Northwestern University is up for sale.
Before you say you won’t be able to afford it, you should know it’ll only cost $270.
Buy it and you can build yourself a house – or even an inn – anywhere on campus. Collect a hefty fee from anyone who stops by to visit. The options are virtually endless.
It’s all part of a new Evanston-themed board game, Evanstonopoly, which was released last month and has been stocking shelves around the city ever since.
“We sell a few every day, ” said Doris Rudy, a member of the First Night Evanston Board of Directors who is coordinating the Evanstonopoly project. “The response has been excellent. Everyone loves the game.”
Rudy estimates that of the 3,504 copies of the game produced, about 500 have been sold and more than 450 have been given to sponsors so far.
The game, played just like the Parker Brothers original version, consists of many classic Monopoly elements with an Evanstonian flair. The money is imprinted with the Harris Bank lion; the property spaces feature about 45 Evanston businesses, schools and non-profit agencies; and the tokens include a Pace bus, a lighthouse and a recycling bin, instead of the traditional race car, top hat and wheelbarrow.
But the fun won’t stop there.
Rudy said a local coffee shop is interested in hosting Evanstonopoly tournaments. Even individual residents are getting creative.
“Several people are having Evanstonopoly dinner parties and inviting people to come, play, eat and declare a champion at the end of the night,” she said. “It offers a lot of possibilities for making connections.”
Evanston resident Bonny Roth bought a copy of the game to play with her husband and three teenagers.
“It’s a real kick seeing Evanston represented in a game,” she said. “So that puts it a cut above a standard game. Having an Evanston connection is a lot of fun.”
The game sells for $38 at about 13 locations throughout the city, including Beck’s Books, 716 Clark St., and The Copy Room, 815 Dempster St.
Proceeds from the game go to First Night Evanston, Evanston’s annual New Year’s Eve festival. The game was designed with the help of Katy Consultants, Inc., which has designed versions of the game for other cities.
Glenda Matson, owner of Papyrus, 1619 Sherman Ave., said her store has sold about 17 copies since receiving the game.
“We sold quite a few around Christmas time and we’ve actually sold some this week too,” she said. “People come in and they want to see it. Not everybody buys it. It’s just unique to Evanston. People in Evanston love Evanston, so anyone connected with Evanston, I think, would love the game.”
Rudy is talking with Norris University Center, residence halls and Greek houses about putting the game on sale around Northwestern for a day so students can experience it.
“Now that students are back and gearing up for the quarter, we’re expecting things to happen there too,” she said.
Reach Matt Presser at [email protected].
