This past Saturday, Oct. 5, a new version of MONOPOLY was unveiled at Queens Center Mall.
Hasbro, a leading toy and game company, partnered with Top Trumps USA, the American division of Winning Moves International, to create MONOPOLY: Queens Edition, a special board game celebrating the borough of Queens. The board features iconic sites, landmarks, and businesses from across the borough.
The official reveal took place at Queens Center Mall, Queens’ premier shopping destination that earned its own spot on the game board. Kelly Cefai, Senior Manager at Queens Center, spoke to QNS about the mall’s impact on the community. “We love bringing the community together and being a place where we can acknowledge, represent, and really celebrate all the different businesses that make Queens what it is. We’ve been here in Queens for 50 years… It’s a true mark of how important we are to the community,” Cefai said.
The event kicked off with an introduction by Tim Barney, Game Manager at Top Trumps USA, who discussed the creation process behind this unique edition of the classic board game.
“Choosing cities to create for isn’t always the easiest job because there are so many wonderful places across the USA, but Queens was an obvious next choice,” Barney announced. “With the help of literally thousands of people, thousands of submissions and nominations from requests from the public, I feel we’ve successfully captured the essence and wonder of the world’s favorite borough, Queens, New York.”
Several notable figures attended the event, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, Assembly Members Catalina Cruz and Steven Raga, and of course, Mr. MONOPOLY himself. BP Richards kicked off his speech by asking the crowd, “Is Queens really ready to get the money?”—a nod to the popular borough slogan, “QGTM (Queens Gets the Money).” Richards continued, “For all the things that are on this board, one of the things we can take pride in is our diversity. There is no county more diverse than Queens County in the United States of America.”
During the event, Tim Barney announced each space on the board, with representatives from each landmark or business taking the stage to showcase a life-sized MONOPOLY square of their location. QNS spoke with the owners of New Park Pizza, a Howard Beach pizzeria featured on the Queens board. “We grew up playing MONOPOLY and never thought we’d be on one of the boards. We’ll definitely be playing a lot more now,” said Janet Sarrica.
After the launch, attendees enjoyed food catered by restaurants such as Applebee’s, Burmese Bites, and New Park Pizza. Magician Gary Ferrar entertained the crowd with a magic show, captivating kids in particular, while a trivia game show awarded winners with gift cards to Queens Center businesses. The event concluded with a performance by the Gatsby Dancers from Scarlett Entertainment.
Over 200 copies of MONOPOLY: Queens Edition were sold during the unveiling, with all available boards selling out. Many Queens residents and mall visitors lined up to purchase this unique version of the classic board game. It was announced that proceeds from board game sales at the event would benefit Commonpoint Queens, a social services organization serving individuals and families from a wide variety of backgrounds.
“I think this only reinforces the work we’ve been trying to do,” said Heather Liverpool, a representative of Commonpoint Queens. “Our roots are in Queens, with over 83 locations throughout the borough. We’re looking forward to continuing to make an impact and serve the Queens community.”
Local newspaper and community resource for all things Queens, QNS.com, also secured its own spot on the board. “To be featured on the board alongside so many iconic locations in Queens is a great honor,” a representative from QNS shared.
For those looking to purchase MONOPOLY: Queens Edition, it will be available at various local retailers throughout Queens, including Queens Center Mall.
