Arcadia City

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"America's Brightest City"

History

Located in Northern California, the settlement that would soon become Arcadia City was originally comprised of those who had fled or been exiled from various Puritan settlements in the early 1600s, banding together to survive away from ignorance and religious persecution. Without the resources to support their efforts, however, the settlement of outcasts quickly began to fall upon rough times, many of its denizens becoming ill or malnourished. As the legend of the city tells, however, everything changed when a mysterious man named Eli Arcadia arrived from unknown parts and used his brilliant mind to help the settlement flourish. Using almost anachronistic methods of forward thinking and knowledge of the land, Arcadia helped pull his 'Arcadians' out of the muck and, with their help, helped to turn their settlement into a small but thriving one, making its living off of agriculture and trading.

Over the next few years, Arcadia would disappear and reappear, always with some new innovation or idea to better the lives of those living in his city. It was reported and rumoured that he never aged a day between his absences and always seemed to return when the people most needed guidance. This led its populace to name their new town 'Arcadia' in his honour and quickly began to draw more people desperate to escape to a city where men would be judged less on their beliefs and more on their ability to further the progress of the fair city.

In 1700, a man named Ethan Proctor appeared in Arcadia, seemingly seeking its founder. When Eli Arcadia arrived, it was reported that Proctor drew a blade and attempted to kill him. The two fought each other intensely before tumbling off a cliff. When the townspeople attempted to locate their bodies, they could fine no sign of either of them. Neither Eli Arcadia or the crazed Ethan Proctor were seen again, adding to the mystery behind the town founder's true identity and purpose and drawing a wealth of academics eager to learn the facts behind the man's legends. These academics would eventually end up staying in the town, drawn to its relative progressiveness and enigmatic history. This would be the birth of Arcadia's academic history.

For the next few decades, Arcadia flourished and persevered thanks in no small part to the influence of Eli Arcadia. With its influential academic presence, it soon became a place of popularity among scholastic circles, from philosophers to doctors and everything in between. Arcadia University was soon established and became a place of academic brilliance. It was a town of genius and innovation where the best and brightest could go to be among their peers and when the American Revolutionary War broke out, many followed Eli Arcadia's teachings of forward thinking and progression to heart as they fought against British rule and remained vocally in favour of concepts such as the Second Party System, Abolitionism and Manifest Destiny. When the American Civil War broke out, Arcadia prominently offered refuge to escaped slaves and abolitionists.

The 20th century brought further growth for Arcadia City, which had rapidly embraced mechanisation and modernisation, becoming an industrial powerhouse through the introduction of a major railroad cutting through it. For the first time, Arcadia had become securely linked with the rest of the country and only grew better for it. Agriculture was more heavily sidelined in favour of trading and manufacturing and the city became known for its intelligent, hard-working artisans, capable of creating sturdy and reliable products. A fair number of the weapons carried into the First World War came from Arcadia. It is around this time that many began to theorise that Eli Arcadia was, in fact, a man from the future who had travelled back in time to help raise Arcadia City to greatness, though there were many other theories circulating around the time as well.

The Great Depression hurt the city hard. Many of its previously bustling industries spiralled into bankruptcy. For a while, the city became a prominent example of the true impact of the tragedy, with many of its brightest minds trying and failing to revitalise its economy. It was only when the Second World War came about. With a mass drive to get men and women into weapons manufacturing, Arcadia reclaimed its station by supplying the Allies with technology and eventually using the economic boost to reestablish itself as a home for America's best and brightest, establishing Arcadia University as a specialist in the sciences and gearing itself towards the pursuit of the future that would go on to define its identity. Liberalism, civil rights movements and counterculture all found a place among this new Arcadia City. Arcadians were seen as forward-thinking people of tomorrow, embracing change and progressiveness in a way that many areas did not.

The boom of technology in the late 20th century and the early 21st century did wonders for the 'City of Genius'. As computers, telecommunications and other new industries came to pass, Arcadia backed them fully as they were sure their founder, Eli Arcadia, would have. Much like San Francisco's Silicon Valley, Arcadia established itself as a hub of technological innovation and development and, before long, found itself becoming the home of many up and coming and already established technology-based companies looking to capitalise on the city's image, quickly forming the popular 'Innovation Plaza'. Arcadia University changed its antiquated infrastructure and became a leader in a more conscious and vocational institution, only serving to draw in more academics. In order to cater to these crowds, facilities and attractions such as the Wonderdome, Silicon Beach and Titan Stadium. When the Great Recession hit, Arcadia managed to hold its own through rough times entirely due to these implementations.

Nowadays, Arcadia City has become synonymous with the future, much like its friendly rival and sister city, Millennium City. Its average IQ score, employment rates and standards of education all rank highly among the rest of the world and it remains and economic powerhouse even today. Most recently, however, it has become the proud home to the hero Captain Collider, appreciative of his unconventional style of superheroism which includes an openly public identity and backstory as well as regular philanthropy and involvement in public affairs. Though Arcadia City had remained rather devoid of heroes save for a handful of street-level vigilantes and science-based adventurers in the past, its population seems more than willing to accept this one, especially given how well his identity and motivations tie in to the city's own. In response to the hero's popularity, the city has all but made him its designated hero, devoting an entire wing of the Wonderdome Science Museum to his work both as Mal Parton and as Captain Collider and erecting a statue of the hero for all to see. Though Captain Collider himself seems to be embarrassed by all their attention, their admiration of him shows no signs of abating, especially as he gives the city a substantial boost to tourism.

