List of red-light districts
The term "red-light district" is said to have originated with early railroaders. The men carried lit red lanterns when they left the train so in case of an emergency the crew caller would be able to find them. These lanterns were left outside bordellos when crew members stopped to pay the ladies a visit and sometimes were brought inside to be placed in a window.
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See also: Top 10 Red-Light Districts in The World
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Here is a list of world red-light districts. Most of these red light districts are official ones, but you can find also unofficial ones from this list. Please fill in alphabetical order:
Africa
Algeria
Prostitution is legal but third-party involvement is prohibited.
- Constantine
- Rahbat al-Jammal (defunct)
Burkina Faso
Prostitution is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal in Burkina Faso.
- Ouagadougou
- Dapoya
Egypt
Prostitution in Egypt is illegal and there are no official red-light districts. But the prostitution still consists in certain areas.
- Cairo
- Wagh el Birket (defunct)
- Alexandria
- Kom al-Nadura (defunct)
- Kom Bakir (defunct)
- Al-Tartushi (defunct)
Ivory Coast
Prostitution in Ivory Coast is legal and now a days more sex workers are operating from the private flats and searching the clients online instead from the red light areas.
- Abidjan
- Marcory Zone 4
- Rue Princesse
Kenya
- Nairobi
- Koinange Street
- Westlands Road
Mauritania
Prostitution in Mauritania is illegal but still exists.
- Nouakchott
- El Mina
Morocco
- Casablanca
- Around the Boulevard Hassan Seghir and Rue Mohammed Smiha.
- Fez
- Moullay Abdullah (defunct)
- Marrakech
- Bab el Khemis
- Rabat
- Oukassa (defunct)
- Tangier
- Tangier
- Petit Socco
Nigeria
- Lagos
- Ipodo
South Africa
- Cape Town
- Nelson Mandela square
- Durban
- Point Road
- Johannesburg
- Hillbrow
Zimbabwe
- Harare
- The Avenues (3rd, Baines Ave, 5 Ave, Solange Court)
- Most Ghetto Bars have prostitutes around e.g. Kuwadzana, Highfields, W.Park
- Jongwe Corner (Hatfield bar)
- Epworth (as low as $0.20 for a round)
- Chitungwiza
- Paramount
- Chikwanha
Tunisia
Prostitution is regulated in Tunisia and there use to be a huge walk-in red light district in Sousse.
- Tunis
- Sidi Abdallah Guech
Asia
Bangladesh
Sex work in Bangladesh is legal and regulated.
- Bagerhat District
- Bani Shanta
- Faridpur District
- Faridpur
- Narayanganj
- Tanbazar
- Rajbari District
- Daulatdia
- Tangail District
- Kandapara
Cambodia
Prostitution is illegal, but tolerated since it brings a lot of money to Cambodia.
- Phnom Penh - Very popular among the sex tourists around the world.
- Svay Pak
People's Republic of China
- Beijing
- Dashilan (defunct)
- Hong Kong
- Portland Street
- Mong Kok
- Wan Chai
- Shanghai
- Simalu (also called Huileli) (pre-People's Republic)
- Chaojiadu
- Fengzhuang road
- Xianan road
- New railroad station
- East Baoxing Road
- Qibao
- Golden Bridge
- Shenzhen
- Xiang Xi Cun
Hong Kong
Prostitution itself is not illegal but operating a brothel is illegal in Hong Kong.
- Lockhart Road[
- Sham Shui Po/Fuk Wa Street
India
Prostitution is legal in India when performed by a person acting alone in private but public solicitation, brothels and pimping are illegal (however in practice prostitution is tolerated and regulated).
- Delhi
- Chawri
- G.B. Road
- Hyderabad
- Mehboob Ki Mehndi
- Jaipur
- Chandpole
- Tilawala
- Naraina Village
- Bhojpura
- Mahala
- Kolkata (formerly Calcutta)
- Bowbazar
- Garia
- Kalighat
- Kidderpore
- Kada Road, Durgapur
- Lebu Bagan
- Sonagachi - One of the most famous red light districts in the world.
