Friday Flashback #187

COVID-19 has given many of us time to clean attics, basements, garages — all those places we haven’t organized in years.

Alert “06880” reader and native Westporter Nikki Zeoli did just that in her parents’ basement. She found this “Townopoloy Game”:

“I imagine it was from some fundraiser years ago,” she says.

“It denotes some cool old Westport establishments, like the Remarkable Book Shop, Quigley Electric, Bambi Lynn’s Dance Academy, Soup’s On, Silver’s, Daybreak Nurseries and CameraArts. Do you know anything more?”

I don’t. I’m guessing it’s from the late 1970s or early ’80s — my reference is point is Masters Sports Cafe, which occupied a cavernous space near the present Michaels Arts & Crafts around that time.

If anyone remembers this game — or any of its now-gone businesses — click “Comments” below.

21 responses to “Friday Flashback #187

  1. Isabelle Breen

    I remember MAster’s Sports Cafe!! They had the best Super Nachos. They closed shortly after I moved here in 1990. I miss Silver’s 🙁

    • Fred Cantor

      Well then I suppose the time frame is probably between 1987 and the early 1990s. In 1987 WMMM was sold by its longtime owner and the new owner at some point transitioned the call letters to WCFS—which is pictured on the board (with its “Solid Gold” tagline)—along with WMMM.

    • Brad French

      Masters Sports CafĂ©. Bob Christianson, Rich McMasters and my ex-wife Mary. Late 80’s – early 90’s.

  2. John L Krause

    You gave away a copy of this 2 years ago
    https://06880danwoog.com/2018/01/14/photo-challenge-159/

  3. higher resolution picture would be appreciated!

  4. Sandra Calise Cenatiempo

    Wow!! That’s awesome!!!! Love it !!!

  5. Mickey Herbst

    My guess is this was from around 1990. It was certainly before 1996, because that year my printing business, Quick Copy moved to The Mill on Richmondville Ave. Great trip down Memory Lane which is the most valuable property of all. Kind of ironic that ?Chance was sponsored by the Westport Smoke Shop. Loved those gals, Terry and Bev.

  6. It’s much more recent – late 90s/early 2000s. “Tacos or What” the pothead-staffed predecessor to Sierra Grill” is one of the advertisers on the board.

  7. Fred Cantor

    One more possible indicator of the timeline here: aren’t those condos the ones that were built where the Mobil station was on Main Street? If so, I just checked and those were in the process of being put up in 1987.

    So, since the new Main Street complex is being advertised here, perhaps that pinpoints this game as being created in 1987-88.

  8. There was Greenberg’s Dry Goods, Klein’s, Westport Food, Trudy Gary’s, Muriel’s Diner, etc. ,etc.

  9. Trish Leavitt

    Found this:
    https://www.nytimes.com/1989/09/24/nyregion/new-game-puts-towns-on-the-board.html

    Silver of Westport used to be my go to store for gifts.

    • Fred Cantor

      Good find! Also, the legal/licensing issue here is an interesting one. I wonder how that was resolved.

  10. Brad French

    Westport Glass…Tony Grimaldi…best guy ever!
    Daybreak Nurseries… Dave Harding…grandson of Evan
    Steve’s Auto Body… Terry! and Ricky Robling

  11. Bob Weingarten

    In 2011 there was a similar Westport monopoly board game exhibited at the WHS exhibit of “Putting Westport on the Map.” The game was donated by Jay Sherwood for the exhibit. Some of you may remember it. It was exhibited in the Molly Donovan Gallery. Sherwood mentioned that he purchased it at Klein’s. The game is currently at the archives of the WHS.

  12. I recall stopping by the Downtown Video on Parker-Harding one Saturday night and Alan Arkin was doing some shopping. The place was tiny with low ceilings and I could hear the 16 or 17 year old kid at the counter say to him as he checked out some movies: “You look familiar?”. Arkin responded in a droll fashion that could have been from one of his movie characters: “Yeah, I get around.”

    When I checked out I told the kid who his previous customer was. He quickly did a search in his database (likely before IMDB) and was awed at the list of movies Arkin had appeared in. I am sure it made his day.

  13. Lane Bolton

    What a treasure, and what fun to recognize all the stores and restaurants! Takes me back to gentler times. Thanks for sharing it.

  14. Carol Davis

    I was a student at Bambi Linn’s adult exercise classes on South Compo in the 60’s and 70’s. it was also called Joe’s Body Shop as her husband Joseph deJesus taught us, too. We moved here in 1965.

  15. Cliff Bravin

    Achorn’s was my dad’s store. Interesting seeing it here.

  16. Connie Holberg

    If you read the NYT article you will note this was created by Staples 1971 graduate Matt Senie