Park Lane: For the Love of Monopoly

Mar 31
07:41

2011

Adrian Fisher

Adrian Fisher

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So what has Park Lane done to earn pride of place on this great British board game? What makes it more expensive than Oxford Street with all my favourite shops and cafes?

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All monopoly lovers will know that Park Lane is the second most expensive property on the board. If you want to build a hotel on there it costs 1000 in Monopoly money,Park Lane: For the Love of Monopoly Articles and thats quite a lot. So what has Park Lane done to earn pride of place on this great British board game?  What makes it more expensive than Oxford Street with all my favourite shops and cafes?  Firstly Park Lane is in an excellent location. The road runs alongside the beautiful Hyde Park, perfect for romantic summer strolls or embracing a little bit of nature in the midst of a large and busy city. The lane also has a history of housing the famous and successful. Benjamin Disraeli started the trend, living there before he was Prime Minister. Actress and singer Dame Anna Neagle will have certainly brought some glamour to the place.  The Duke of Westminster owns a mansion or two and those of us with good memories will recall it being claimed by squatters, an affair that ended with an eventful stand of with the police dubbed ‘The Night of Mayhem’. The plight of the dear Dukes mansion brings to light the fact that since the lane was widened in the 60s and the noise of traffic became an issue people were less inclined to want to actually live there, but not many would turn their nose up at the chance to enjoy a luxury weekend there.    Many grand mansions such as Dorchester House were demolished and then transformed into hotels. Like the former residents enjoyed the finer things in life so do the guests at the Park Lane hotels. They boast such reputable chains as The Sheraton, Hilton, and Marriott to name a few. Like on the Monopoly board Park Lane hotel prices do not come cheap but the benefits of being in a prime location rich in British history and luxury certainly makes it worth it.