Mapping Los Santos! Building/landmark analysis

[GTAlove]

 

I just hope they include Bel Air and Beverly Hills, which I'm sure they will.

Don't worry! I think I saw them in the video!

[SonofUgly]

Alright I added the buildings you guys found into google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=...086abc5a53cccee

 

I'll make it editable by anyone if you guys want.

Edited November 6, 2011 by SonofUgly

[ilyketwortles]

I think Rockstar just used google earth to make southern cali. But changed the

names of it to spoof the places and added some of there stores to the game.

So this map will really be the big one if they just took images from google earth.

normally they go around LA much like how the Google Street View cars go around mapping streets for google maps.

In LA Noire rockstar meticulously recreated LA with the streets going in the proper directions with intersections exactly the same as the real life counterpart of LA albeit during the 30's-40's

[SonofUgly]

Oh and I don't think anyone has actually posted this yet:

[Gifbrah]

Alright I added the buildings you guys found into google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=...086abc5a53cccee

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/sonofugly/map.png

 

I'll make it editable by anyone if you guys want.

Holy sh*t. Great idea/work dude.

 

I forgot you could do that and I was planning on making it manually later.

 

 

[Sunrise Driver]

Geographically locations don't have to be precise in GTA. Remember GTASA? Compton is east of Downtown and south of East LA. Long Beach is east of East LA. That observatory is right to the north of LAX. Hollywood is north to the Santa Monica.

 

So here locations aren't so accurate too unlike LA Noire.

Edited November 6, 2011 by Street Mix

[TheGreene2010]

 

Oh and I don't think anyone has actually posted this yet:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/son...ly/vinewood.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/son...y/hollywood.jpg

Well of course that one is obvious! You don't have to live in the LA area to see that, you can see it from the 101.

[johnny_zoo]

Oh and I don't think anyone has actually posted this yet:

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/son...ly/vinewood.jpg

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/son...y/hollywood.jpg

Well of course that one is obvious! You don't have to live in the LA area to see that, you can see it from the 101.

You dont even have to live in America to know that!

[TonyResta]

Having a quick look at googlemaps for LA, i've noticed there are also islands not so distant from the beaches (Santa Catalina Island, Santa Cruz Island,...)

I don't think we've realised that there could be several explorable islands off the mainland.

[Gifbrah]

So I pretty much dissected the f*ck out of this screen. Gives us a better idea of what to expect in Vinewood.

 

[JOSEPH X]

Alright I added the buildings you guys found into google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=...086abc5a53cccee

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/sonofugly/map.png

 

I'll make it editable by anyone if you guys want.

I've got the wind farm location if you want to add it to your map

 

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210067...urce=gplus-ogsb

[Fido_le_muet]

Nice find about the building next to the I-5 !

It is indeed the same one as the building in the background of the pic with the pseudo Vercetti guy.

I'll update the map tomorrow.

Good job also about the Hollywood Boulevard pic but The Broadway, Popeye's and Kress Nightclub seems like very long shot.

I'll try to do some image manipulation to see if I can make things clearer.

 

[BoolCaX]

[Fido_le_muet]

Great comparison shot.

R* obviously was inspired by this very spot to create this Los Santos area.

However, the building on the left looks nothing like the one IRL. I originally thought they were similar but they aren't.

[SonofUgly]

Updated google maps with the different windfarm and some of the buildings from Gifbrah, but will wait for a Fido just to make sure of the other Popeye's and whatnot.

 

Also interesting about BoolCaX's picture is that in the real picture you're looking southeast and in the trailer you're looking west towards the sunset, so it seems that R* have moved the highway below, and east, the cluster of towers.

 

Anyone recognize a similar symbol for a jewelry store, most likely on Rodeo Drive?

Edited November 6, 2011 by SonofUgly

[Millionsofdeadcops]

 

 

Uh-oh.

 

I'm pretty sure that Los Santos will be an extremely condensed portrayal of Los Angeles. Here's a pic I snapped from my house to give you even more of an idea as to how far away Griffith Park is from the ocean.

 

BIGGER VERSION

 

The Hollywood sign and Griffith Park are 1 1/3 miles apart. The Hollywood sign is about 15 miles from the ocean.

 

But Rockstar's "biggest/most ambitious" claims makes me think that the "surrounding areas" will make up a large portion of the map because of how condensed Los Santos is going to be.

