History

Gotham City is one of the oldest Eastern urban centers in the US. It nestles at the mouth of the turbid Gotham River upon islands once peopled by the vanished Miagani tribe of

Native Americans. A Norwegian mercenary founded Gotham City in 1635, but the British later took it over. It was also the site for a major battle in the American Revolution.

There is also a story that 17th-century Gotham Village´s first dwelling was, in fact a asylum that predated city´s infamous Arkham Asylum. A man called Hiram was first building a chapel but his partner in crime of murder insisted it to became a sanatorium.

Gotham´s 19th-century patrons envisioned their community as a concrete and steel stronghold for pious righteousness and booming industrial growth, and for many generations the wealth and business ventures of Wayne family bolstered the city´s economy, but it is best known for it´s soaring crime rate, urban legends and Gothic spires.

Geography

Gotham City’s actual location was never fully explained. The location would vary depending on the writer. A majority of writers usually put Gotham City on the eastern coast on the shores of Lake Gotham. There have been maps created for Gotham but it has also varied many times. Sometimes Gotham City is based on the actual eastern coast and sometimes it would reside around Manhattan or Vancouver.

During the No Man’s Land story arc, it showed a map of Gotham and it seems to be based on Rhode Island’s geography. Sometimes it has been shown to be a completely original eastern coast and would tie Gotham in with Metropolis. In this version, Gotham is placed on opposite sides of a large bay. It is also located right next to Bludhaven. The distance between Gotham City and Metropolis was never fully stated so therefore it would vary over the years. It has been as close as a neighboring city, to as far as several hundreds of miles away. When the Atlas of the DC universe was finally published in the 90s, it revealed that Gotham City was south of New Jersey and Metropolis. However, various references in the comic books indicate that it's somewhere in New Jersey it has other references saying that it is in New York.

According to DC legend Neal Adams, Gotham's real world counterparts are New York City and Chicago.

Architecture

Gotham City was Commissioned by Judge Solomon Wayne to Cyrus Pinkney. Solomon Wayne saw Pinkney's Plans and decided to promote his art.

Throughout the years, the architectural appearance of Gotham City has varied greatly. Currently, Gotham is portrayed as having a mix of Art Deco, Neo-Gothic and Post-Modernist styling, characterized by enormous sky-scrapers, high-reaching spires, and the presence of gargoyles and other iconic statuary. A constant factor in the depiction of

Gotham City is element of urban decay, which plagues the city even after it's reconstruction.

In all rendition, regardless of creator, Gotham's architecture acts as a major literary device, used to set the atmosphere and tone. Writer Dennis O'Neill has described Gotham, figuratively, as "... Manhattan below Fourteenth Street at eleven minutes past midnight on the coldest night in November."

Notable Residents

Batman was not actually the first DC hero in Gotham. During the Golden Age, Alan Scott (Green Lantern) and the Golden Age Black Canary lived in Gotham.

Gotham City is the city where the crime fighters Batman and Dick Grayson operate. Eventually the Batman Family would grow and include Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Barbara Gordon, Huntress, Batgirl and Batwoman.

Though Batman is the first superhero that comes to mind when Gotham City is raised, many other DC characters are known to be living in Gotham City: Plastic Man, Zatanna, Zatara, The Question, The Creeper and Simon Dark . The Justice Society of America has also been shown to operate in Gotham City.

Also many important criminal reside in Gotham such as the Joker, Harley Quinn, Killer Croc, the Riddler, Two-Face, the Penguin and many others.

Cyrus Gold was wealthy Gotham gentleman and philanthropist who was killed in 'Slaughter Swap', and later resurrected as the monstrous villain Solomon Grundy. Grundy typically resides in Gotham's sewer system and has been an inconvenient, and often reluctant, enemy of Batman.

Important places

Underground Power-grid

The Gotham power-grid is located underneath the city, and has been there for ages; nearly since the city's conception and colonization. It was originally designed for a smaller load and with more antique equipment, and as a result it has trouble handling the power demands of such a large, sprawling, modern city such as Gotham. This is prevented by workers such as Harper Row who work on the electrical grid, to keep it afloat.