- Tollygunge
- Mumbai (formerly Bombay)
- Pune
- Budhwar Peth
- Rajkot
- Bhavnagar Road
Indonesia
Prostitution is illegal in non-regulated areas. Prostitution is legal in some locations (including pimping and maintaining a brothel). Espcially in Bali the prostitution is a huge business.
- Batam
- Nagoya
- Jakarta
- Kalijodo (demolished on 29 February 2016 and now its a public park)
- Kramat Tunggak (closed in 1999)
- Deli Serdang
- Bandar Baru
- Surabaya
- Gang Dolly (closed in 2014)
Iran
- Tehran
- Shahr-e No (demolished 1980)
Iraql
Prostitution in Iraq is illegal, and penalties are severe.
- Baghdad
- Al-Battaween[
- Bataween
- Haifa Street/Salhia neighborhood
- Kamaliyah
- Zayouna
Israel
- Tel Aviv
- Old bus station area.
Japan
- Fukuoka
- Nakasu
- Gifu
- Kanazuen
- Hokkaidō
- Kyoto
- Shimabara (defunct)
- Kiyamachi
- Pontocho
- Osaka
- Imasato Shinchi
- Jūsō
- Kujo
- Matsushima Shinchi
- Shinmachi
- Shinodayama Shinchi
- Tobita Shinchi
- Tokyo
Jordan
Prostitution is illegal in Jordania.
- Amman
- Jubeiha
- Sweifieh
Kyrgyzstan
Prostitution is legal in Kyrgystan but pimping and operating a brothel are illegal.
- Bishkek
- Pravda Street
South Korea
- Daegu
- Jagalmadang
- Paju
- Yong Ju Gol
- Seoul
- Cheongnyangni
- Mia-ri
- Yeongdeungpo
- Hooker Hill (Seoul)
- Cheonho-dong
Malaysia
- Kuala Lumpur
- Jalan Bukit Bintang - is a place for sex workers
- Lorong Haji Taib - is packed with little brothels and third class girls - mainly Indian.
- Chow Kit - is known for its red-lght district as well as for its nightly gathering of ladyboys.
Pakistan
- Hyderabad (Pakistan)
- Bazaar-i-Husn
- Serey Ghat
- Karachi
- Napier Road
- Lahore
- Hira Mandi
- Multan
- Ghanta Ghar
- Rawalpindi
- Qasai Gali
Philippines
- Manila
- DSA Entertainment Complex, Pasay
- Ermita
- Malate
- Burgos Street - The red-light district in Makati
- Angeles City (Clark Air Base)
- Fields Avenue
- Balibago
- Cebu
- Olongapo City
Singapore
Thailand
- Bangkok
- Nana Plaza
- Soi Cowboy
- Clinton Plaza (defunct)
- Patpong
- Phuket
- Soi Bang-La – Patong Beach
- Pattaya
- Pattaya Beach Road
- Boyztown
- Soi 6
- Sunee Plaza
- Walking Street
Australia and Oceania
Australia
- Brisbane
- Fortitude Valley, Queensland|The Valley
- Melbourne
- St Kilda, Victoria|St Kilda
- Sydney
- Kings Cross, New South Wales|Kings Cross
- Darlinghurst, New South Wales|Darlinghurst/East Sydney, New South Wales|East Sydney
New Zealand
- Auckland
- Karangahape Road
- Christchurch
- Manchester Street
- Wellington
- Vivian Street
Europe
Belgium
- Antwerp
- Schipperskwartier
- Brussels
- Avenue Louise
- Boulevard Adolphe Max
- Gare du Nord - (Rue d'Aerschot)
- Charleroi
- Triangle de Charleroi
- Deinze
- Kortrijksesteenweg
- Ghent
- Belgradostraat
- Liege
- Rue du Champion
- Rue de l'Agneau
- Rue Varin
- Oostende
- Hazegras, near the railway station of Ostend
