- "Gotham City has been in such a decline since your parents died―especially your father. He loved this city. And I guess you do, too. Maybe it needs something―or someone―to shake things up."
- ―Alfred Pennyworth to Bruce Wayne[src]
Gotham City is a bustling dark, Gothic-Punk city located in New York. In addition to being the home and main base of operations for the mysterious urban legend known as the Batman, Gotham is also rife with corruption, poverty, vermin infestations, pollution, and numerous crime waves.[1] The city's motto is "Sic Parvis Magna."[2]
Contents
History[]
Gotham City was founded sometime in 1724 by a little known architect named William Gotham though some sources seem to discredit this account.
Description, Society, and Culture[]

Gotham is a gloomy city of grey nothingness riddled to its very core with crime and corruption. It can often be seen pouring heavy rain day and night and with an eerie fog or mist usually floating in the air.
Known individuals[]
Known residents[]
Current residents[]
- Alexander
- Alfred Pennyworth
- Bev
- Bruce Wayne
- Hannah
- Janice Dure
- Jim Gordon
- Katie Sharpe
- Kim
- Mackenzie Bock
- Martin
- Martinez
- Mia Fardy
- Mike
- Oz Cobblepot
- Sean
- Reed Porcello
- Vinnie
Incarcerated residents[]
Former residents[]
- Bennett Starling (moved to Metropolis)
- Carmine Falcone (deceased)
- Christopher Anderson (deceased)
- Dex Starling (moved to Metropolis)
- Donald C. Wright (deceased)
- Frank Smith (deceased)
- Gil Colson (deceased)
- Joe Chill (unknown)
- Martha Robinson (deceased)
- Martha Wayne (deceased)
- Mildred Smith (deceased)
- Selina Kyle (moved to Blüdhaven)
- Thomas Wayne (deceased)
- William Gotham (deceased)
Known Visitors[]
Known mayors[]
- Bella Reál (incumbent)
- Don Mitchell Jr. (deceased)
Known commissioners[]
- Pete Savage (deceased)
Layout[]
- Crest Hill
- East River Avenue
- Financial District
- Lower East Side
- Midtown
- Park Row
- The Bowery
- Tricorner
- Uptown District
Locales[]
- Ace Chemicals
- Arkham State Hospital
- Bank of Gotham
- Battergate
- Blackgate
- Eastside Depot
- Empire Theatre
- Fumento's
- Gargoyles
- Gotham Army Surplus
- Gotham Asylum
- Gotham Cemetery
- Gotham Central Court House
- Gotham City Hall
- Gotham City High School
- Gotham City Police Headquarters
- Gotham Empire
- Gotham General Hospital
- Gotham Harbor
- Gotham Jewelers
- Gotham Orphanage
- Gotham River
- Gotham Square
- Gotham Square Garden
- Gotham Subway
- KTMJ
- Marriott Hotels & Resorts
- Metropolitan Correction Center Gotham City
- Mitchell Mansion
- O'Shaughnessy's
- Robinson Park
- Shoreline Lofts
- Wayne Tower
Organizations[]
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- GC1 Eyewitness News
- Gotham Action News 4 HD
- Gotham City Council
- Gotham City Fire Department
- Gotham City Health Department
- Gotham City Police Department
- Gotham Drug and Drops Resistance
- Gotham Gazette
- Gotham Renewal Corporation
- Gotham Transit Authority
- Gotham Water & Power
- GothCorp
- The Gotham Times
- The Stevensburgh Voice
- Tri Corner Cab
- Wayne Family
- Wayne Enterprises
- WGOT7-TV
Gotham Organized Crime[]
- "In Gotham City, the roots of organized crime run very deep."
- ―Alfred Pennyworth[src]
Trivia[]
- The Batman delves into the criminal underbelly of Gotham City through a noir-style storytelling and highlights themes of corruption that runs rampant within the city's government and police department. The movie used London, Glasgow, Liverpool, and Chicago as filming locations for Gotham City. Although filmed in various locations, Reeves modeled Gotham on New York City. A towering skyscraper similar to the Empire State Building looms over Gotham with an emblazoned sign that reads "Gotham Empire". A busy, commercial intersection called "Gotham Square" is seen in several shots and resembles Times Square with its bright signs and giant digital screens. The film's concluding sequence, while filmed at London's 02 Arena, is called "Gotham Square Garden", taking its naming convention from New York's Madison Square Garden. Various members of the Gotham City Police Department and the city's mobsters speak with East Coast accents similar to those of New York and New Jersey.
Behind the scenes[]
- In the DC comics, Gotham City is the home of the hero known as Batman. Gotham City is located in the Northeastern United States, in close proximity to Metropolis, with the majority of DC comics references placing Gotham City specifically in New Jersey.
- In real life, "Gotham" is a nickname that writer Washington Irving attached to New York on November 11, 1807, referencing a village in England inhabited, according to folklore, by people who feigned madness and were branded as true fools.[3]
- Batman creator Bill Finger took inspiration from that nickname[3] and New York City itself provided the basic visuals for the fictional city.
References[]
- ↑ Reeves, Matt & Craig, Peter (writers); Reeves, Matt & Clark, Dylan (producers); & Reeves, Matt (director) (March 4, 2022). The Batman.
- ↑ Translates to "Greatness from Small Beginnings"
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "The real Gotham: The village behind the Batman stories" - BBC News