Today in the CBO
Settlements Today
by Nat Wright-Kowalski
21 April 2296 - Goodneighbor
Each Tuesday for the upcoming weeks through the playoffs, we will feature one of the settlements, teams, and owners of the Commonwealth Baseball Organization. This is meant to tell you more about life in the Commonwealth, as well as give you more information about the teams and their owners.
In our second installment of "Settlement Today," I took a tour of Goodneighbor. The run-down, ghoul-run, chem-infested area would be a smite on most places, but in the Commonwealth this place is a personality with a curly mustache.
According to the intranet (real-life
https://fallout.fandom.com/wiki/Goodneighbor so as not to plagiarize),
"Goodneighbor, known as Scollay Square before the Great War, is a small town inside Boston in the Commonwealth in 2287. It is inhabited by ghouls, criminals and other people who do not fit in or who are not allowed in Diamond City.
"Goodneighbor was founded in 2240 by criminals who were exiled from Diamond City. . . . The town was once ruled over by a criminal named Vic who was later overthrown by John Hancock. He assumed the role of mayor and took charge of Goodneighbor, running the community under his philosophy 'Of the people, for the people.' The town has become the home of many drifters from the wastes. However, Goodneighbor is also a hub of crime, which was one of the reasons why a security team called the Neighborhood Watch was established to keep order under Hancock's rule and defend the town from raiders and rival organizations such as the Triggermen and the Institute, among others.
"Even with vigilantism encouraged and the presence of the Neighborhood Watch, various criminal activity is commonplace in Goodneighbor, such as murder, extortion, and chem peddling. There are two shops near the entrance: Kill or Be Killed run by KL-E-0, who sells weapons, and Daisy's Discounts, owned by Daisy, who sells general items. The Third Rail is the town bar, built out of an old subway station and is tended by Whitechapel Charlie with the headliner being the beautiful body and voice of the Commonwealth-famous Magnolia."
Owner - John Hancock
According to the intranet, "John Hancock is a ghoul who resides in the settlement of Goodneighbor, serving as its de facto mayor. Born John McDonough, Hancock is the estranged brother of Diamond City's mayor, Mayor McDonough. The then non-ghoul John cut ties with his brother after the mayor banished all ghouls from Diamond City, resulting in the deaths of numerous innocent ghouls as the inhabitants turned on them. John tried to save as many ghouls as he could by relocating them to the town of Goodneighbor, but many couldn't adjust to Goodneighbor. Their deaths would continue to torment him into the present day. John relocated to Goodneighbor, viewing it as a haven for those who didn't fit in anywhere else. He is exceptionally punitive toward his enemies or those that break Goodneighbor law but can be a good friend and valuable ally to those who treat him with respect, punish the guilty, and protect the innocent.
"He became a ghoul sometime after 2282, following the use of an experimental radioactive drug. In spite of his ghoulification, John Hancock considers the high "so worth it," as well as noting the near-immortality he obtained as a benefit. Before John Hancock became mayor, the town was run by a ruthless mob boss named Vic. After witnessing the death of a fellow drifter by Vic's henchmen, John got high and passed out. When he came to, he found the clothes of the real John Hancock and, inspired by their presence, he took it upon himself to raise a militia and overthrow Vic. From then on, he became John Hancock, the mayor of Goodneighbor."
The Vaunted Third Rail
According to terminals around the Wasteland, "The Third Rail is a jazz club located in a repurposed subway station. Owned by John Hancock, the mayor of Goodneighbor, but is tended by a Mister Handy with a cockney accent named Whitechapel Charlie. Charlie primarily operates the bar and a singer named Magnolia performs frequently in the Third Rail, making it one of the only places in the entire Commonwealth with live entertainment."
The Magnolia draw is a huge moneymaker for Hancock. There are always other rumors surrounding the club, but big spenders across the Commonwealth--and from outside of it--will frequent the club to get a sight of Magnolia.