Bayside is a seaside town in Tierra Robada in the far north west of San Andreas state. It is surrounded by The Cordillera to the north and west and lies on the northern reaches of San Fierro Bay. The town features a church, Coast Guard station, lighthouse, trailer park and marina.
The town of Bayside was added in the later stages of the game's development.[1] This can be confirmed by simply observing beta maps such as the UFO Map which omit it entirely. It is possible the town was added in place of Alcatraz after it was cut during development in an attempt to add life to the otherwise featureless north western part of the state. Strangely, the area is able to be legally accessed prior to Las Venturas, which is not in keeping with other areas in Tierra Robada. This seems to suggest that Bayside is officially considered to be part of San Fierro. This is odd considering the Gant Bridge is not able to be used to travel to the town at this point. The town can still be visited by means of water craft after gaining access to San Fierro and it is only after venturing beyond the limits of the town that a wanted level will be gained.
Myths[]
Bayside is a common location for the reporting of several notable creatures including Demons and the Loch Ness Monster. While the area remains an intriguing investigative focal point, no compelling evidence of encounters has yet been produced. The waters surrounding Bayside are also a hotspot for Shark sightings. The town is effectively surrounded by the infamous Cordillera, a strangely unnamed part of the state known for reported sightings of Bigfoot and The Woods Creature.
Church of Satan[]
The supposed Church of Satan at night
Bayside is home to a peculiar church that some myth hunters have dubbed the Church of Satan and who believe it to be a place of worship and practice of modern occultism. The church is subject to a strange lighting anomaly where it appears very bright at night, yet poorly illuminated during the day. This nocturnal prominence has caused the church to catch the eye of many myth hunters and it has become the focus of several investigations into the building's origins and current purpose. It is unknown exactly what causes this lighting oddity to occur as it appears to be unique to the church and cannot be observed elsewhere. It is possible that it is merely part of the multiple glitches present in and around the Bayside area, owing to the town's late addition to the game during development. It is notable however that the angelic figures depicted on the church's stained glass windows appear somewhat dark in nature and may represent fallen angels.
Bayside marina[]
Bayside marina with reward water craft
The town of Bayside features a fully functional marina complete with a Boating School, and is located on the eastern side of town, opposite the strange Lighthouse Ruins on the far side of the opposing bank. Seamanship trials can be completed at the docks, after which reward water craft will begin to appear moored there. The marina also houses a Coast Guard station equipped with a helipad, located to the south of the docks, on which a Maverick will commonly spawn but occasionally, a Sea Sparrow will appear in its place. The marina is among the most commonly reported locations of Shark sightings.
Glitches[]
An comparatively high number number of unusual glitches are present in and around the Bayside area including the Bayside Portal, Ghost Vortex and the Spawn Glitch. The prevalence of glitches in the area are likely due to the town's late addition to the game during development.
Cut Content[]
Bayside is unique in that it is only ever mentioned once officially. While listening to police radio chatter, Bayside, Bayside marina and the Bayside Tunnel can all be possible callout locations for crimes. Bayside and the entire surrounding area is otherwise completely unutilized. This lack of representation could be due to a mission being cut from the final release. In the mission The Truth is Out There, the player would have had to rescue The Truth from government agents. Leftover phone call and mission text reveal that agents would have been in pursuit of Truth for "wandering around Area 51"[2]. It is notable that this area of the game was not yet named Area 69 as it is in the final release. It is unknown if the mission would have taken place before or after the events of Green Goo or if it would have been a Verdant Meadows asset mission. Additionally, the mission Ice Cold Killa was originally intended to be started in Bayside.[3]