Red-light district
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
A red-light district is a neighborhood where prostitution is a common part of everyday life. The term was first recorded in the United States around 1890, and derives from the practice of placing a red light in the window to indicate to customers the (often illegal) nature of the business. This is based on the Biblical story of Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho who aided the spies of Joshua and identified her house with a scarlet rope.
Interestingly, one of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese is akasen (赤線), literally meaning "red-line", apparently of independent origins from the English term.
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Famous red-light districts
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Africa
- Wagh el Birket – Cairo, Egypt
- Avenue Lalla Yacout – Casablanca, Morocco
- Point Road – Durban, South Africa
- Koinange Street – Nairobi, Kenya
- Petit Socco – Tangier, Morocco
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Asia-Pacific
- Fields Avenue – Angeles City, Philippines (Clark Air Base)
- Patpong – Bangkok, Thailand
- Sukhumvit Road Area (including Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy) – Bangkok, Thailand
- Dashilan – Beijing, China
- The Valley - Brisbane, Australia
- Portland Street, Mong Kok – Hong Kong
- Sonagachi – Kolkata (formerly Calcutta), India
- Chow Kit – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Hira Mandi – Lahore, Pakistan
- St Kilda – Melbourne, Australia
- Kamathipura – Mumbai (formerly Bombay), India
- G.B. Road – New Delhi, India
- Soi Bang-La – Patong Beach, Phuket, Thailand
- Pattaya Beach – Pattaya, Thailand
- Svay Pak – Phnom Penh, Cambodia
- Mia-ri – Seoul, South Korea
- Simalu – Shanghai, China (pre-People's Republic)
- Geylang – Singapore
- Kings Cross – Sydney, Australia
- Kabukicho – Tokyo, Japan
- Roppongi – Tokyo, Japan
- Yoshiwara – Tokyo, Japan (in Edo period)
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Europe
- De Wallen – Amsterdam, Netherlands
- Raval/Barri Xines – Barcelona, Spain
- Picin Park – Belgrade, Serbia
- Breightmet Street – Bolton, England
- Rue d'Aerschot/Aarschotstraat – Brussels, Belgium
- József körút/Rákóczi tér – Budapest, Hungary (defunct)
- Istedgade – Copenhagen, Denmark
- Bahnhofsviertel – Frankfurt, Germany
- Rosenlundsgatan – Gothenburg, Sweden
- Reeperbahn – Hamburg, Germany
- Aleksis Kivenkatu – Helsinki, Finland
- Intendente – Lisbon, Portugal
- Cais do Sodré – Lisbon, Portugal
- Kings Cross – London, England
- Piccadilly Circus – London, England (defunct)
- Soho – London, England
- Calle Luna – Madrid, Spain
- Navigli – Milan, Italy (defunct)
- Schwabing – Munich, Germany (defunct)
- Hockley Village – Nottingham, England
- Boulevard de Clichy – Paris, France
- Pigalle – Paris, France
- Millbay – Plymouth, England
- Union Street – Plymouth, England (defunct)
- Perlovka – Prague, Czech Republic
- Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele – Rome, Italy
- Malmskillnadsgatan – Stockholm, Sweden
- Praterstrasse – Vienna, Austria
- Spittelberg – Vienna, Austria (defunct)
- Ljudevit Gaj Street (Gajeva) – Zagreb, Croatia
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North America
- The Block – Baltimore, Maryland
- Combat Zone – Boston, Massachusetts (defunct)
- Scollay Square – Boston, Massachusetts (razed)
- Venus Alley – Butte, Montana (defunct)
- The Levee – Chicago, Illinois (defunct)
- East Colfax Avenue – Denver, Colorado
- Sunset Boulevard – Hollywood, California
- Western Avenue – Hollywood, California
- Hotel Street – Honolulu, Hawaii
- La Merced – Mexico City, Mexico
- Zona Rosa – Mexico City, Mexico
- Saint Catherine Street – Montreal, Canada
- Storyville – New Orleans, Louisiana (defunct)
- Tenderloin – New York City, New York (defunct)
- Times Square – New York City, New York (defunct)
- Northern Liberties – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (defunct)
- Marcy Street – Portsmouth, New Hampshire (1890s–1912)
- Commercial Street – Salt Lake City, Utah (defunct)
- Sepulveda Boulevard – San Fernando Valley, California
- Barbary Coast – San Francisco, California (defunct)
- Tenderloin – San Francisco, California
- Beacon Street – San Pedro, California (defunct)
- Zona Norte – Tijuana, Mexico
- The Reservation – Waco, Texas (defunct)
- 14th Street – Washington, District Of Columbia (defunct)
- Vermont Ave, NW – Washington, District Of Columbia
