Liberty City is split into three islands. Only Portland is open at the start. Each of the others opens when you finish a particular story mission, and until then the routes to it are blocked. Each island has its own safehouse, Pay ‘n’ Spray, Ammu-Nation, hospital, police and fire stations, and its own share of the collectibles.
| Island | Opens after | Districts |
|---|---|---|
| Portland | The start of the game | Callahan Point, Chinatown, Harwood, Hepburn Heights, Portland Beach, Portland Harbor, Portland View, Red Light District, Saint Mark’s, Trenton, Atlantic Quays |
| Staunton Island | Last Requests | Aspatria, Bedford Point, Belleville Park, Fort Staunton, Liberty Campus, Newport, Rockford, Torrington |
| Shoreside Vale | A Drop in the Ocean | Cedar Grove, Cochrane Dam, Francis International Airport, Pike Creek, Wichita Gardens |
Portland
The old industrial island, home to the Leone family in Saint Mark’s, the Triads in Chinatown and the Diablos in Hepburn Heights. The whole first part of the story happens here. It is small and easy to learn, which makes it the best place for Paramedic and the other odd jobs.
Staunton Island
The commercial center, with skyscrapers, Kenji’s casino in Torrington, the stadium in Aspatria and the university at Liberty Campus. The Yakuza, the Yardies and the Colombian Cartel all have turf here. You first arrive by boat at the end of Last Requests, after which the Callahan Bridge links it to Portland.
Shoreside Vale
The quiet suburbs and hills, with the airport, the Cochrane Dam, the mansions of Cedar Grove and the Purple Nines’ turf in Wichita Gardens. It opens after A Drop in the Ocean. Two routes lead there from Staunton Island: a tunnel that runs under the water from Rockford to Cedar Grove, and the Lift Bridge.
Getting around
Besides the roads, boats are a fast way to cross between islands, and several missions use them. The subway runs between the islands too. The Dodo plane at the airport is the only aircraft you can fly, and its clipped wings make it hard to keep in the air.