Old Town West Side is Garik Shayk's home at the beginning of the series.
The area is known in Bay City as West Side. Although part of Old Town, if you inquire if someone hails from Old Town, they will likely ask you to clarify West Side or East Side.
You can now virtually stroll each street the seventeen-year-old Garik roams on his skateboard or rides on his Street Strider.
This map covers one-fourth of Bay City, from Magnolia near the Argyle Station tracks to Sycamore that cuts north and south through the city.
Look for City View Apartments. Just east is The Flower Shop, the business run by Marisa Bruni's parents.
Fasst Market is located on First, and We Got Junk is a handful of blocks to the north on Ninth.
Just south of The Cliffs, the upscale residential enclave that has signified wealth and accomplishment for much of Bay City's history, is St. Anne's Church, where Garik attends. Occasionally his aunt Irina goes with him, but mostly the youth attends alone. It's worth it to him, however, as the interior of the church reminds him of his Russian homeland. It's a chance for him to reconnect with his past for a short time when he's there.
At First and Sycamore is the Old City Hall, now a park and community event center. It's a beautiful building and has survived two earthquakes, but it has outlived its time for modern city governance. Retrofitting the old stone building was more expensive than the all-new City Hall east of Sycamore on Ninth.
Garik is aware of two places on this map not mentioned in the books. The Old Railway Easement dates from the earliest days of Bay City. It forms a 40-foot alley-like no-man's strip of bare land between the rear-facing facades of the buildings along Avenue B and Avenue C. The easement is fenced with chain link and the gates are kept locked. Garik and his friends have climbed over to explore, but the area has long since lost its allure. The old tracks are buried, and at seventeen, he and his friends have found better things to do, like visit Chow Down at the Corona Mall or the Connel Street Skate Park east of Sycamore.
The Utility Access Corridor between Avenue C and Avenue D is even less interesting to Garik. It runs alongside City View Apartments, and crews going in and out of the corridor are one more reminder that he lives in a working-class neighborhood. The strip of concrete runs for nearly 15 blocks and is dotted with manhole covers, massive and unsightly electrical switch boxes, and signs warning of high voltage. Keep out!
Right-click on the map, open it in a new window, and you can enlarge it for greater detail. Enjoy your visit to Bay City!