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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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. Some places are still active, some are cleaned up, and some are historical only. Please fill in alphabetical order:

Africa

Algeria

Prostitution is legal but third-party involvement is prohibited.

  • Constantine
    • Rahbat al-Jammal (defunct, no current red-light activity)

Burkina Faso

Prostitution is not specifically prohibited by the law, but soliciting and pimping are illegal in Burkina Faso.

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, old Berka quarter)
  • 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 sketchy red light areas.

  • Abidjan
    • Marcory Zone 4
    • Rue Princesse (historic nightlife strip, much changed today)

Kenya

  • Nairobi
    • Koinange Street
    • Westlands Road

Mauritania

Prostitution in Mauritania is illegal but still exists.

Morocco

  • Casablanca
    • Bousbir (defunct, old colonial red-light quarter, now residential)
    • 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

South Africa

  • Cape Town
    • Long Street and nearby nightlife areas
  • Durban
    • Mahatma Gandhi Road, formerly Point Road
  • Johannesburg
    • Hillbrow
    • Nelson Mandela Square (not a red-light district, upscale Sandton mall square)

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 (historic regulated street, smaller now)
  • Sousse
    • Sousse Medina (defunct old walk-in zone, largely shut down)

Asia

Bangladesh

Sex work in Bangladesh is legal and regulated.

  • Bagerhat District
    • Bani Shanta
  • Faridpur District
    • Faridpur
  • Narayanganj
    • Tanbazar (defunct, closed in the late 1990s)
  • Rajbari District
  • 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 (old area, much changed today)

People's Republic of China

  • Beijing
    • Dashilan (defunct, now historic shopping and tourist street)
  • Shanghai
    • Simalu (also called Huileli) (pre-People's Republic, defunct)
    • Chaojiadu
    • Fengzhuang road
    • Xianan road
    • New railroad station
    • East Baoxing Road
    • Qibao
    • Golden Bridge
  • Shenzhen
    • Xiang Xi Cun (cleaned up compared to before)

Hong Kong

Prostitution itself is not illegal but operating a brothel is illegal in Hong Kong.

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).

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
  • Bali
  • Jakarta
    • Kalijodo (demolished on 29 February 2016 and now its a public park and skate area)
    • Kramat Tunggak (closed in 1999, now Jakarta Islamic Centre)
  • Deli Serdang
    • Bandar Baru
  • Surabaya
    • Gang Dolly (closed in 2014, now small business and batik area)

Iran

  • Tehran
    • Shahr-e No (demolished 1980, defunct)

Iraq

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 (historic South Tel Aviv red-light area, heavily changed by police pressure and redevelopment)

Japan

  • Fukuoka
    • Nakasu
  • Gifu
    • Kanazuen
  • Hokkaidō
  • Kyoto
    • Shimabara (defunct, now historical and residential)
    • Kiyamachi
    • Pontocho
  • Osaka
    • Imasato Shinchi
    • Jūsō
    • Kujo
    • Matsushima Shinchi
    • Shinmachi (defunct, old licensed pleasure quarter)
    • Shinodayama Shinchi
    • Tobita Shinchi
  • Tokyo
    • Kabukichō
    • Roppongi
    • Yoshiwara (historic brothel system defunct, modern soaplands still in the area)

Jordan

Prostitution is illegal in Jordan.

Kyrgyzstan

Prostitution is legal in Kyrgystan but pimping and operating a brothel are illegal.

South Korea

  • Daegu
    • Jagalmadang (heavily declined)
  • Paju
    • Yong Ju Gol (pressured and shrinking)
  • Seoul
    • Cheongnyangni 588 (defunct, demolished and redeveloped into high-rises)
    • Mia-ri (reduced)
    • Yeongdeungpo (reduced and redeveloped)
    • Hooker Hill (Seoul) (mostly changed today)
    • Cheonho-dong (heavily declined)

Malaysia

Pakistan

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
    • Mango Street
    • SM/Ayala Mall (not a red-light district, but popular with freelancers and ladyboys shopping, drinking coffee, chilling and meeting guys)
    • IT Park (not a red-light district, but popular modern hangout area where freelancers, ladyboys and guys mix around cafes, bars and late-night food spots)
  • Olongapo City

Singapore

  • Singapore
    • Geylang (active regulated red-light area, still lively but tightly controlled)
    • Orchard Towers - now a days in 2025 almost all the sex clubs are closed. (defunct as a legal sex-club hub, licenses not renewed)

