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Street Smarts

OPHIRA EISENBERG, HOST:

Let's get things started with our first two fabulous contestants: Rich Armstrong and Joe Di Dio.

(APPLAUSE)

JOE DI DIO: Hi.

EISENBERG: Rich, Joe, welcome.

DIO: Thank you.

EISENBERG: Joe, what is your favorite city, outside of New York City?

DIO: It's probably San Francisco, I think.

EISENBERG: Yeah, like the hills?

DIO: Sure, got a little bit of everything. It's sort of like New York, but with a little better weather sometimes.

EISENBERG: How about you, Rich?

RICH ARMSTRONG: I got to say Rome.

EISENBERG: Rome.

ARMSTRONG: Yeah.

EISENBERG: Well, that's very - look at you.

JONATHAN COULTON: Mr. Fancy.

ARMSTRONG: That's how I roll.

EISENBERG: That's how you roam.

ARMSTRONG: That's how I roam.

EISENBERG: Oh, yeah, okay, very good. Well, Jonathan and I have jobs that send us on the road a lot, so we've seen a lot of different cities. And playing on that knowledge, we have this game called Street Smarts. And this is how we play it: we're going to lead you down an imaginary tour of famous avenues and boulevards around the world and you have to give us the name of the street we're on.

Okay, and the winner of this round moves on to our Ask Me One More final round at the end of the show. And we're walking, we're walking. Known as a location for parades and protest marches, this famed street was laid out by the architect Pierre L'Enfant. Just behind us, we see the US capital, and in a few blocks, we'll be arriving at the White House.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

EISENBERG: Joe?

DIO: Pennsylvania Avenue.

EISENBERG: That is correct.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: So if you look here, you'll see number three on this famous street is a nine-bedroom Georgian townhouse, built in the 1830s, acquired by the Gramophone Company in 1931 and later converted into a recording studio. Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode and Radiohead have all recorded here.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Rich?

ARMSTRONG: Abbey Road.

COULTON: That is right.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Okay, let's keep up now. We've crossed Wilshire Boulevard, and between here and Santa Monica Boulevard is a three-block commercial stretch, legendary for its super high-end boutiques. There is something for everyone in this part of Beverly Hills, whether you came to shop or gawk at celebrities.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

EISENBERG: Rich?

ARMSTRONG: The Sunset Strip.

EISENBERG: I'm sorry, that is incorrect.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

EISENBERG: Joe for the steal.

DIO: Rodeo Drive.

EISENBERG: Rodeo Drive is correct.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: Okay, let's try to keep this group together. We have some stragglers. On the left here is Galatoire's, one of the many notable spots on a street famous for restaurants, bars and clubs. And yes, that includes strip clubs. But despite our famously lax open container laws here, this street is not named for a type of alcohol but for a former ruling family of France.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Rich?

ARMSTRONG: What is Bourbon Street?

COULTON: Yes.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: There's a wealth of sites in the old city of Jerusalem. One of the most popular with Christian pilgrims is this winding route we're walking on now, beginning where the Antonio Fortress once stood and heading west to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. It's said to be a path in which Jesus carried his cross to his crucifixion, which explains its Latin name, which translates into "way of suffering" or "way of grief."

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

EISENBERG: Rich?

ARMSTRONG: Via Dolorosa.

EISENBERG: Indeed it is, well done.

(APPLAUSE)

COULTON: Not far from where we're standing now are buildings that the Grateful Dead and Janis Joplin once called home. This was the epicenter of 1960s hippie culture, and you can still see it's tie-dyed legacy all around us. Yucko.

(LAUGHTER)

COULTON: We are two blocks in from the Golden Gate Park, at the intersection of the two streets that give this neighborhood its name. Both streets please.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

COULTON: Joe?

DIO: Haight and Ashbury.

COULTON: That's right.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: And we're walking, we're walking. With its picturesque horse chestnut trees and blocks of cafes and luxury shops, you're now in one of the most expensive stretches of pavement in the world. But the real draw is the monuments, from the Obelisk of Luxor at the Place de la Concorde, to the Arc de Triomphe.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

EISENBERG: Joe?

DIO: Champs-Elysees.

EISENBERG: Champs-Elysees is correct. Well done.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: And Joe, you are the winner of this round. It was a tight match. Well done, Rich. Thank you so much.

(APPLAUSE)

EISENBERG: Joe, you'll be moving on to our final showdown at the end of our show. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.

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