A red-light district is a neighborhood where prostitution is a common part of everyday life. The term was first recorded in the United States and derives from the practice of placing a red light in the window to indicate to customers the nature of the business.

There are several explanations as to why red lights gained this particular meaning. According to one theory, it is based on the Biblical story of Rahab, a prostitute in Jericho who aided the spies of Joshua and identified her house with a scarlet rope.

Others claim that it comes from the red lanterns carried by railway workers, which were left outside brothels when the workers entered, so that they could be quickly located for any needed train movement.

One of the many terms used for a red-light district in Japanese is akasen (赤線), literally meaning "red-line", apparently of independent origins from the English term. In different cultures red-light districts are identified differently, the most common being "district of prostitutes" (i.e. in Hindi - Randi Guli or Street of Prostitutes; in Bengali - Khanki Para or Neighbourhood of Prostitutes.

Notable red-light districts

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Africa

Egypt

• Wagh el Birket – Cairo (defunct)

Kenya

• Koinange Street – Nairobi
• New Aden – Nairobi

Morocco

• Avenue Lalla Yacout – Casablanca
• Petit Socco – Tangier

South Africa

• Point Road – Durban

Tunisia

• Rue Abdallah Guech – Tunis
• Manar II – Tunis

Asia

Cambodia

• Svay Pak – Phnom Penh

China, PRC

• Dashilan – Beijing (defunct)
• Portland Street, Mong Kok, Wan Chai – Hong Kong
• Simalu – Shanghai (pre-People's Republic)

India

• Mehboob Ki Kehandi – Hyderabad
• Sonagachi – Kolkata (formerly Calcutta)
• Kamathipura – Mumbai (formerly Bombay)
• G.B. Road – New Delhi
• Budhwar Peth – Pune

Japan

• Tobita – Osaka
• Kabukicho – Tokyo
• Roppongi – Tokyo
• Yoshiwara – Tokyo (Edo) (in Edo period)

Korea, South

• Jagalmadang – Daegu
• Cheongnyangni 588 – Seoul
• Mia-ri – Seoul

Malaysia

• Chow Kit – Kuala Lumpur

Pakistan

• Hira Mandi – Lahore
• Ghnta Ghar – Multan

Philippines

• Balibago, Fields Avenue – Angeles City (Clark Air Base)

Singapore

• Geylang – Singapore

Thailand

• Clinton Plaza – Bangkok (defunct)
• Patpong – Bangkok
• Sukhumvit Road Area (including Nana Plaza and Soi Cowboy) – Bangkok
• Soi Bang-La – Patong Beach, Phuket
• Pattaya Beach – Pattaya

Australia and Oceania

Australia

• The Valley – Brisbane
• St Kilda – Melbourne
• Kings Cross – Sydney

New Zealand

• Karangahape Road – Auckland
• Vivian Street – Wellington
• Manchester Street – Christchurch

Europe

Austria

• Praterstrasse – Vienna
• Spittelberg – Vienna (defunct)

Belgium

• Schipperskwartier – Antwerp
• Rue d'Aerschot/Aarschotstraat – Brussels

Croatia

• Ljudevit Gaj Street (Gajeva) – Zagreb

Czech Republic

• Břetislavova – Prague (defunct)
• Perlovka – Prague

Denmark

• Istedgade – Copenhagen

Finland

• Aleksis Kiven katu – Helsinki

France

• Boulevard de Clichy – Paris (defunct)
• Pigalle – Paris
• Rue Saint-Denis – Paris

Germany

• Antoniusstrasse – Aachen
• Bahnhofsviertel – Frankfurt
• Reeperbahn – Hamburg
• Schwabing – Munich (defunct)

Greece

• Fylis – Athens
• Metaksourgeio – Athens
• Singrou – Athens (transexuals)
• Minoos – Chania
• Troumba – Piraeus (defunct)

Hungary

• József körút/Rákóczi tér – Budapest

Republic of Ireland

• Gropecunt Lane – Dublin (defunct)
• Leeson Street/Mespil Road – Dublin
• "The Monto" (Montgomery Street) – Dublin (defunct)

