There is no place that better defines GTA San Andreas than Grove Street.
Some old-school GTA fans can remember Grove Street's layout better than the streets they used to live on. It's a simple cul-de-sac area, but it's also the single most important location in all of GTA San Andreas.
When one thinks of GTA San Andreas, there's a good chance that they're thinking of Grove Street.
Grove Street is arguably one of the most iconic locations in the entire series. All of the reasons that make this iconic location stand out in GTA San Andreas can be applied to the rest of the series.
Unsurprisingly, much of Grove Street's greatness can be attributed to GTA San Andreas's memorable character cast and storyline.
Five reasons why Grove Street is so memorable in GTA San Andreas
5) CJ's first safehouse
A player's first safehouse is often one of the most important locations they have access to in a GTA game. It's no different with the Johnson House in this regard. However, it's still far more significant than the average safehouse.
First, it has legitimate storyline importance. This isn't some random hotel or apartment that is leased to the player. Instead, it's tied to one of the most critical events in GTA San Andreas (the Green Sabre incident).
Not only that, but players can also earn money passively here. It has a respectable garage, too.
4) Several important missions take place there
As far as starting locations go, there is an insane amount of missions that take place at Grove Street. It goes as far as having more storyline-important missions taking place here than in any other location in GTA San Andreas.
Several important missions start here, with a few taking place at Grove Street as the main destination. Predictably, this also means that several of the game's most memorable cutscenes take place here.
3) It's the most important location in all of GTA San Andreas
"Grove Street is king." There is no question that Grove Street is the main location for CJ and his brother, Sweet. The Grove Street Families live here, and the majority of the Los Santos storyline is tied to their relationship with the other gangs.
CJ is loyal to the Grove Street Families to the end. Rescuing Sweet and going back to prison kickstarts the last portion of the game's storyline. Of course, this reason also ties into the next entry on this list.
2) The game ends there
End of the Line is the final storyline mission in GTA San Andreas. After CJ duels with Big Smoke, he and Sweet chase Officer Tenpenny all over Los Santos before eventually arriving at Grove Street.
Tenpenny lost control of his fire truck, crashed through the bridge above Grove Street, and died in the very neighborhood he tormented.
It's a fitting end to GTA San Andreas's story. Not only do several important missions take place in Grove Street, but the game's ultimate mission ends here, as well.
1) Several key characters live here
Grove Street is arguably the most important place in all of Los Santos. Most of the storyline-relevant characters live here (or have lived here). Sweet, CJ, Ryder, and OG Loc all live in Grove Street, while Big Smoke and Kendl used to.
That's a big reason why so many missions take place at Grove Street. Normally, GTA games don't have so many named characters living in a small area. In a way, it makes Grove Street feel more tight-knit.
As far as character concentration goes, Grove Street has the highest number of named characters in all of GTA San Andreas.
Note: This article reflects the writer's personal views.