- Sint-Truiden
- "Chaussée d'Amour", Luikersteenweg
Czech Republic
- Prague
- Perlovka
Denmark
- Copenhagen
- Istedgade
France
- Bordeaux
- Quartier de la gare Saint Jean : Belcier, quai de paludate
- Quartier Saint-Rémi : rue du pont de la mousque, rue courbin
- Les quinconces
- Passage Birly, rue de Ruat : massages
- Le Havre
- Cours de la République
- Lille
- Quartier Peuple Belge (Place de Gand, Rue de Courtrai, Place aux Bleuets)
- Lyon
- Quartier Mermoz
- Mantes-la-Jolie
- Quartier du Val Fourré
- Marseille
- Rue Thubaneau
- Bd du Prado
- Paris
- Bois de Boulogne
- Boulevard de Clichy
- Porte de Vincennes
- Quartier Pigalle
- Rue de la Gaité
- Rue Saint-Denis
- Rouen
- Boulevard des belges
- Toulouse
- Rue Bayard
- Quartier du Canal
- Boulevard de Strasbourg
Finland
Germany
- Aachen
- Antoniustraße
- Bochum
- Im Winkel
- Berlin
- Ku’damm (Kürfurstendamm)
- Oranienburger Strasse
- Potsdamer Strasse
- Cologne
- Pascha (brothel)
- Hornstraße
- Dortmund
- Linienstraße
- Düsseldorf
- Industriestraße
- Essen
- Stahlstraße
- Frankfurt
- Bahnhofsviertel
- Hamburg
- St. Pauli (Reeperbahn)
- Mannheim
- Lupinenstraße
- Munich
- Hansastraße
- Nuremberg
- Frauentor-Mauer
- Stuttgart
- Drei-Farben-Haus (brothel)
- Oberhausen
- Flaßhofstraße
Republic of Ireland
- Dublin
- Gropecunt Lane (defunct)
- "The Monto" (Montgomery Street) (defunct)
Italy
- Milan
- Navigli (defunct)
Malta
Netherlands
- Alkmaar
- Achterdam
- Amsterdam
- Deventer
- Bokkingshang
- Doetinchem
- Roerstraat
- Heerenveen
- Munnikstraat
- The Hague
- Geleenstraat / Hunstraat
- Doublestraat (in the old town)
- Poeldijksestraat - defunct since 1999.
Norway
Portugal
Spain
Sweden
- Gothenburg
- Rosenlund
- Stockholm
- Malmskillnadsgatan
Switzerland
- Geneva
- Rue de Bern
United Kingdom
England
- Bolton
- Breightmet Street/Shiffnall Street
- Bradford
- Manningham Lane
- Bristol
- St.Pauls
- Stapleton Road, Easton
- Doncaster
- Netherall
- Leeds
- Spencer Place, Chapeltown, West Yorkshire|Chapeltown
- Harehills Lane, Harehills
- Leicester
- Highfields, Leicestershire|South Highfields
- London
- Gropecunt Lane (possible; defunct)
- Kings Cross, London|King's Cross
- Piccadilly Circus (defunct)
- Soho
- Manchester
- Roberts House co-owned by Ben B. Balls., Canal Street
- Plymouth
- Millbay, Plymouth|Millbay
- Union Street (defunct)
- Sheffield
- Broad Lane/Shalesmoor
- Shrewsbury
- Grope Lane (possible; defunct)
- Swindon
- Manchester Road, Swindon|Manchester Road/Gorse Hill
- Wolverhampton
- All Saints/Parkfield, Wolverhampton
Northern Ireland
- Belfast
- Linenhall Street
Scotland
- Edinburgh
- Rose Street/Leith Walk/Coburg Street/Salamander Street (all defunct)
- Glasgow
- Blythswood Square (defunct)
North America
Canada
British Columbia
- Vancouver
- Downtown Eastside
- Seymour Street, Downtown Vancouver|Downtown
Ontario
