The capital of Jamaica, Kingston jives to the beat of the infectious reggae music that was born here and has swept through the world. Jamaica itself may have the image of being laid back and rather slow, but cosmopolitan Kingston moves at a fast pace, in keeping with its importance as the dominant force on the island politically, commercially and culturally. Tourists tend not to stay in Kingston as such, generally heading for the northern and western beaches and resorts instead, but the city does have a wide array of historical and cultural attractions, not to mention a very sophisticated and sizzling nightlife. Port Royal was known as the 'wicked city', being the haunt of decadent aristocrats and swashbuckling pirates. There are some neighbourhoods to avoid, like Trenchtown, a slum area alongside a drainage trench where drug-related killings happen regularly.