🏘️ Heywood
“Heywood was who they were, not where they lived.”
The biggest bedroom in Night City—overpacked suburbs where wealth disparity is most visible and everyone is fighting for space.
📍 Overview
| Aspect | Details |
|---|---|
| Zone Type | Overpacked Suburbs |
| Threat Rating | Moderate (north) / Combat (south) |
| Population | Extremely dense—more people than any other district |
| Character | A district of contrasts: luxury apartments and poor slums |
| Notable Feature | Contains The Glen (governmental center) |
Heywood is Night City’s most populous district, crammed with refugees from the War and workers from every economic class. The district is sharply divided between wealthy north and impoverished south.
📜 History
Pre-War Heywood
Before the 4th Corporate War, Heywood was a light industrial area straddling Del Coronado Bay between Rancho Coronado and North Oak. It had a little of everything:
- Some housing, a little retail, a few bars
- The well-known Apple Valley Corporate subdivision (a primarily Biotechnica-dominated Beaverville in South Heywood)
- Rolling hills dotted with factories and industrial complexes
- An Arasaka Arms factory, Biotechnica research stations, EBM storage facilities
- Corporate parks, some underground, some sprawling above ground
The Hidden Factories
By the 2020s, there were so many industrial facilities in Heywood that even the City Council didn’t know all of them. Some were small, some sprawled over acres—and not all were legal.
The Migration
The 4th Corporate War changed everything. The area known as Heywood today was once South Night City—a vicious Combat Zone filled with constant street fighting. After the War, a group called the Reclaimers moved in and began cleaning it up.
They did too good a job. Once people in North Heywood realized South Night City was better than their own neighborhood, they moved in and kicked the Reclaimers out. Then they renamed the district.
To them, Heywood was who they were, not where they lived.
The Overpacked Present
Today, Heywood houses more people than any other district in Night City. Huge mega-buildings are under construction to house refugees, but the region is crowded, crime-ridden, and on the edge of disaster all the time.
🏢 Key Locations
Subdistricts
| Area | Character |
|---|---|
| The Glen | Governmental center, corporate cooperation, gorgeous architecture near Reconciliation Park |
| Wellsprings | Middle-class transition zone—safe where it borders City Center, shabby toward South Night City origins |
| Vista del Rey | Poorest area, Valentino-controlled, constant border skirmishes with affluent neighbors |
| Arroyo | Industrial manufacturing, automated factories, tight corporate security |
Notable Locations
| Location | Description |
|---|---|
| El Coyote Cojo | Bar frequented by Valentinos; owned by “Mamá” Welles. Safe meeting ground with gang blessing |
| Embers | Exclusive club with high-ranking corporate executives as members |
| Time Machine | The most famous music store in Night City—instruments, albums, memorabilia; patronized by famous artists |
| La Catrina | Funeral home controlled by Valentinos; front for various operations |
| Dicky Twister | Gay bar owned and operated by the Valentinos |
| Mercado Sonora | Pedestrianized market next to Megabuilding H5; community hub |
| Wellsprings Water Treatment | Defunct facility; occasionally used for illicit meetings |
| Bulwark | Clean, well-maintained shopping center on Wellsprings waterfront |
Industrial Zone
| Facility | Details |
|---|---|
| Arasaka Arms factory | Major weapons manufacturing (pre-War, status uncertain) |
| Biotechnica research stations | Multiple facilities |
| EBM storage and research | Two stations |
| Various corporate parks | Some above ground, some underground, some abandoned |
🔫 Gang Situation
Dominant Gangs
| Gang | Territory | Activity |
|---|---|---|
| Valentinos | Vista del Rey, Santo Domingo | Protection, drugs, honor-based operations |
| 6th Street | Arroyo, Rancho Coronado border | Vigilante justice, smuggling, neighborhood “protection” |
The Valentino Culture
The Valentinos are more than a gang—they’re a community institution. Latino gang with strong family ties and codes of honor:
- Flashy lowriders with hydraulics
- Gold jewelry, religious imagery (Virgen de Guadalupe murals)
- Own multiple legitimate businesses as fronts
- Provide actual community services in their territory
Working with Valentinos
Show respect, honor your word, and don’t disrespect their community or their dead. The Valentinos respond to honor—betray them once and you’re finished in Heywood.
The 6th Street Presence
6th Street are veterans and self-described patriots who believe they’re protecting the community from gangs, corporations, and government overreach:
- Armed to the teeth with military hardware
- Operate in Arroyo and the northern industrial zones
- Maintain uneasy peace with Valentinos through mutual enemy agreements
Gang Dynamics
- Valentinos and 6th Street maintain an uneasy truce
- Both unite against outside threats (other gangs, corps, NCPD overreach)
- Internal power struggles happen in both organizations
- Border skirmishes are constant between Vista del Rey and wealthy neighbors
🛡️ Security
| Area | Security Level | Provider |
|---|---|---|
| The Glen | High | NCPD, private security |
| Wellsprings (north) | Moderate | NCPD patrols |
| Vista del Rey | Low-Moderate | Valentino “protection” |
| Arroyo | Moderate (factories High) | Corporate security + gang presence |
| Industrial Zone | Varies | Corporate security per facility |
The Border Problem
Strife between Vista del Rey residents and their affluent neighbors to the north and west is unceasing and sometimes violent. Many wonder how long before megacorps engineer gentrification “for the good of the city.”
🌆 Atmosphere
The Two Heywoods
North (Wellsprings, near The Glen):
- Gentrified streets with cafes and small businesses
- Corporate workers commuting to The Glen
- Private security visible but not oppressive
- Clean-ish streets, working infrastructure
South (Vista del Rey, Santo Domingo):
- Crowded streets, people everywhere at all hours
- Tent cities in parking lots and empty lots
- Lowriders cruising, showing off hydraulics
- Murals and religious shrines on every block
- Smell of street food and burning exhaust
- Music from every corner, every window
The Community
Despite the poverty, Vista del Rey has something rare in Night City: community. People know their neighbors. The Valentinos provide services the city won’t. Families have lived here for generations. The street markets connect people.
It’s dangerous, but it’s home.
😄 What You See
🎲 GM Resources
Why Come Here?
| Purpose | Hook |
|---|---|
| Valentino connection | Need gang help, information, or passage |
| Industrial job | Factory infiltration, corporate espionage |
| Music scene | Time Machine, local artists, underground shows |
| Community contact | El Coyote Cojo for leads, Mercado Sonora for goods |
| Executive access | Embers club has high-level corporate contacts |
| Government business | The Glen for permits, records, political deals |
Contact Networks
Characters with Heywood connections might know:
- Valentinos — Protection, smuggling, community intel, safe passage
- 6th Street — Military hardware, border security, industrial zone access
- El Coyote Cojo — Neutral meeting ground, local rumors, Valentino introductions
- Industrial contacts — Factory access, manufacturing info, corporate secrets
- Music scene — Time Machine regulars, underground venues, artist connections
🔗 Related Topics
- The Glen — Governmental district (technically part of Heywood)
- Valentinos — Dominant gang
- 6th Street — Industrial zone presence
- Rancho Coronado — Tent city suburbs
- Santo Domingo District — Detailed subdistrict page
- Night City
(Source: Cyberpunk RED Core Rulebook, pp. 297-298, 376; Cyberpunk Edgerunners Mission Kit)