Mr. Monopoly Launches Brooklyn Edition of Classic Board Game at Junior's

With plenty of cheesecake on hand and Mr. Monopoly there to lend a bit of ceremony, the Brooklyn edition of the classic game Monopoly officially debuted today.

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 told Brownstoner 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 tire while driving the Brooklyn Bridge, or friends are taking you to an outdoor concert “at Bay Ridge.”

On a more commercial note, locales deemed “beloved hospitality properties,” according to the press release, also earned squares. The Box House Hotel, Awoke Vintage and collectibles store The Hot Corner make appearances along with the classic Junior’s.

Brownstones are the only housing type to earn a square — and rent starts at 2 Monopoly dollars and purchase at 50.

[Photos by Susan De Vries unless noted otherwise]

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• Eden in Brooklyn: How the Brooklyn Botanic Garden Grew
• The Inspiring Story of Weeksville, One of America’s First Free Black Communities
• How Prospect Park’s Gardens, Groves and Villas Got Their Names

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