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.
Interestingly, one of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese is akasen (赤線), meaning "red-line district".
Famous Red-Light Districts
- The Levee - Chicago, Illinois
- Barbary Coast - San Francisco, California
- The Block - Baltimore, Maryland
- Boulevard de Clichy - Paris, France
- Clinton Plaza - Bangkok, Thailand
- De Wallen - Amsterdam, the Netherlands
- Geylang - Singapore
- Kabukicho - Tokyo, Japan
- Kings Cross - London, UK
- Kings Cross District - Sydney, Australia
- Patpong - Bangkok, Thailand
- Reeperbahn - Hamburg, Germany
- Storyville - New Orleans, Louisiana
- Wagh el Birket - Cairo, Egypt
- Yoshiwara - Tokyo, Japan (in Edo period)
- Raval - Barcelona, Spain
- Petit Socco - Tangier, Morocco
- Hira Mandi - Lahore, Pakistan
- Kamathipura - Mumbai, India
- Sunset Strip-Hollywood, California
- Times Square-New York City, New York
- Picin Park-Belgrade, Serbia