The Canyons
Officially named Springside Heights, the neighborhood is more commonly known as the Canyons; a name based on the cluster of towering tenement buildings that crowd the cliff side, on the edge of The Devil's Belt. It is a poor neighborhood, one of many thrown up on the wrong side of The Outer Loop, far from the corporate wealth and excess of The Beltway. The police stay away for the most part, and most disputes are settled by The Syndicate; as it is known that the Canyons belong to Jade Scorpion.
Industry & Trade
Many citizens of the Canyons looking for honest work end up at the massive campus of Zaibatsu Tech medical research and development facilities, collectively known as Springside East. There is also a fair amount of construction work, maintaining the Outer Loop and repairing the crumbling tenement towers.
For most, the only way to get by is to enter the Spiderweb. There are dozens of drug labs and distribution centers in the Canyons, and the Syndicate is always on the lookout for new talent.
History
As the population of Edge City skyrocketed, the number of refugees of low income and little means grew even faster. In an attempt to provide affordable housing a series of high rise tenement apartment buildings were erected on the outskirts of the city. The buildings were massive in scope, some with as many as 60 stories, and were designed to be mostly self reliant. The plan was to create a space were lower income families could find some stability, and then work their way into more lucrative job markets further into the metropolitan area proper. In reality, the high rises were under funded and impossible to police, and were quickly taken over by criminals. The Spiderweb descended on the Canyons, as it was an ideal place to set up drug trade and other unsavory enterprises, away from the influence of the Edge City Police and Securicorps. A series of brutal street wars ensued, a battle of attrition between Las Plagas and The Syndicate resulting in massive civilian casualties and untold amounts of property damage. Eventually, Jade Scorpion presented the Red Spider with a peace treaty that gave her nominal control, but still allowed for Las Plagas to operate and collect tribute in the Canyons. The Red Spider agreed to her terms and since then there has been an uneasy truce between the two gangs.
Architecture
The skyline of the Canyons are dominated by the towering tenement high rises the neighborhood is named after. The tenement towers are all named and some of the most infamous, like Tall Pines, Peach Trees, and Orchard Mist, are household names in Edge City. The towers were designed to be self reliant arcologies, complete with indoor gardens and botanical parks. Most of the towers do manage to get by with minimum imports but there are notable exceptions, like the infamous Grapevine, that are little more than supply and manufacture depots for illicit goods.
Alternative Name(s)
Springside Heights
Type
Neighbourhood
Location under
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