Old Town

A sanctuary ruled by women, protected by blood.

Old Town stands as the red-light district of Basin City, a fictional town in the Western United States known as 'Sin City.' It is a unique zone where the city's population of prostitutes reside and rule with absolute authority. Unlike the rest of Basin City, Old Town is strictly off-limits to the police, operating under its own strict laws where the women enforce their independence with lethal force against those who break the rules.

Quick Facts

Key figures: Gail, Miho

Lore & Background

The history of Old Town begins with the women who banded together to form their own independent district, throwing out former mafia families and pimps. Today, it is governed by leaders like Gail, who maintains absolute authority over the district. The women here are willing to engage in almost any sexual act for the right price, yet they show no mercy to outsiders who violate their code. The area contrasts sharply with Sacred Oaks, the wealthy suburb patrolled by armed SWAT teams, as Old Town operates entirely outside the reach of the corrupt Basin City Police Department.

Reader's Guide

Visiting or navigating Old Town requires understanding its unique power structure. It is a red-light district where the police do not enter; instead, the women run the neighborhood with absolute authority. Key locations include Kadie's Club Pecos, a strip club and bar in Old Town where Nancy Callahan and Shellie work, and where Dwight McCarthy and Marv spend their spare time. Despite being filled with drunk and violent men, Kadie's is considered one of the safest areas because it is heavily guarded.

The district is distinct from other parts of Basin City: The Projects are run-down apartments with no police presence; Sacred Oaks is a wealthy suburb patrolled by armed employees; and The Docks overlook The Projects. Old Town stands apart as a place where the vulnerable have seized power, using lethal force to maintain their independence against the corrupt forces of the Roark family and the wider city.

Old Town Politics and The Big Fat Kill

The storyline 'The Big Fat Kill' vividly illustrates the fragile power dynamics within Old Town, a district run by prostitutes who maintain a tense truce with local law enforcement. This peace is shattered when Detective Lieutenant Jack Rafferty, known publicly as a hero but privately as an abusive ex-boyfriend named Jackie Boy, harasses the women and is subsequently killed by Miho, a martial arts expert. To prevent a full-scale war between the police, the mob, and the prostitutes, Dwight McCarthy must hide the bodies while fending off mercenaries hired by mob boss Wallenquist.

The conflict escalates when Becky, a young prostitute threatened with her mother's death, betrays the group to the mob. The climax involves a daring exchange where Dwight trades Rafferty's head for Gail's freedom, only to detonate explosives hidden within the severed head, destroying the evidence and decimating the invading mercenaries. This arc highlights the brutal necessity of violence required to protect the community in Sin City.