Sep 24, 2013

What The Monopoly Properties Look Like In Real Life

What The Monopoly Properties Look Like In Real Life

Whenever I played Monopoly as a kid, I used to love imagining what the game’s city would look like in real life. I remember thinking of Mediterranean and Baltic as being these short, run-down alleys ala West Side Story, while Pennsylvania Ave and the other greens as Fifth Avenue-style apartment buildings.
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What I didn’t know back then was that the properties in Monopoly were in fact named after the streets of Atlantic City. Monopoly itself has a long and complicated history, but the addition of Atlantic City-based street names can be traced to one Ruth Hoskins. Hoskins had learned a version of the game in Indianapolis, and upon moving to Atlantic City in 1929, made her own copy from scratch naming properties after streets where her friends lived.
This past weekend, I was driving through south Jersey, and decided to make a quick detour through Atlantic City to see what the Monopoly board looks like in real life. Everyone have their tokens picked out?
01 - Mediterranean Ave
Mediterranean Ave: Running northeast through the city, Mediterranean Ave mostly consists of low-rise residential properties. On Hoskins’s original board, this was named Arctic Avenue; it was later changed to Mediterranean by Charles Darrow (once popularly considered to be Monopoly’s sole creator) because he liked the warmer feel of the name.
02 - Baltic Ave
Baltic Ave: Who would expect to find a J. Crew on the corner of Baltic Ave?? Thought it might be second cheapest property on the board, Baltic today actually has a thriving strip of retail stores right as you enter the city.
03 - Oriental Ave
Oriental Ave: Running a scant 10 blocks in the southeastern-most corner of Atlantic City, the selling point is probably the Revel casino at the south end, but I personally like this strip of row beach houses. The one on the end even has an over-sized Monopoly deed card hanging above the porch!
04 - Vermont Ave
Photo by Flickr user J. Stephen Conn – Click here for the original!
Vermont Ave: The centerpiece of Vermont is the Absecon Light, the tallest lighthouse in New Jersey at 171 feet. Built in 1854, it was officially deactivated in 1933 but still lights up every night. You can now tour a recreation of the keeper’s house, as well as climb to the top of the lighthouse (only 228 steps!).
05 - Connecticut Ave
Connecticut Ave: The most expensive of the light-blue properties runs straight to the boardwalk and nets you the new Revel Casino, which opened in 2012.
06 - St. Charles Place
St. Charles Place: St. Charles Place is gone forever, built over by the Mardis Gras-themed Showboat Casino in 1987.
07 - States Ave
States Ave: Just a single block of States Ave remains today, running along the west side of the Showboat Casino.
08 - Virginia Ave
Virginia Ave: Lined by mostly new residential developments, Virginia Ave ends directly at the Trump Taj Mahal.
09b - St James Place
St. James Place: St. James Place runs for just a few short blocks, but has some really classic buildings along it that feel like Atlantic City of old. Fun fact: St. James Place is considered one of the most valuable properties in Monopoly (the oranges are the most landed-on group in the game).
10 - Tennessee Ave
Tennessee Ave: Tennessee Ave runs pretty much the whole length of Atlantic City. Property owners can count a Super 8 and the NJ Casino Control Commission among their possessions!
11 - New York Ave0
New York Ave: The plethora of vacant lots waiting for development is pretty depressing, especially when you consider that a lot of original buildings were probably torn down to make way.
12 - Kentucky Ave
Kentucky Ave: Lots of parking here for the historic Madison Hotel, which dates to 1929. Closed since 2006 (yes, I would love to explore those empty halls), it was purchased in 2013 for $4 million with plans to reopen.
13a - Indiana Ave
Indiana Ave: Indiana Ave nets you the backside of Bally’s.
14-Illinois Ave
Photo by Flickr user Paul Lowry – Click for the original!
Illinois Avenue: Illinois Ave still exists but was renamed Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd in the 1980s. The deed holder of Illinois can count one of the most beautiful buildings in Atlantic City among his properties: the Carnegie Library. Founded in 1903, it was used as a public library until 1984, when the library moved to a larger space. The building was abandoned in 1994 and remained that way for seven years. It was finally renovated in 2001 and is now used by Stockton College as a library center.
15 - Atlantic Ave
Atlantic Ave: As far as I can tell, Atlantic Ave is the longest street on the island, running over 8 miles from Atlantic City to Longport. It’s also one of the most commercial heavy, quite a steal for only $260!
16 - Ventnor Ave
Ventnor Ave: And now for something completely different…Ventnor Ave runs east-west into Ventnor City, the next town southwest of AC. It’s mostly residential, and gets nicer as you head west.
17 - Marvin Gardens
Marvin Gardens: Marvin Gardens holds a few unique distinctions. First, it’s the only property not located in Atlantic City (it’s actually in Margate City). Two, it’s misspelled (the real Marven Gardens was a combination of the names Ventnor and Margate). Third, it’s easily the most beautiful property on the Monopoly board. A housing community founded in the 1920s and 1930s, the homes and gardens have been immaculately maintained and are literally picture perfect. Seriously, next time you’re in Atlantic City, make it a point to drive a few miles down the road to check out this dead ringer for the town in the Truman Show. Wow.
copied from ScoutingNY.com..........
hey, is this the cutest and most interesting blog post you have ever read  in your life or what.........
here is a link to the page and the rest of the post--nice comments, too:

Sep 22, 2013

Fareed Zakaria: Telling us the Story of the People of The World

This is a man that thinks out of the box--out of the Amrican box, that is.

What makes him tick.

Where is he from and what is his education and background.

He seems so smart but what powers his international mind set?

Why does he care?

Did his parents encourage this kind of thinking?

He is quite unusual from the typical home-grown American.....or is he the norm.....how does he see himself.


Sep 21, 2013

Jeremy Irons: Explains Shakespeare To Me.......

The gloriously lovely Jeremy Irons...........

PBS last night:  Richard II, Jeremy Irons does a good job of explaining Shakespeare to the viewer.....me.

Last night Henry Bolingbroke's "friends" murdered the very lovely King Richard II for him, can you believe it?  But, in the long run, it turned into a big mess because King Henry IV ended up feeling sad and guilty his whole life.

Next week we get to see my favorite actor in the whole world, Jeremy Irons, play Henry Bolingbroke, who is now the King, Henry IV.  The cool thing is that Jeremy and the other actors take time to explain the whole thing to us, the viewers.  Right, it's hard to understand, but this Richard II guy was so amazing I couldn't stop watching him.

Dear Henry Bolingbroke......Just wanted to say I enjoyed your show last night on PBS.......I said I will never be able to stay up that late and watch the whole thing, but as you suggested, when Shakespeare is done really well one is so entranced....well, I couldn't stop watching it.  Thank you for explaining the story to me.

You see, I always want to like Shakespeare but, in all honesty, I just do not understand a lot of it.  When the actor keeps explaining it and talking about it, the importance of the story in history and what they are trying to tell the viewer.....well, this is very good.

Good job, Jeremy, for taking time to tell me about the kings and good job to that lovely man that played Richard II.  He is lovely and I could not stop thinking about his performance--totally entranced and thinking about it all night.  Can't wait to see you in Henry next week.     chloe louise and ronnie.....san diego

to Jeremy on his facebook page.......I hope it's the right one.

and a cute picture of "Mr. Hot."

Jeremy Irons