- Windsor, Ontario|Windsor
- Drouillard Avenue / Ford City Neighbourhood
- Thunder Bay, Ontario|Thunder Bay
- Simpson Street
- Toronto
- Dundas Square
- Yonge Street
Quebec
- Montreal
- Saint Catherine Street
Mexico
- Mexico City
- La Merced
- Zona Rosa
- Nuevo Laredo
- Zona de tolerancia
- Tijuana
- Zona Norte
United States of America
Alaska
Arizona
California
- El Centro
- Adams Avenue
- Los Angeles
- Sunset Boulevard – Hollywood, Los Angeles, California|Hollywood
- Western Avenue (Los Angeles)|Western Avenue – Hollywood
- San Fernando Valley
- Sepulveda Boulevard
- San Francisco
- Barbary Coast (defunct)
- Tenderloin
Colorado
- Denver
- East Colfax Avenue
Florida
- Orlando
- Orange Blossom Trail (OBT)
Georgia
- Atlanta
- Metropolitan Parkway (formerly known as Stewart Avenue)
- Macon
- Broadway
- Savannah
- River Street
- Warner Robins
- Front Street
Hawaii
- Honolulu
- Hotel Street
Illinois
- Chicago
- The Levee (defunct)
Indiana
- Terre Haute
- Wabash Avenue (defunct)
Louisiana
- New Orleans
- Storyville (defunct)
- Bourbon Street
Maryland
- Baltimore
- The Block
Massachusetts
- Boston
- Ann Street (defunct)
- Combat Zone (defunct)
- Scollay Square (razed)
Michigan
- Grand Rapids
- Division Avenue
Minnesota
- Minneapolis
- Washington & Central Avenue
- St. Paul
- Payne Avenue
Montana
- Butte
- Venus Alley (defunct) pavilion n5445
Nevada
- Reno
- Fourth Street
New York (state)
- New York City
- Hunt's Point
- Tenderloin (defunct)
- Times Square (defunct)
Oklahoma
- Oklahoma City
- South Robinson Avenue (between 29th and 44th Streets)
Pennsylvania
- Philadelphia
- Northern Liberties (defunct)
- Pittsburgh
- Liberty Avenue (largely defunct)
Tennessee
- Nashville
- Dickerson Pike (somewhat defunct)
Texas
- Austin
- 6th Street (defunct; '60s & '70s)
- South Congress Avenue (defunct; '70s and '80s)
- Waco
- The Reservation (defunct)
Utah
- Salt Lake City
- Commercial Street (defunct)
Washington, D.C.
- Washington, D.C.
- 14th Street Northwest and Southwest (Washington, D.C.)|14th Street (defunct)
- Pennsylvania Avenue (between 10th and 15th Streets) (defunct)
- Vermont Avenue, NW
South America
Brazil
Minas Gerais
- Belo Horizonte
- Zona Boêmia
Rio de Janeiro
- Vila Mimosa (defunct)
- Praça Mauá
- Avenida Atlântica, Copacabana
São Paulo
- Itatinga - Campinas
Rio Grande do Sul
- Porto Alegre
- Avenida Farrapos
Colombia
- Bogotá
- Santa Fe (Tolerance zone)
See Also
- Prostitution, Street prostitution, Global prostitution prices
- Sex topics & Phrasebooks, Sex worker, Prostitute types
- Red-light district
- Brothel, Escort agency, Call girl, Erotic massage, Strip club
- Sex tourism, Sex industry, Countries with most prostitutes
- Sex vocabulary & Abbreviations, Humorous sexual terms
- Gay, Lesbian, Gay and lesbian travel, Bisexuality, Ladyboy
- Age of consent, Stay safe, Scams, Safe sex, STD, HIV/AIDS