- "I see a beautiful city and brilliant people rising from this abyss. I see the lives for which I lay down my life, peaceful, useful, prosperous and happy. I see that I hold a sanctuary in their hearts, and in the hearts of their descendants, generations hence. It is a far, far better thing that I do, than I have ever done; it is a far, far better rest that I go to than I have ever known."
- ―James Gordon[src]
Gotham City is a large metropolitan city in the United States. It serves as the home of billionaire playboy Bruce Wayne, who uses his alter-ego of Batman to protect the city against organized crime. Gotham is the darkest of America's cities, and only rumors of a Batman give it hope.
Overview
The city is a very large, with approximately 12-million people residing on the islands. It is also corrupt and teeming with criminals. The architecture in Gotham City is a mix of different styles, ranging from Art Deco to Modern.
Locales
A map of Gotham City
- Uptown Gotham City
- Midtown Gotham City
- Downtown Gotham City
- The Palisades
- The Narrows
- South Channel Island
- South Hinkley
- The Batcave
- Wayne Manor
- Wayne Tower
- Bruce Wayne's Penthouse
- Wayne Enterprises
- Gotham National Bank
- Gotham General Hospital
- Prewitt Building
- Arkham Asylum
- Gotham City District Courthouse
- Blackgate Prison
- The Ocelot
- Puccio's
- Mob Hideout
- Lou's
- Bruce Wayne's Warehouse
- Gotham City Hall
- Gotham City Stadium
- Gotham Stock Exchange
- Pettsburg Terminal
- Sheal Maritime Building
- Gotham City Pizzeria
- Gotham Tunnel System
- Selina Kyle's apartment
- Iceberg Lounge
- Gotham City Opera House
- Gotham Pier
- Gotham Carnivalland
- Gotham University
- Triad Restaurant
- Paulie's House of Ribs
- Gotham Zoo
- Thomasina Arms
- Rossi's Deli and Grill
- St. Swithuns Catholic Church
- Betty's House of Pies
- Pasquale's Bistro
- Gotham International Airport
- Kinsley Travel
- Acme Security Systems
- Law Offices of Joseph Candoloro
Behind the Scenes
Gotham design by Dermot Power, featuring the monorail.
Design
- Christopher Nolan and Nathan Crowley wanted elements from Hong Kong, Chicago, New York City, and Tokyo when expressing their vision to the art department.
Filming locations
- Parts of Chicago were used extensively to double as Gotham in the first two films. However, the first movie still featured a significant amount of fake city sets like the WB Batman films of the 90's. Every part of the Narrows was designed and built by the production. Producer Larry Franco had experience overseeing the construction of large urban sets like these on Batman Returns previously, likely the reason he was hired as he had no involvement in the sequels.
- In The Dark Knight Rises, Gotham City scenes are shot in Pittsburgh, Los Angeles, and New York City.