It's the only place where ordinary blocks on Burnley Street could trump mega mansions in St Georges Road, and where apartments in a potentially oversupplied CBD market may be more sought after than those in South Yarra.
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The Lord Mayor Robert Doyle and the manufacturer of Monopoly announced the launch of a Melbourne edition on Tuesday.
Melburnians have been invited to suggest iconic streets and landmarks for the board game, but it will be Mr Monopoly who will have the final say as to what properties will make the cut on the 22 squares.
And if house prices are anything to go by, blue-ribbon streets in Toorak and Brighton would take out the top spots.
Christopher Koren of buyers advocacy group Morrell and Koren said St Georges Road would be an obvious choice for the prestigious Mayfair square, while he nominated Seacombe Grove in Brighton for the Park Lane position.
Mr Koren said St Georges Road was not only famous, but also home to some of Melbourne's expensive homes including beverages baron Harry Stamoulis' super mansion that is speculated to cost more than $54 million to complete (including the $24 million he spent to buy the land).
"Seacombe Grove, Brighton, is in their Golden Mile but also provides some rare beachfront in urban Melbourne," he said.
For the green squares, Mr Koren picks Sackville Street in Kew and Harcourt Street in East Hawthorn, which are "full of Victorian mansions, big land and would compete well with the likes of Chelsea, Kensington and Sloane Square in London."
And on the cheaper end of the board, he said streets in Seddon and Yarraville should be considered.
"Suburbs like Seddon have street after street of blissful family houses that were once quite affordable but may now not necessarily be once discovered by the Monopoly board," he said.
Despite rising house prices in Melbourne – 3.4 per cent over the past year according to the Domain Group – the values of properties will remain unchanged from the original London Monopoly board.
There will be no top hat or old boot in this edition. Instead, the public will be able to suggest tokens that reflect the cultural and sporting capital of Australia.
And with Mr Monopoly buzzing from the espresso he had on Lygon Street before the announcement on Tuesday morning, it's likely that a coffee cup could make an appearance.
Cr Doyle named Collins Street as his pick for the prestigious Mayfair position, but he suspected that Toorak, Albert Park, South Yarra and Middle Park could get a run for the most expensive streets.
Sydney, Perth and Adelaide already have their own versions of the game, and based on those boards it appears the positions are likely to be filled with tourism attractions rather than residential streets.
Matt Chan, business development manager for Melbourne Monopoly, hinted the edition would feature landmarks both in the metropolitan area – such as the Victoria Markets and the MCG – and "must sees" like the Great Ocean Road and the Yarra Valley.
"Melbourne Monopoly will be a fantastic tourism product, proudly showcasing the essence of this great city ... everything from the sporting, arts and entertainment venues, your shopping precincts, beaches, attractions, parks and landmarks," he said.
"It will be a fair representation of all that Melbourne has to offer."
Meanwhile, Cr Doyle suggested the Shrine of Remembrance, Royal Exhibition Building, laneways such as Hosier Lane and ACDC Lane and magnificent gardens as potential landmarks to fill the squares.
He proposed Lygon Street, Southbank Boulevard and St Kilda Road for the yellow precincts, Flemington Racecourse for Chance and Salvation Army on Bourke Street for Community Chest.
The public are invited to make suggestions on Monopoly Facebook page or via email, and the edition will be available late October from various retailers across Australia, retailing at $49.99.
