The real city
Washington, used honestly.
The novel walks streets that exist. The regime does not. Pick a place.
Carol M. Highsmith / Library of Congress. Public domain.
The city’s spine
Pennsylvania Avenue
Rain, streetcars, people with groceries. Conversations learn to pause when a convoy rolls past: count the trucks, notice the insignia, go back to prices and weather. If a street is named in the book, it existed.