Vote now or J'lem won't 'pass Go'

City of Gold only in 27th place in on-line Monopoly race.

By ETGAR LEFKOVITS
monopoly 224.88 (photo credit: Courtesy)
monopoly 224.88
(photo credit: Courtesy)
The bitterly coveted Holy City of Jerusalem has known its share of wars and battles as it passed from one conqueror to another. But now, a different sort of feud is heating up involving scores of cities around the world. Jerusalem is facing off against 67 other cities in what is being dubbed the clash of the 21st century. And, as befits the modern age, the battle is being fought on the Internet. The makers of Monopoly are inviting fans worldwide to vote in an on-line contest that will determine which 22 cities will be etched in the collective memory for a new global edition of the 75-year-old board game. The contest, which got under way this week and will continue through February 28, will allow Monopoly fans the world over to cast their ballots for the 10 best cities out of a pre-selected list of 68, including Jerusalem. The 20 cities with the highest number of votes will make it onto the new global Monopoly board. Two other cities, not on the ballot list, will be selected by a separate write-in vote. The non-scientific poll to determine which cities pass go and collect global acclaim allows fans to vote every day of the monthlong contest at www.monopoly.com. The Talmud says that of the 10 measures of beauty descended upon the world, nine are found in Jerusalem. But as of Thursday, Paris, London and New York were in the top three spots. Jerusalem was listed at 27, just behind Los Angeles (one of six US cities in the listing) and lagging behind another Middle East city, Cairo, at 17. The top vote-winner will be awarded the exclusive Boardwalk position, while No. 2 will get Park Place in the new game, which will come out in August. "Monopoly is the world's most popular board game and it transcends cultural barriers," said Helen Martin, global brand leader for the Monopoly brand. More than 750 million people have played the game since it was first introduced nearly 75 years ago. It is now sold in more than 100 countries around the world, in 37 language versions.