Mr. Monopoly and the company behind the popular board game, Top Trumps USA, launched a Brooklyn edition of Monopoly on Nov. 9, featuring popular Kings’ County landmarks and famous sites from across the borough.
The Brooklyn-focused edition of the early 20th century board game was unveiled at Junior’s Restaurant & Bakery, one of the borough-specific spots that feature on the board. The traditional Atlantic City squares have been replaced with local parks and landmarks such as Prospect Park, Coney Island, Brooklyn Bridge and McCarren Park.
Mr. Monopoly, who (spoiler alert) was spotted arriving pre-costume, sauntered carefully up to the covered board in full regalia to unveil it along with Dennis Gavaghen from game maker Top Trumps USA. Scattered around the room were giant images of the Brooklyn-specific squares, along with classics like “In Jail” — although nobody was spotted posing with that one.
Cultural institutions highlighted on the board include Weeksville Heritage Center, The Jewish Children’s Museum, Brooklyn Children’s Museum and Brooklyn Botanic Garden.
“There’s great spirit, great fun and it’s about kids,” Devorah Halberstam of the Jewish Children’s Museum said about being included on the board.
Tops Trumps USA, which produces the location-specific boards for Hasbro, also reached out to nonprofits, and the “Chance” and “Community Chest” squares feature Sean Casey Animal Rescue, The Campaign Against Hunger, CAMBA, and The HOPE Program. The “Chance” and “Community Chest” cards themselves have somewhat of a borough twist. A draw of a card could tell you your photo of the Williamsburg Bridge has been used on a postcard, you got a flat.
Dennis Gavaghen, a representative from Top Trumps USA shares that the game makers crowdsourced many of the board’s squares from a suggestion box where borough residents nominated their favorite sites.
“Brooklyn is one of the most exciting cities in the U.S. with many incredible pioneering establishments and cherished locations. We’ve spent months creating a portrayal of this dynamic community that we hope locals and visitors alike will enjoy for years to come,” said Gavaghen. “We’ve incorporated important feedback from locals to truly make this a fun and engaging game for Brooklynites and beyond.”
This new release is a part of a series the company has been creating all across the globe for years, according to Gavaghen. He shares that the production process usually takes several months to ensure proper depiction of the location.
“Production for this started a long time ago back in March. It takes a while to do these city editions projects because of how [long] the art work takes [and] the locations… We need to make sure the game is perfect for the representation of the city,” said Gavaghen.
The game is being sold by local retailers like Weldman, Awoke Vintage and Park Slope Toys for $39.99 as well as being sold online by Top Trumps USA, Amazon and CVS.
