Red light
Related: red - grindhouse cinemas - prostitution - sex shops
The "Main Stem" in the 50s. Note the two near-nude statues flanking the giant signage for Bond Clothes (upper center).
image sourced here.
Red-light district
A red-light district is a neighborhood where prostitution is common. 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 red light.
Interestingly, one of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese is akasen (), meaning "red-line district". --http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_light_district [Oct 2004]
Famous red-light districts
- Avenue Lalla Yacout - Casablanca, Morocco
- Wagh el Birket - Cairo, Egypt
- Petit Socco - Tangier, Morocco
- Clinton Plaza - Bangkok, Thailand
- Geylang - Singapore
- Kabukicho - Tokyo, Japan
- Kings Cross - Sydney, Australia
- Patpong - Bangkok, Thailand
- Yoshiwara - Tokyo, Japan (in Edo period)
- Hira Mandi - Lahore, Pakistan
- Kamathipura - Mumbai, India
- Wanchai - Hong Kong
- Boulevard de Clichy - Paris, France
- De Wallen - Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele - Rome, Italy
- Kings Cross - London, UK
- Reeperbahn - Hamburg, Germany
- Raval/Barri Xines - Barcelona, Spain
- Picin Park - Belgrade, Serbia
- Pigalle - Paris, France
- Union Street - Plymouth, UK
- The Levee - Chicago, Illinois
- Barbary Coast - San Francisco, California
- The Block - Baltimore, Maryland
- La Merced - Mexico City, Mexico
- Sepulveda Boulevard - San Fernando Valley, California
- Storyville - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Sunset Boulevard - Hollywood, California
- Times Square - New York City, New York
- Venus Alley - Butte, Montana
- Zona Rosa - Mexico City, Mexico
Red Light Zones : The World's Most Unsavoury Night Spots (2004) - Rik Rawling (Contributor), Martin Jones (Contributor), David Kerekes (Editor)
Red Light Zones : The World's Most Unsavoury Night Spots (2004) - Rik Rawling (Contributor), Martin Jones (Contributor), David Kerekes (Editor) [Amazon.com] [FR] [DE] [UK]
Book Description
Loose women and dangerous men; true tales from the darkest corners of the brightest cities. From New York City to the Czech Republic, from Philadelphia to Finland, from intimate stag bars to underage street walkers and subway suicides, these are the compelling first-hand accounts of travelers who have hit upon the weird and the despicable-whether through fault or by design; all have a tale to tell.
About the Author
Editor of Headpress and co-author of Killing For Culture and See No Evil, David Kerekes likes old horror comics, in particular he likes Skywald, which he came to understand at an early age were quite unlike anything else in the literary world.
See also: David Kerekes - red-light zone
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