Geography

Situated on the coast of Northern California, Arcadia City is an expansive urban area with a lengthy shoreline. Several of its territories are broken up by the Arcadian River which cuts through the city and into the Pacific Ocean. These gaps in the city's infrastructure are connected by a series of bridges which expand out of mainland Arcadia City and its surrounding islands. The city itself can be divided into eleven major neighbourhoods/districts, each of which can be further divided into their individual parts:

Sunstone Square

The chief district located at the centre of Arcadia City, Sunstone Square is named after a famous glowing rock once wielded by the town's founder, Eli Arcadia. This rock was thought to have mystical properties which allowed it to heal wounds and harness solar power to grand effect. It is by far the most urban and densely populated area which blurs the line between being residential and commercial, offering towering skyscrapers as well as apartment complexes. It is home to a number of Arcadia City's important locations such as City Hall, the Elizabeth Prynne Memorial Hospital, Titanic Stadium, the Eli Arcadia Memorial Park and the Wonderdome, which remains the star attraction of Arcadia City. It is from Sunstone that the rest of Arcadia City eventually blossomed out of and, as such, the area holds great historical and cultural value among its citizens.

Innovation Plaza

Sunstone Square's neighbouring district, Innovation Plaza has often been stated as the breeding ground of genius in Arcadia City. In equal part the town's technology centre and its research park, it is home to the branches and head offices of some of the world's topmost technology and science based companies, including Unlimited Dynamics and Steel Industries. With towering skyscrapers marked with well-known logos, Innovation Plaza is constantly bustling with some of the country's best and brightest as they work to change the world. Its close partnership with Arcadia University means that many new businesses and eager young students often get a vocational head start here. The Tower of Power, Captain Collider's headquarters situated on the uppermost level of Unlimited Dynamics' skyscraper, is also located here.

Platinum Heights

Having been born out of Old Arcadia's bustling trade and industry district, Platinum Heights is the city's financial district and is characterised by its many towering skyscrapers. Though many of its powerhouse companies have moved to Innovation Plaza to capitalise on its popularity, Platinum Heights still provides a home to most non-technology and science based industries and a great deal of office buildings. It also allows access to the Arcadia City Docks.

Cobalt Complex

Closely situated to its 'brother district' Platinum Heights, the Cobalt Industrial Complex (or Cobalt Complex) is the city's historical industrial district. Bisected by the Arcadia City Monorail, Cobalt Complex is where Arcadia's heavy and light industry happens. While Innovation Plaza provides a fertile ground for genius to give way to innovation and Platinum Heights generates much of Arcadia City's economic clout, Cobalt Complex is where sweat and hard work grease the wheels of the city's progress. Amidst its great deal of factories and warehouses is the Arcadia Airport, making it something of a reception area for many of the city's newcomers.

Chinatown

Founded by the many Chinese immigrants who settled in the city during its earlier days, Arcadia City has a bustling Chinatown district firmly planted between Cobalt Complex and Goldbrook. Though it houses a wealth of culture, it is also home to the thriving Arcadia City branch of the Chinese Triad.

Japantown

The most recent addition to Arcadia City's districts, Japantown grew along with the city's specialisation in technology and engineering, with many of its residents being businessmen and scientists who had moved to Arcadia City for their careers. Due to its novelty, it has little in the way of attractions and is largely residential with a few cultural identifiers which set it apart from its neighbouring districts of Innovation Plaza and Sunstone.

Welcome Way

The city's chief urban residential district, Welcome Way is where one will find the highest concentration of residential property as well as a number of leisure spots such as the ever-popular Arcadia City Mega Mall. Its expansive size makes it easy to accommodate Arcadia City's middle classes comfortably, providing close proximity to Cobalt Complex and Platinum Heights.

Skyvale

Perhaps the wealthiest area of Arcadia City, Skyvale is aptly named after the rumours of Eli Arcadia's power of self-sustained flight and is where art and culture best thrive. It is commonly joked that nobody works in Skyvale due to its many leisure hotspots and 'spoiled rich' populace. These hotpots include Silicon Beach, the Halcyon Hotel, the Skyvale Shopping Centre and Skyvale Studios, where all of the city's local television and radio stations are situated. Its residential section largely comprises of high-cost penthouse apartment buildings and luxury real estate.

Goldbrook

The polar opposite to Skyvale, Goldbrook is perhaps the poorest and most developing area of Arcadia City, home to much of its working class population. Though it is by no means a shanty town, it suffers from the highest rate of crime. Due to a number of revitalisation projects taking place at once, it is in a near constant state of construction and has become something of a hot issue for those in power, who desperately attempt to rid it of its criminal element and relative poverty. As such, the Arcadia City Police Department has recently re-established its headquarters here. It is also the site of Arcadia City's vibrant nightlife in addition to both the Arcadia City Power Grid and, unfortunately, many criminal gangs and organisations. The Stonewall Penitentiary, a maximum security prison to house the majority of Arcadia's criminal population, rests on an island just off the coast of Goldbrook.

New Vista

Arcadia City's art and theatre district, New Vista is filled with galleries, studios, exhibitions and stages. Anyone looking for a good night out needs look no further. As of late, the area has also drawn in a younger crowd of 'hipsters' who have been accommodated with residential expansions.

Amber Valley

Located somewhat away from the rest of Arcadia City, Amber Valley is a relatively small suburban district which largely provides a home for the city's older residents, away from the hustle and bustle of urban life. Almost acting as a smaller town of its own apart from everywhere else, Amber Valley is as cozy as it is quiet.

Notable Events

Arcadia City from above. Note the Wonderdome and Discovery Lake.