Italy

• Navigli – Milan (defunct)
• Piazza Vittorio Emmanuele – Rome

Netherlands

• Achterdam – Alkmaar
• De Wallen – Amsterdam
• Rembrandt Square – Amsterdam (mainly transvestites)

Portugal

• Cais do Sodré – Lisbon
• Intendente – Lisbon

Serbia

• Picin Park – Belgrade

Spain

• Raval/Barri Xines – Barcelona
• Calle Almirante – Madrid (mainly male prostitution)
• Calle Luna – Madrid
• Calle Montera – Madrid
• Casa de Campo – Madrid

Sweden

• Rosenlundsgatan – Gothenburg
• Malmskillnadsgatan – Stockholm

United Kingdom

=England

=

• Breightmet Street – Bolton
• Gropecunt Lane – London (defunct)
• Kings Cross – London
• Piccadilly Circus – London (defunct)
• Soho – London
• Forest Fields – Nottingham
• Hockley Village – Nottingham
• Gropecunt Lane – Oxford (defunct)
• Millbay – Plymouth
• Union Street – Plymouth (defunct)
• Grope Lane – Shrewsbury (possible; defunct)

=Scotland

=

• Coburg Street – Edinburgh (defunct)
• Salamander Street – Edinburgh (defunct)
• Blythswood Square – Glasgow (defunct)

North America

Canada

=British Columbia

=

• Downtown Eastside – Vancouver

=Quebec

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• Saint Catherine Street / Saint Lawrence Boulevard – Montreal

Mexico

• La Merced – Mexico City
• Zona Rosa – Mexico City
• Zona Norte – Tijuana

United States

=Alaska

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• Creek Street – Ketchikan (defunct)

=Arizona

=

• Van Buren Street – Phoenix
• Wisky Row – Prescott (defunct after 1956)

=California

=

• Sunset Boulevard – Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Western Avenue – Hollywood, Los Angeles
• Sepulveda Boulevard – San Fernando Valley
• Barbary Coast – San Francisco (defunct)
• Maiden Lane – San Francisco (defunct)
• Tenderloin – San Francisco
• Beacon Street – San Pedro (defunct)

=Colorado

=

• East Colfax Avenue – Denver

=Florida

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• Cervantes Street – Pensacola
• Nebraska Avenue – Tampa

=Hawaii

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• Hotel Street – Honolulu

=Illinois

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• Cicero Avenue – Cicero (defunct)
• The Levee – Chicago (defunct)
• North Avenue – Chicago (defunct)
• Smokey Row – Lemont (defunct)

=Indiana

=

• Wabash Avenue – Terre Haute (defunct)

=Louisiana

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• Storyville – New Orleans (defunct)
• Chef Menteur Highway – New Orleans East (pre-Hurricane Katrina)

=Maryland

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• The Block – Baltimore

=Massachusetts

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• Ann Street – Boston (defunct)
• Combat Zone – Boston (defunct)
• Scollay Square – Boston (razed)

=Michigan

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• Division Avenue – Grand Rapids

=Montana

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• Venus Alley – Butte (defunct)

=Nevada

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• Fourth Street – Reno

=New Hampshire

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• Marcy Street – Portsmouth (1890s–1912)

=New York

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• Hunt's Point – New York City
• Tenderloin – New York City (defunct)
• Times Square – New York City (defunct)

=Pennsylvania

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• Northern Liberties – Philadelphia (defunct)

=Texas

=

• The Reservation – Waco (defunct)

=Utah

=

• Commercial Street – Salt Lake City (defunct)

=Washington, DC

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• 14th Street – Washington, D.C (defunct)
• Pennsylvania Avenue (between 10th and 15th Streets) – Washington, D.C (defunct)
• Vermont Avenue, NW – Washington, D.C

South America

Brazil

=Minas Gerais

=

• Zona Boêmia – Belo Horizonte

Prostitution | Red-light districts | Sex industry | English idioms

Rotlichtviertel | Liste de quartiers chauds | Sgìre nan Solasan Dearga | רחוב חלונות אדומים | Quartiere a luci rosse | 歓楽街 | Hoerenbuurt | Red-light district