Thailand

Australia and Oceania

Australia

  • Brisbane
    • Fortitude Valley, Queensland|The Valley
  • Melbourne
    • St Kilda, Victoria|St Kilda
  • Sydney
    • Kings Cross, New South Wales|Kings Cross (heavily cleaned up)
    • Darlinghurst, New South Wales|Darlinghurst/East Sydney, New South Wales|East Sydney

New Zealand

Europe

Belgium

Czech Republic

Denmark

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
    • Pigalle (historic adult nightlife area, cleaned up a lot)
    • Boulevard de Clichy (same wider Pigalle strip, less red-light now)
    • Porte de Vincennes
    • Rue de la Gaité
    • Rue Saint-Denis
  • Rouen
    • Boulevard des belges
  • Toulouse
    • Rue Bayard
    • Quartier du Canal
    • Boulevard de Strasbourg

Finland

  • Helsinki
    • Vaasankatu (old Kallio nightlife and street prostitution area, much cleaner today)
    • Kallio (old working-class nightlife and sex-work area, now mostly bars)
  • Lahti
    • Rautatienkatu

Germany

Republic of Ireland

  • Dublin
    • Gropecunt Lane (defunct, medieval name only)
    • "The Monto" (Montgomery Street) (defunct, closed in 1925)

Italy

  • Milan
    • Navigli (defunct, historical window prostitution ended after the Merlin Law in 1958)

Malta

  • Gżira (defunct)
    • Testaferrata Street
  • Valletta
    • Strait Street (defunct, old “The Gut”, now dining, bars and jazz)

Netherlands

Norway

Portugal

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Turkey

  • Antalya
    • Kaleiçi (historic nightlife area, old red-light reputation mostly gone)
  • Alanya
    • Barlar Sokağı (Bar Street)

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, medieval name only)
    • Kings Cross, London|King's Cross (mostly defunct as red-light district)
    • Piccadilly Circus (defunct, now tourist landmark)
    • 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, medieval name only)
  • Swindon
    • Manchester Road, Swindon|Manchester Road/Gorse Hill
  • Wolverhampton
    • All Saints/Parkfield, Wolverhampton
Northern Ireland


Scotland
  • Edinburgh
    • Rose Street/Leith Walk/Coburg Street/Salamander Street (all defunct)
  • Glasgow
    • Blythswood Square (defunct)

North America

Canada

British Columbia
Ontario
  • Windsor, Ontario|Windsor
    • Drouillard Avenue / Ford City Neighbourhood
  • Thunder Bay, Ontario|Thunder Bay
    • Simpson Street
  • Toronto
    • Dundas Square
    • Yonge Street
Quebec

Mexico

United States of America

Alaska
  • Anchorage, Alaska|Anchorage
    • Spenard Road
  • Ketchikan
    • Creek Street (defunct, now tourist boardwalk)
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, Gold Rush-era vice district)
    • Tenderloin (historic red-light era mostly gone, still rough in parts)
Colorado
Florida
Georgia
Hawaii
Illinois
  • Chicago
    • The Levee (defunct, closed around 1912)
Indiana
Louisiana
Maryland
Massachusetts
  • Boston
    • Ann Street (defunct)
    • Combat Zone (defunct, cleaned up in the 1990s and 2000s)
    • Scollay Square (razed)
Michigan
Minnesota
Montana
  • Butte
    • Venus Alley (defunct) pavilion n5445
Nevada
New York (state)
Oklahoma
  • Oklahoma City
    • South Robinson Avenue (between 29th and 44th Streets)
Pennsylvania
Tennessee
Texas
  • Austin
    • 6th Street (defunct; '60s & '70s)
    • South Congress Avenue (defunct; '70s and '80s)
  • Waco
    • The Reservation (defunct)
Utah
Washington
  • Seattle
    • Pioneer Square, old Skid Road below Yesler Way (defunct old vice district, now historic area)
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
Rio de Janeiro
  • Rio de Janeiro
    • Vila Mimosa (historic red-light district, original Praça Onze location gone and relocated several times)
    • Praça Mauá
    • Avenida Atlântica, Copacabana
São Paulo
  • Itatinga - Campinas
Rio Grande do Sul
Colombia
Bogotá
Medellín
    • El Centro (The Downtown area is city's most traditional red light area.
    • Parque Lleras (in El Poblado district, this is a major hub for adult-oriented nightlife.
    • Barrio Antioquia (hub for regulated prostitution and nightlife)

See Also

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