Not actually an island, at the peninsula of Barkley is the most exclusive neighbourhood in New London, catering to the super-rich. The architecture of the large estate homes reflects the Victorian styles such as those in Boston, New England and Maine. Only the "old money" can afford the ocean view land prices that run into the millions. The fashionable neighbourhoods overshadow the district's only public monument, a sixty foot totem pole that stands at the tip of the peninsula, greeting visitors to the city.
A labyrinth of streets and back alleys that are cut through the authentic architecture of Chinatown leave an immediate impression upon the unfamiliar. Chinatown is a community within a community as this district keeps its own affairs private and uses its own methods to resolve the problems its residents face. Created by Chinese settlers who came to Canada to build the continental railway, some neighbourhoods are over a hundred years old. One can see Buddha statues, guardian dragons, and street signs in Chinese characters. The market streets are filled with the sights, sounds, and smells of China as the open markets and shops do business ino the early morning hours. Chinatown has boomed in recent years since Hong Kong reverted to communist control.
A dichotomy of traditon and modernity in its people, architecture and culture. Edo is the Japanese district in New London. The primary roads are lined with modern urban buildings, while the back streets and residential sections appear to be constructed in the tradition of ancient Japan. Nightclubs, Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples and corporate towers easily coexist in this district. Storefront markets dominate the back lanes where authentic Japanese cuisine can be tasted and entertainment of all types can be found—for a price. Like Chinatown, Edo's residents tend to keep to themselves, preferring to handle their own affairs by their own methods.
Downtown New London. The financial and business centre of the city, "E-town" is the homeland of office buildings and towering skyscrapers, such as Forrest Towers, the city's tallest building at 130 stories. City Hall is built in the style of the Parliament buildings in London, England, even including the clock tower, affectionately known as "Big Bill." The retail stores and shopping malls are intertwined with the corporate buildings in a labyrinth of streets and walkways. The streets are wide, to accommodate the hordes of daily traffic, and are always crowded. Elizabethtown sports a skyline similar to that of New York's Manhattan Island and is just as overcrowded. The eye does get a rest at the northern tip of the district when it reaches the Queen Elizabeth II Park, a 10,000 seat stadium surrounded by the only significant green space in the locality. The beachfront along the Alberni Inlet is the site of the Boardwalk Market, a collection of markets, shops, diners, cafés and bistros. It is the largest such market in the city.
Grandbridge is the quintessential middle-class neighbourhood, perhaps the quietest of areas within the city. Grandbridge supports a great number of parks and borders Midland Park. Luxury apartment complexes possess a captivating view of Midland Park and protects the inner residential neighbourhoods from noise pollution. New homeowners are able to raise their children in a safe and hospitable area of New London.
If a city were to have two downtown cores, Kildonan would meet the criteria. Much of the early investment in New London was provided by wealthy Scotsmen, eager to achieve fame and fortune; Kildonan was named for the foremost of them. Originally the centre of trading for Vancouver Island's lumber barons, the modern Kildonan has become New London's chief financial district. Home to the West Island Commodities Exchange, finance companies, brokerage houses, law firms, banks, and the corporate headquarters of Seventh Heaven Corporation, JMF Enterprises and Reach Inc., Kildonan has millions of dollars pass through it daily. Similar to Wall Street, Main Street between 49th Avenue and 72nd Avenue is the "walk of gold" as corporate towers line the sides of the streets with multinational corporations, manufacturing headquarters, worldwide trade and transport companies and an office of nearly every blue-chip company on the West Island Commodities Exchange.
In addition to the financial districts, Kildonan was the home to the Justice Crusaders, a now-defunct team of costumed metahuman adventurers dedicated to protecting the city. Kildonan, as it meets Barkley Island, becomes a residential region, particularly along the beachfront lots, filled with lavish homes, private grounds and estate mansions.
The streets are lined with garden markets, bicycles, and shops of all types. Little Saigon looks and feels very much like Chinatown to the casual observer, but differs substantially if one knows where to look. The large Vietnamese community has brought a thriving business district and a rich cultural heritage to New London. People who formerly claimed refugee status have made a successful life themselves and their families and have come to regard Canada as home. Little Saigon celebrates Tet each year with a parade and festival.
The citizens of this district tend to be more casual and relaxed than other New Londoners. An ethnic melting pot, Manila Nueva is a type of "new age" residential neighbourhood. With all the amenities one would expect to find available, one cannot help but notice the odd occult shop here and faith healer's storefront there. The waterfront is home to fruit and vegetable traders and the open market which caters to special needs of people who have lived near the water all of their lives.
One of the largest metropolitan parks in the world, second only to Central Park in Manhattan, New York, Midland Park provides a breath of fresh air for New Londoners. Its 814 acres (about 5% of New London) includes beautifully landscaped meadows, lakes, groves, sporting fields, gardens and a large forested area. The presence of the Baroque Theatre and the New London Museum of Art have not diminished the expansive wilderness of the park. Midland Park also has a fishing pond which is restocked yearly, an authentic Japanese garden covering nearly 20 acres and a sculpture park.
Moresby has become the modern day Barkley Island. Catering to the needs of the rich executives and business people in New London, its residents successfully defeated city hall's plans to build a bridge between Edo and Moresby. Estate homes have been built along the river front and local businesses have been kept to a minimum. This district supports the Moresby Centennial Golf and Country Club in which just as many business deals are concluded as in Kildonan. Although Moresby is largely residential, the occasional shopping mall with suitable speciality shops does invade the landscape.
Wide streets and three story Siamese cat statues dominate Charleswood Drive as one enters this district of New London. This mostly Asian community is possibly the smallest district within the city, but its size does not denote its vibrant night life. The day time hours are filled with shopping through the exotic and alternative shops. Businesses that have been in a family for generations can be found here, including several martial arts schools. One can learn the violent art of Muy Thai, also known as Thai Kick Boxing; Tae Kwon Do; dozens of styles of Kung Fu; and swordsmanship.
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