Southside is a rundown region full of low-rent businesses and low-income housing, although some 'dirty' businesses conduct industrial manufacturing in the area. It is also prime territory for criminal activity.
The Triads have been aggressively pushing 'protection' contracts recently in the Southside district, and are also strongly involved in smuggling, drugs, and black-market operations, as well as having their hand in certain gambling operations. There are also whispered rumors that they are involved in some sort of occult practices.
They are currently making their base of operations in the Samuel Luke Station subway, somewhere on Level 7 - likely in one of the secret tunnels.
There is a connection between Zhou Lang and Catherine Gray, the CEO of Indiron Technical, according to mental interrogation of Mark Chancery, an employee at Able Tax Associates and a prospective Novus Labs employee. Zhou Lang also sometimes acts as a go-between for other local financial institutions.
Zhou Lang confirmed that he had done business with Catherine Gray, but Ms. Gray had 'decided to take another direction' - specifically, contracting with other criminal organizations instead, and trafficking in hazardous chemicals. In particular, he emphatically denies any responsibility for the death of Vincent March.
These hoodlums operate out of Samuel Luke Station, and are responsible for a variety of petty crimes in and around the vicinity of the station. While they are low-level thugs, they operate with enough coordination that they are a threat to local businesses. Robberies, vandalism, shoplifting, and pickpocketing are their most common crimes, although anyone who interferes is likely to end up hurt.
The Serpent's Youth holds their night-time meetings in one of the secluded tunnels, and openly proclaims their occult interest. Their leader, a 'Master Vassago', a whip-thin man with a forked tongue, seems to preach a brand of Satanism and self-interest that leads to practice of the black arts and other unsavory practices, although thus far no criminal charges have been filed.
Master Vassago may have some actual powers, if Michael's experiences are to be believed; he is at least able to resist Michael's mindreading. He operates an occult store, although he believes his true calling is as a 'magus', and may have some reference tomes that would be useful in interpreting the symbols of the station; on the other hand, he seems mostly interested in luring converts to his coven, and is rather hedonistic in intent.
The 15th Street Sinners are a group of street kids who fiercely protect their territory against any semblance of authority - which usually boils down to police or the SLS, although they will fight a Triad member if they don't recognize them or think they can get away with it. Aside from their violent territorialism, their criminal activities usually involve vandalism, shoplifting, burglary, and occasionally charging 'tolls' to pass through their neighborhood; they prefer attacking unguarded targets or defensive confrontations on their own turf where they can control the situation.
The northern end of town, near the old rock quarries, used to be a focus of industry, but is currently a high-tech manufacturing and biotechnology center, with middle-class housing areas and well-secured storage facilities rounding out the region. Travis Apartments and MJ Wolf Investigations are both located in Tumblerdown.
Tourist trap section, middle to east, plenty of legalized gambling, prostitution, and drugs (as well as the usual illegal ones); plenty of motels and hotels, as well as tourist centers giving directions to the Granite City Quartz Caverns, the Granite City National Park, the traveling circus that visits and stops there one month out of the year, and so forth.
The ritzy side of town, with high class establishments and high class entertainments; this is also the place where those not quite wealthy enough to live in Goldrock live in fancy houses.
The living place of the wealthiest men and women in Granite City. Seldom open to the common folk without an invitation, this area is marked by white picket fences concealing monowire security grids.
A military base outside of the town proper, the National Guard outpost is there to maintain order; occasionally National Guard operatives have been deployed to Granite City to help restore order in the wake of rioting, or to provide additional defense in times of crisis.