Edited November 6, 2011 by Millionsofdeadcops

[Gifbrah]

I'm pretty sure that Los Santos will be an extremely condensed portrayal of Los Angeles. Here's a pic I snapped from my house to give you even more of an idea as to how far away Griffith Park is from the ocean.

 

http://img220.imageshack.us/img220/7369/griffithh.jpg

BIGGER VERSION

 

The Hollywood sign and Griffith Park are 1 1/3 miles apart. The Hollywood sign is about 15 miles from the ocean.

 

But Rockstar's "biggest/most ambitious" claims makes me think that the "surrounding areas" will make up a large portion of the map because of how condensed Los Santos is going to be.

That's exactly what I'm saying. But, I honestly don't see them making the majority of the map being regular terrain. There have to be other cities. It just doesn't make sense to do so otherwise.

[FelipeVinhao]

Alright I added the buildings you guys found into google maps: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msa=0&msid=...086abc5a53cccee

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/sonofugly/map.png

 

I'll make it editable by anyone if you guys want.

I've got the wind farm location if you want to add it to your map

 

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?msid=210067...urce=gplus-ogsb

Holy... If this is really the wind farm they got the inspiration, it's almost half way to Nevada, if starting from Los Angeles. Then we'll have a respectable map...

[GTAlove]

 

Uh-oh.

 

I'm pretty sure that Los Santos will be an extremely condensed portrayal of Los Angeles. Here's a pic I snapped from my house to give you even more of an idea as to how far away Griffith Park is from the ocean.

 

BIGGER VERSION

 

The Hollywood sign and Griffith Park are 1 1/3 miles apart. The Hollywood sign is about 15 miles from the ocean.

 

But Rockstar's "biggest/most ambitious" claims makes me think that the "surrounding areas" will make up a large portion of the map because of how condensed Los Santos is going to be.

Whoah, your house has beautiful views! You can just look out your window and see the Hollywood sign?!

[VickeX]

I'm pretty sure that Los Santos will be an extremely condensed portrayal of Los Angeles. Here's a pic I snapped from my house to give you even more of an idea as to how far away Griffith Park is from the ocean.

 

BIGGER VERSION

 

The Hollywood sign and Griffith Park are 1 1/3 miles apart. The Hollywood sign is about 15 miles from the ocean.

 

But Rockstar's "biggest/most ambitious" claims makes me think that the "surrounding areas" will make up a large portion of the map because of how condensed Los Santos is going to be.

Gotta say it's pretty awesome that you're able to look out of your window and see both the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory.

 

Eitherway, something i find interesting is that based upon the different aireal shots of the city, and the position of the blimp, the Hollywood sign (Vinewood) and the Griffith Observatory (Something Observatory) seems to have pretty much switched place in Rockstars Los Santos (the Vinewood sign appears to be just over downtown, whilst the observatory seems to be in a position more to the west and more correctly placed inland from Pleasure Pier)

[Inactive]

What does the sign in the real-life pic say? Please reply.

[SonofUgly]

This post is from the trailer analysis thread, from FCM:

 

Rockstar wouldn't be accurate to put mist where there's no water.

There's no water surrounded by moutains in California: the only exception is the Bay Area.

Now look. You clearly see that there's a valley, mountains, and MIST. There's no mist without water.

My conclusion: a valley, filled with mist, surrounded by mountains = The Bay Area.

 

 

There are 3 wind farms in California: Palm Springs (about 100 miles east of Los Angeles), Tehachapi (between San Francisco and Los Angeles - close to Bakersfield) and Altamont, about 20 miles east of The Bay.

A wind farm with mist and mountains, to me, there's no doubt: this is the Altamont wind farm and the bay is behind, because there's absolutly no water at Palm Springs wind farm and close to the Tehachapi wind farm.

 

The Altamont Wind Farm is just right next to hills very similar to the ones in the trailer, so they match up.

Also behind the wind farm in the trailer there is an object, not exactly sure what it is (left):

But it looks like it almost could be the post for the New Bay Bridge. The horizontal beams get less spaced out the higher up it is on both the unknown object and the bridge. the only thing that doesn't match up is the posts on the bridge are inbetween the roads, while the object looks far to wide for it to be the same - unless it was changed so that the posts where put on the outsides of the road.

New Bay Bridge:

 

So what do you guys think, is that the bridge to the bay area, or something else?

