Although an American invention, Monopoly is a popular board game the world over. In the United Kingdom there are a number of Monopoly games available, but easily the most popular version is set in the capital: London. The majority of properties represented on the Monopoly board are still in existence today and can be visited by the general public. Visiting all the spaces on the Monopoly board is a relatively common experience that many Londoners turn into an evening out, taking part in what we call a ‘Monopoly Pub Crawl.’ But with or without the drink, a journey across London’s Monopoly Board is an interesting and unique way to visit London. From those who love to travel, to those who love the game, keep up with our trip around the Monopoly Board and experience London in an entirely new way!
Part 8 – Dark Blues
The most expensive properties on the Board, the Dark Blues sit on the western edge of London, representing wealth, status, and notoriety
Top Tourist Tip: On a budget? Visit the memorial to the animals in war, opened in 2004 near the top of Park Lane. Splashing out? Treat yourself to afternoon tea at your choice of the most famous hotels in the world.
Park Lane (£350)
Previously a country lane running through Hyde Park, with fashionable mansions on either side, Park Lane is now a 6 lane thoroughfare which connects Hyde Park Corner and the southwest to Marble Arch and routes going north. Although lined with some of the most exclusive and expensive properties in London during the 18th century, now Park Lane is host to a number of hotels, including the InterContinental (built on the site of HM Elizabeth II’s childhood home), the Dorchester (boasting the deepest bath tubs in London) and the Grosvenor House Hotel (host to the worlds’ oldest charitable ball, The Royal Caledonean Ball). Park Lane has a reputation of being home to some of the most recognisable names in the world such as Benjamin Disraeli, Mohammed Al-Fayed, and Fred Astaire.
Mayfair (£400)
Mayfair is appropriately the most expensive space on the London Monopoly board. Property prices in this district are some of the most expensive, not only in London, but in the entire world. Mayfair gets its’ name from a fair that was previously held in the area during May of every year. Mayfair is home to exclusive shops (Burlington Arcade), luxury hotels (Claridges) , The Royal academy of Arts, and the Handel Museum, as well as the American Embassy. Famous people who have called Mayfair home over the centuries include – but are definitely not limited to!: John Adams (2nd President of the United States), Tallulah Bankhead, Alexander McQueen, P.G. Woodhouse, Cass Elliot (From the Mamas & the Papas), Nancy Mitford, Ian Fleming (James Bond author), Horace Walpole, and Jimi Hendrix. Fans of The Beatles should note that the foursome lived in Mayfair together on Green Street in 1963 and also played their last ever live performance here on the roof of Number 3 Savile Row.
An American simply by accident of birth, Margaret moved to London over 16 years ago and hasn’t looked back since! With a keen interest in History – and a BA degree to match – Margaret prides herself on her knowledge of the amazing city she calls home and she's been guiding here now for nearly a decade. Social history is her real expertise, with sound understanding of the day-to-day lives of Londoners over the past centuries. Read More...
