BALTIMORE — They asked for suggestions and Baltimore, you heard them loud and clear.
The Charm City has generated more tips than other larger cities for its upcoming special edition of Monopoly.
So much so that game manager Tim Barney’s been having a hard time keeping up.
“I need every neighborhood to feel like they're represented,”Barney said during a recent recon trip to the city. “I think the greatest compliment we can receive is when somebody picks it up and say that feels like home,” he said.
He’s on a mission to learn the culture, the iconic spots and the local language, like the proper way to pronounce “Baltimore.”
"’Hon', that's another big one,” Barney said.
It was his first visit, and hopefully not his last.
“I love it,” he said overlooking the Inner Harbor from atop Federal Hill park.
Barney is the man behind the board, determining what will make the cut before the game drops this upcoming fall.
Not an easy feat, especially for a unique city like Baltimore.
“I found I could have made an entire edition just about the restaurants,” Barney said.
Should you be able to roll four and land on the bustling Lexington market? Or advance through go to pickup M&T Bank Stadium?
Maybe take a Park Heights strut to Bel Air Road as you collect $200?
Will you see a Natty Boh or Old Bay on the board?
Barney says it’s all still top secret, until the unveiling later this year. But he promises that there have been strong relationships built as a part of the process to ensure what makes this city so special makes the cut.
It’s all coming full circle, as Baltimore has always been a part of the game.
Savvy game players might remember the BNO Railroad has always been featured on the board.
It was the first common carrier railroad and the birthplace of the American railroad, according to BNO Railroad museum executive director Kris Hollen.
Hollen says it should stay on the board.
“Baltimore put Monopoly on the map,” she said. “How could you have another Monopoly game about Baltimore without the BNO railroad? It's one of the most iconic pieces of the Monopoly gameboard."
She hopes to see more of Baltimore’s history represented in the game.
From the tracks that built the city to the historic Camden yards, to the legacy of Edgar Allen Poe and the birthplace of the star-spangled banner.
“I think this is a real opportunity to make every one aware of exactly what role this city has played in American history,” Hollen said.
The company behind the game, Top Trumps, is still accepting submissions but time is running out. It ends the first week of April.
Barney says he's already been filling out the board as the suggestions roll in.
“We're really spoiled for choice,” Barney said.
No matter how the cards play out, these city specific games often become collectors items.
“The original monopoly, people still have the same one they played at their grandmother's house, right? But now that it's Baltimore, now I’m going to think it's even more cherished,” Barney said.
Fitting for a one-of-a-kind city like this one.
What will be featured on the special edition of Monopoly?
After asking Facebook users what locations should be featured, we asked Engine Room to make a list of the responses. Here's what cracked the top 10:
- Washington Monument
- Camden Yards
- Patterson Park
- Ministry of Brewing
- Penn Station
- B&O Railroad Museum
- Jimmy's Seafood
- Shot Tower
- Little Italy
- Fells Point
