowers (considered a weapon) (at the Going gas station)
• Grenade (on top of the stairs at the 24-Hour Motel)
• Katana (behind the wooden fence east of the 69¢ Store)

Vehicles

• Broadway (sometimes found behind Car Wash)
• Picador (sometimes in parking lot)
• Regina (sometimes in parking lot)
• Sabre (sometimes in The Well-Stacked Pizza side parking lot)

Others

• Vending Machines (inside the Alhambra Club)
• Arcade Games (inside the Alhambra Club)
• Ten Gang Tags
• One Unique Stunt Jump
• Multiplayer icon down the street from Big Smoke's house. It is also next to a gang tag.

See Also

• Strawberry - Grand Theft Auto V equivalent to Idlewood

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