The GTA 4 map: the five islands of Liberty City and Alderney, the neighborhoods on each, when the bridges open, Niko Bellic’s 5 safehouses and key locations from Star Junction to the Statue of Happiness.
Liberty City islands and neighborhoods
Neighborhoods below are named as they appear on the in-game map.
| Island | Real-world model | Neighborhoods | What’s there |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broker | Brooklyn | 12: Beachgate, Beechwood City, BOABO, Downtown, East Hook, Firefly Island, Firefly Projects, Hove Beach, Outlook, Rotterdam Hill, Schottler, South Slopes | game start and the first safehouse in Hove Beach; the Firefly Island amusement park with the Liberty Eye wheel and the Screamer coaster |
| Dukes | Queens | 8: Cerveza Heights, Charge Island, East Island City, Francis International Airport, Meadow Hills, Meadows Park, Steinway, Willis | Francis International Airport in the east of the map; the industrial Charge Island |
| Bohan | the Bronx | 7: Boulevard, Chase Point, Fortside, Industrial, Little Bay, Northern Gardens, South Bohan | the smallest island; the second safehouse in South Bohan |
| Algonquin | Manhattan | 29 in three parts. Uptown: East Holland, Lancaster, Middle Park, Middle Park East, Middle Park West, North Holland, Northwood, Varsity Heights. Midtown: Colony Island, Easton, Hatton Gardens, Lancet, The Meat Quarter, Presidents City, Purgatory, Star Junction, The Triangle, Westminster. Downtown: Castle Garden City, Castle Gardens, Chinatown, City Hall, The Exchange, Fishmarket North, Fishmarket South, Happiness Island, Little Italy, Lower Easton, Suffolk | Star Junction with the MeTV Building, Middle Park, Rotterdam Tower, the Statue of Happiness |
| Alderney | New Jersey | 9: Acter, Acter Industrial Park, Alderney City, Berchem, Leftwood, Normandy, Port Tudor, Tudor, Westdyke | a separate state in the west; Alderney State Correctional Facility prison, a safehouse in Alderney City |
The islands are linked by bridges: Algonquin Bridge, Broker Bridge, Dukes Bay Bridge, East Borough Bridge, Hickey Bridge, Leaper’s Bridge and Northwood Heights Bridge. Algonquin and Alderney are also connected by the Booth Tunnel. According to GTA Wiki, the main expressways are the Algonquin–Dukes Expressway, the Broker–Dukes Expressway, the Northern Expressway in Bohan and Union Drive East / West along Algonquin.
How to unlock the bridges in GTA 4
At the start of the game the bridges to Algonquin and Alderney are closed by the police over a supposed terrorist threat. The map opens in two stages:
| When | What opens | Details |
|---|---|---|
| from the start | Broker, Dukes, Bohan | according to GTA Wiki, Bohan is accessible right away, but the safehouse there only appears after Roman’s Sorrow |
| after Blow Your Cover (an Elizabeta Torres mission) | Algonquin, Colony Island, Happiness Island | the “terrorist threat” is lifted on Broker Bridge, Algonquin Bridge, East Borough Bridge and Northwood Heights Bridge |
| after Three Leaf Clover (a Packie McReary mission) | Alderney | the Booth Tunnel and Hickey Bridge open; the whole map is available, plus the Full Exploration achievement |
Technically Algonquin becomes reachable during Blow Your Cover itself, when Niko drives out onto the street with Playboy X. The Full Exploration achievement (“Unlock all the islands”) is awarded for Three Leaf Clover.
You can break through earlier, but at the roadblocks you instantly get 6 stars: NOOSE, the FIB and an Annihilator helicopter will come after you. So it is better to open the islands through the story. The full mission list in order is on the GTA 4 missions page.
Niko’s safehouses
GTA 4 has five safehouses, and none of them is for sale: Niko gets each one through a story mission. Each has “RESIDENTS PARKING ONLY” spaces for 2 cars — 10 spots in total where vehicles are saved.
| # | Safehouse | Location | How to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Broker Safehouse | Mohawk Ave and Bart St, Hove Beach, Broker | mission The Cousins Bellic; after Roman’s Sorrow the safehouse is gone, but the parking spot remains |
| 2 | South Bohan Apartment | Joliet St and Rocket St, South Bohan, Bohan | mission Roman’s Sorrow |
| 3 | Middle Park East Safehouse | Albany Ave and Pyrite St, Middle Park East, Algonquin | mission Hostile Negotiation; the only safehouse with a computer |
| 4 | Playboy X’s Penthouse | Xenotime St and Galveston Ave, North Holland (on the Northwood border), Algonquin | only if you kill Playboy X and spare Dwayne in The Holland Play — can be missed |
| 5 | Alderney Safehouse | Mahesh Ave, Alderney City, Alderney | after the missions Smackdown and A Long Way to Fall |
Playboy X’s penthouse is the only safehouse you can miss for good. It does not affect your completion percentage.
