History Main / RedLightDistrict

* Seoul, SouthKorea has a few areas since prostitution is not penalized in that country (it is officially illegal, though). One of the more famous locales is ''Hooker Hill'' in Itaewon, Yongsan district. Not surprisingly, an army base is located nearby.

* The French Quarter of NewOrleans is often portrayed like this, if only because ItsAlwaysMardiGrasInNewOrleans.

* The name of this trope originates from the custom of brothels to hang or place a red light outside their establishment, allowing any potential customer to readily identify them. The origin of this behavior is unknown and different theories have been put forward. One proposes rail workers placed red lanterns outside the brothel so they could be found while another suggests the red lighting masks signs of diseases the prostitues might display.

The pitiful version: Drunks collapsed in the gutter, [[{{Streetwalker}} battered strung-out prostitutes]]. The protagonist is probably here on business. Very common in cop shows and {{Antihero}} comics. You're most likely to see this side of the district in the grey light of the morning.

The hostile version: The drunks will pick a fight with you, the women will rob you or knife you in an alley. The protagonist is either lost or hopelessly naive, and will be wishing he'd found version 1 before the end of the night. Also common in cop shows, particularly in the first five minutes when they're showing the soon-to-be victim.

Expect to encounter at least one in any WretchedHive.

* Seen in ''{{Anime/Monster}}'' in relation to [[BreakTheCutie one of Johan's more hideous moments]]. Which, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as you know]], is saying something.

[[AC: Literature]]
* The RedLightDistrict of New Orleans in the early 1900s is heavily featured in TheMeq, though it doesn't really fit into any of the above three categories because it's shown so realistically.
* The city of Ankh-Morpork in the {{Discworld}} books has an area known as the Street of Negotiable Affection, which is maintained by the [[BandOfBrothels Seamstress's Guild]].
** Renamed from "The Whore Pits" after much representation from said Guild.
* Huntsdale, the city WickedLovely is set in. Aislinn apparently prefers in to the bright, shiny, happy places because it has more iron, and so keeps TheFairFolk away....except when it doesn't.

** By state law, Nevada allows any county with under 400,000 people to decide whether to allow prostitution - it's automatically banned in any county above this number. The only county where this applies is Clark County, where Las Vegas is.

** Most such locations in Exalted are blue light districts, the colour chosen to honour the Maiden (ahem!) of Serenity.

* Seen in ''{{Monster}}'' in relation to [[BreakTheCutie one of Johan's more hideous moments]]. Which, [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin as you know]], is saying something.

* The musical ''Tenderloin'' features a historical example from the BigApplesauce (where else?).

* ''[[FinalFantasy FFVII]]'''s Wall Market in Midgar is mostly the liberal version, with a dash of hostile. While it's a lot more inviting than the rest of the slums, the local crime lord Don Corneo runs the district, and it's heavily implied that women get kidnapped and forced into prostitution on a regular basis. On your first visit, one of the [[NonPlayerCharacter NPC]]s even suggests that you sell Aeris off to the Don.

* ''[[FinalFantasy FFVII]]'''s Wall Market in Midgar is mostly the liberal version, with a dash of hostile. While it's a lot more inviting than the rest of the slums, the local crime lord Don Corneo runs the district, and it's heavily implied that women get kidnapped and forced into prostitution on a regular basis. On your first visit, one of the NPCs even suggests that you sell Aeris off to the Don.

* ''[[FinalFantasy FFVII]]'''s Wall Market in Midgar.

Generally portrayed in one of three ways in fiction;

* In ''SamuraiChamploo'' the main characters [[RedOniBlueOni Mugen and Jin]] spend their night in one of these when they get some money. It's almost a OnceForEpisode trope.

[[AC:RealLife]]
* This is a common depiction of FreestateAmsterdam; in reality it's only a small part of the city.
* Paris's fame as the Roaring 20's city of sin and decadence stems almost entirely from the Pigalle district. It still exists today (albeit smaller), and it's still a steamy Red Light District.
* The Reeperbahn area of Hamburg, Germany.
* The Álvaro Obregón street in Guadalajara, Mexico, notorious in that it becomes a busy shopping street in the day.
* Nevada, stereotypically. An area called Moundhouse just outside of its capitol Carson City, specifically.
* Any street in an English town which is, or used to be, called Grope Lane (a bowlderisation of Gropecunt Lane. Really).
** Whitechapel in VictorianLondon, hence it being the site of the [[JackTheRipper Whitechapel murders]]. Also Soho in VictorianLondon ... and modern London.