[SonofUgly]

http://img841.imageshack.us/img841/9782/gtavla.png

What does the sign in the real-life pic say? Please reply.

7th and fig

[Jeeebuuus]

 

This post is from the trailer analysis thread, from FCM:

 

Rockstar wouldn't be accurate to put mist where there's no water.

There's no water surrounded by moutains in California: the only exception is the Bay Area.

Now look. You clearly see that there's a valley, mountains, and MIST. There's no mist without water.

My conclusion: a valley, filled with mist, surrounded by mountains = The Bay Area.

 

 

There are 3 wind farms in California: Palm Springs (about 100 miles east of Los Angeles), Tehachapi (between San Francisco and Los Angeles - close to Bakersfield) and Altamont, about 20 miles east of The Bay.

A wind farm with mist and mountains, to me, there's no doubt: this is the Altamont wind farm and the bay is behind, because there's absolutly no water at Palm Springs wind farm and close to the Tehachapi wind farm.

 

The Altamont Wind Farm is just right next to hills very similar to the ones in the trailer, so they match up.

Also behind the wind farm in the trailer there is an object, not exactly sure what it is (left):

But it looks like it almost could be the post for the New Bay Bridge. The horizontal beams get less spaced out the higher up it is on both the unknown object and the bridge. the only thing that doesn't match up is the posts on the bridge are inbetween the roads, while the object looks far to wide for it to be the same - unless it was changed so that the posts where put on the outsides of the road.

New Bay Bridge:

 

So what do you guys think, is that the bridge to the bay area, or something else?

I'm starting to think its the Bay area. Sorry for doubling the image.

[Fido_le_muet]

Hello people !

I updated my map with your great findings and a couple buildings I identified (I think). I believe I noticed the Biltmore Hotel in Downtown. Now it's interesting cause IRL, this building is adjacent to Pershing square, a park in Downtown LA. And it seems there's an empty space next to the building in the third comparison pic below.

Tell me what you think.

I also updated a few comparisons pictures :

 

 

 

 

[FCM]

C'est du bon boulot tout ça. Ça semble fonctionner.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Good work buddy. Looks like it fits.

[BoolCaX]

 

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/gtavla.png/

What does the sign in the real-life pic say? Please reply.

Which sign ? this ?

7th & Fig

-something-

fall

2012

Edited November 7, 2011 by BoolCaX

[FCM]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/gtavla.png/

What does the sign in the real-life pic say? Please reply.

Which sign ? this ?

7th & Fig

-something-

fall

2012

What does "Fig" stands for, do you know?

[polvofiloso]

 

Updated google maps with the different windfarm and some of the buildings from Gifbrah, but will wait for a Fido just to make sure of the other Popeye's and whatnot.

 

Also interesting about BoolCaX's picture is that in the real picture you're looking southeast and in the trailer you're looking west towards the sunset, so it seems that R* have moved the highway below, and east, the cluster of towers.

 

Anyone recognize a similar symbol for a jewelry store, most likely on Rodeo Drive?

I think I found it--kinda. Southeast corner of North Rodeo and Dayton Way. There's a narrow pedestrian mall that loops off of Rodeo. The store at the intersection of that walkway, Rodeo, and Dayton, is the store to the left of the jewelry store in the trailer. Its a dead-ringer, no question about it. But where the jewelry store in the trailer is, to the right of the store on the corner, is harder to make out on the Google street-view, as google won't take you up that pedestrian pathway. From a distance it looks close, although the dark brownish colors of the columns are not a match. But they took license with making that a drivae-able street, so perhaps they changed a few other things up too. But the white store on the corner with the round window canopies is a lock.

 

Edit: Did a little more digging and the pedestrian mall is called Via Rodeo. The white building on the corner is called "Breguet". There are two possibilities for the jewelry store heist store. The store right next to Breguet is similar, but the colors of the columns is wrong. Further in Via Rodeo, there is a large Versace building at the middle, and the next store down (on the same side of the street as Brequet) is also a possibility. The actual store of the heist may be an amalgamation of several stores in that small area.

Edited November 7, 2011 by polvofiloso

[polvofiloso]

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/841/gtavla.png/

What does the sign in the real-life pic say? Please reply.

Which sign ? this ?

7th & Fig

-something-

fall

2012

What does "Fig" stands for, do you know?

Figueroa street.