Key locations on the map
- Francis International Airport (Dukes) — the airport in the east of the map, mixing elements of JFK and LaGuardia.
- Star Junction (Algonquin) — the Times Square equivalent. This is where the MeTV Building stands: an Annihilator helicopter appears on its roof after you get all 200 pigeons.
- Middle Park — Algonquin’s take on Central Park.
- Rotterdam Tower (The Triangle) — a skyscraper with an observation deck; according to GTA Wiki, the tallest building in the series.
- Happiness Island with the Statue of Happiness — southwest of Algonquin, opens together with it. The statue is a parody of the Statue of Liberty. There are 6 pigeons on and around the statue.
- Colony Island — an island east of Lancet: a cable car and the abandoned Old Hospital at its southern end.
- Charge Island — an industrial island in the Humboldt River between Algonquin, Dukes and Bohan; officially part of Dukes, with East Borough Bridge passing overhead.
- Firefly Island (Broker) — an amusement park with the Liberty Eye Ferris wheel and the old Screamer coaster.
- Alderney State Correctional Facility — the prison in Alderney.
- Helipads: Westminster Helipad, Higgins Helitours Heliport in Fishmarket South and a pad at the airport.
What to collect on each island
The map is also a set of collectibles. The islands hold 200 pigeons (Flying Rats) and 50 stunt jumps — together they make up 5% of 100% completion. The breakdown is approximate: guides count bridges, water and small islands differently.
| Island | Pigeons | Jumps |
|---|---|---|
| Broker | about 23 | 3 |
| Dukes with Charge Island | about 27 | 10 |
| Bohan | 22 | 4 |
| Algonquin with Colony and Happiness Island | 67–73 | 15 (2 by boat) |
| Alderney | about 56 | 18 |
Another 5 pigeons sit on bridges and on a ship in the middle of the Humboldt River. Most jumps are in Alderney City, Steinway, Northwood and Westdyke. The full list with landmarks is on the GTA 4 pigeons page.
How many neighborhoods are in GTA 4
There are 65 neighborhoods in total: 56 in Liberty City’s four boroughs (Broker 12, Dukes 8, Bohan 7, Algonquin 29) and 9 in Alderney. The GTA Wiki page on Liberty City gives exactly 56 because it leaves out Alderney, which is a separate state. GTABase lists all 65 neighborhoods by island, just like our table above.
The GTA Wiki articles on the individual Liberty City islands add up to one fewer, 55: the small islands Charge Island, Colony Island and Happiness Island are sometimes counted as separate neighborhoods and sometimes not.
One more detail: GTA Wiki calls the industrial zone in Alderney Acter Industrial Park (as on the in-game map), while some guides call it Alderney Industrial Park. It is the same neighborhood.
Is the map different in the Complete Edition
No. The map is identical in the 2008 original on PS3 and Xbox 360, the 2008 PC version and GTA IV: The Complete Edition from 2020. The radio stations cut from the Complete Edition do not affect the map. PC specs are on the GTA 4 system requirements page.
What to look for on the map next
- All 200 GTA 4 pigeons — the full list by island plus 50 stunt jumps;
- GTA 4 100% completion — an interactive checklist;
- GTA 4 missions — the full list and endings;
- GTA 4 characters;
- GTA 4 cheats;
- everything about GTA 4.
GTA 4 map FAQ
What does the GTA 4 map look like and how many islands does it have?
The map has five parts: Broker, Dukes, Bohan, Algonquin and Alderney, plus the small islands Charge Island, Colony Island and Happiness Island. Liberty City is modeled on New York, Alderney on New Jersey.
How do you unlock the bridges in GTA 4?
Complete Elizabeta Torres’s mission Blow Your Cover and Algonquin opens. After Packie McReary’s Three Leaf Clover, the Booth Tunnel and Hickey Bridge to Alderney open, and with them the whole map.
What happens if you cross a closed bridge in GTA 4?
You instantly get a 6-star wanted level: NOOSE and the FIB come after Niko, and an Annihilator flies in. It is better to open the islands through the story.
How many neighborhoods are in GTA 4?
65: Broker has 12, Dukes 8, Bohan 7, Algonquin 29 and Alderney 9. Without Alderney, in Liberty City proper, there are 56.
How many safehouses are in GTA 4 and can you buy them?
Five, and none can be bought: Niko gets them through missions. You can miss Playboy X’s penthouse if you kill Dwayne in The Holland Play.
Where is the airport on the GTA 4 map?
Francis International Airport is in the east of the map, in Dukes. It is accessible from the start of the game.
Sources
- Official: Rockstar Games, Rockstar Newswire, Rockstar Support, Take-Two Interactive
- Databases and guides: GTABase, GTA Wiki, GTA BOOM, PowerPyx
- Press: GamesRadar, PC Gamer, IGN, VGC, Game Informer
Every fact is checked against official sources or at least two independent ones; player-sourced data is labelled in the text. Images are official Rockstar Games material. GTA Top is not affiliated with Rockstar Games or Take-Two Interactive.