Over time, power-grids and power-lines have grown more sophisticated, one example of which being the liquid nitrogen lines packed with the power-lines in Gotham's subways, seen in Nightwing #9, to keep everything running at an optimal temperature. Another example of the modernization is Batman's own addition of his secret Bat-boxes, which he uses to siphon power from the city anonymously and safely, and to disable various tracking devices and security camera's throughout the city when he operates. He does this to maintain his status as legend, and to inspire fear in criminals, as well as to help keep his secret identity hidden.

Notable Neighborhoods

Gotham Heights

Gotham Heights is an upper-middle class neighborhood in Gotham City, and was under the protection of a teenaged Tim Drake as Robin. The neighborhood is markedly nicer than most areas of the city with little sign of urban decay and poverty.

The Bowery

One of Gotham City´s worst neighborhoods. It is located to north of Crime Alley and includes Crown Point, a smaller inner-district ridden with crime, homelessness and prostitution.

The Cauldron

An area known for organized crime, it is run by the Irish Mob.

Chinatown

Gotham City´s Asian neighborhood.

Diamond District

Fashion District

Financial District

The East End

An underdeveloped part of Gotham troubled with crime, drugs, poverty and prostitution.

Gotham Docks

Gotham City´s harbour.

Gotham Village

Bohemian area of the city. Similar to New York City´s Greenwich Village.

Old Gotham

Old part of the city where GCPD headquarters are located.

Toxic Acres

Abandoned neighborhood of newly built houses, but unsuitable for habitation due to closeness of a toxic waste dump.

Organized Crime

Falcone Crime Family (Italian)

Run by Carmine "The Roman" Falcone , and after his death by his daughter Sofia Gigante until her death.

Galante Crime Family (Italian)

Control´s the East side of Gotham.

Maroni Crime Family (Italian)

Run by Luigi "Big Lou" Maroni and after his death by his son Sal Maroni who was responsible for scarring Harvey Dent.

Odessa Crime Family (Ukrainian)

Arms dealers.

Riley Crime Family (Irish)

Run by Peyton Riley's father Sean Riley until his death.

Sabatino Crime Family (Italian)

The first crime family of Gotham.

Dimitrov Crime Family (Russian)

Run by Yuri Dimitrov. Arch enemies of the Maroni Crime Family.

Bars and Nightclubs

Finnigan´s

A bar frequented by the uniformed cops.

The Iceberg Lounge

Fancy nightclub located in downtown Gotham and operated by the Penguin.

My Alibi

An underworld bar.

The Stacked Deck

An underworld nightclub.

Sports Teams

Football: Gotham Wildcats, Gotham Knights, Gotham Rogues

Basketball: Gotham Guardsmen

Baseball: Gotham Knights, Gotham Griffins

Ice Hockey: The Gotham Blades

The Location

The actual location of Gotham City is said to be in New York, along the eastern coast of the state.

Media

Gotham City is also seeing in the Batman: The Animated Series in the 1992 Batman Series up to 1999 and in 2001-2006 the Justice League animated series and also in Batman: The Brave and the Bold in 2008. In the Teen Titans animated series from 2003 to 2006. Beast Boy and the Teen Titans where playing football in the park and Beast Boy said while playing the game 1 Gotham City 2 Gotham City 3 Gotham City. Terra said to Beast Boy when they were going out to have some pie at a bar. She told Beast Boy that she just moved to LA from Gotham City. Cyborg said to the Titans that he was punched and got thrown half way to Gotham City.

In 2014 and 2015 there will be a show called Gotham. There will be no Batman or Bruce Wayne on the TV because Bruce Wayne is traveling the World to become Batman. This Gotham will be about the life of Jim Gordon from his younger life up to Gotham Police Department where he works. The Gotham villain's will be on the show or mentioned in the series.

Films

Gotham appears in every Batman film.