Urban Bliss

Courtesy New York Brownstone by BrickCityDepot

New York, New York- (BTT) When it comes to terraced houses in New York City, brownstone is the style. A nice front facade, a fire escape in the rear, and enough space to raise a family inside. This great MOC has all of that, and more. The glass awning, fully stocked designer kitchen, and prairie style living room all point to the residence of an upper middle class home, and it's obviously worth every cent! 

Afternoon Delight

Courtesy Modular Terrace House by mattiburgess

Wellington Way, Birmingham- (BTT) Often, one's first foray into the greater Lego community online begins with testing the waters with a small MOC or two, and slowly getting larger. However, mattiburgess started out by diving in with this beauty! The exterior features some noteworthy details, such as the windows on the sidewalls, a weather vane, and the cobbled look of the roof, he also built a full back patio and interior! Join me in welcoming mattiburgess to the community, and hoping that all of his future efforts look as good as this!

Mall Rats

Courtesy NK-Store and Tram by Skyrtsson

Stockholm, Sweden- (BTT) The mall is often a staple of a metropolitan city. Not only is it a center for economics, but also for socialising and art. While some malls are cookie-cutter recreations of their international counterparts, some take the extra step to be unique and memorable. This model of the NK-Mall has all sorts of outstanding detail. The great tram out front, the excellent black and gold sign, window displays, the woman running late for the train, and the man who didn't look twice before crossing the street!

Degentrified Delicacy

Courtesy Street by Sabby M

3rd street, USA- (BTT) All over the United States (and in other parts of the world as well), the infrastructure is slowly failing and becoming crippled. Roads are becoming cracked, sewer pipes are leaking, and buildings are failing into disrepair. While this may be a pressing, major societal problem in real life, the Lego form is much more interesting, and creates more of a state of awe on the viewer. These great buildings by Sabby M have all of the signs of disrepair: cracked sidewalks, peeling paint, decrepit fencing, and messy rooves. But, with a tender love and care, these buildings could become something beautiful!

Centrum Excentrum

Courtesy Vasby Centrum by Skrytsson

Stockholm, Sweden- (BTT) If all malls in Sweden look like this, I'm just going to pick up and move tonight. Actually, this is a model of a mall's front, built for a display by AwesomeProject. The building itself is great, but it's only the beginning of the model. The brickwork, wastebasket, signage, curved window, and glass skylight all scream "Mall", while still being interesting and visually appealing. If only their prices were as amazing as this building!

Too Cool for School

Courtesy Pool Party by eilonwy77

Los Angeles, California- (BTT) For kids and teens in a hot weather climate, nothing is more refreshing on a hot summer's day than a swimming pool. Not only is there no salt to get in your eyes, it's private, can be accessed all the time, and you can swim AND snack, all at the same time. With this great pool deck scene, Katie (eilonwy77) has managed to fit in all of the feelings of summer into a beautiful little package. The curved wall, pool raft, multi-level deck, and great trees all come together to make this vibrant scene one of note!

Scaffolds & Shops

Courtesy Amsterdam Gift Shop by Brick City Depot

Amsterdam, The Netherlands- (BTT) In his series of fictional buildings from Amsterdam, Brian (Brick City Depot) has built buildings that seem to outshine the last, no matter how amazing. This latest is no exception! A modular gift shop (Which isn't very common, I may add!), complete with a fully furnished top floor apartment, functional scaffolding, concrete street barriers, and an A.C. unit on top, this would fit well in any town, but it seems that the Dutch will be the ones to get it!

MichLUG/LTC on LEGO Related Sites

Hello!

The Michigan LEGO User's Group/ LEGO Train Club (MichLUG/LTC) has been added to the list of LEGO Related Sites, which can be found on the right hand column. Their based in downstate Michigan, so if you live down there, go check them out!

Chris

Offal-ly Nice

Courtesy Modular Butcher by cimddwc

Meat Packing District - (BTT) Although I'm sure some of our non-meat eating readers will disagree, few things in life are as satisfying as the perfect steak. Proudly supplying the masses with only the choicest cuts of all things that have a face, this butcher shop is just the first stop in this four-story beauty. Upstairs you'll find a new-age healer (at least for a few more minutes - those policemen outside the door certainly don't bode well for the future of that business) as well as a duplex apartment. 

Brownstone Brickwork

Courtesy Modular Brownstone by jchanes927

Nyhavn, Copenhagen, Denmark- (BTT) In the same fabled land that the Lego brick calls home, is a beautiful city called Copenhagen, with a world-famous harbor called Nyhavn. The beautiful, colourful, and aesthetically pleasing buildings line both sides of a large canal, with the oldest dating back to the 16th century. This beautiful building would look at home in Nyhavn, or New York, with its brownstone architecture. The Legoland-style windows are a fresh idea in the land of modular buildings, and give a certiant character to the build.The front walk seems to be welcoming you in, with the frogoyle keeping a watchful eye.

Authentic Impersonation

Courtesy Kelly's Corner by Jotabee

Orlando, Florida- (BTT) Orlando, the home of magic, memories, and... modular buildings? The feeling of many of the authentic themed restaurants covering International Drive is strong  in this MOC, and that's not a bad thing! The generic Irish name, elegant dark green facade, and 50's style of this building fits the theme well, and the roofline details are to die for. Just make sure you don't call the waiters Scottish!

What's Tomato With You

Courtesy Tomato Street No. 1 by spacecolonel

Tomato Street - (BTT) Mother's Day is just around the corner (I'm sure you all remembered on your own), and where better to go to get her a gift than right here - the sign in the front certainly suggests this is the place to go. Appropriately painted in two shades of red with some brilliant tan detailing, what really makes this building iconic is the open-air dome at the top. 

Hobbies and Hospitality

Courtesy Toy Gift and Hotel by Kaleidoscope5500

Playtime Plaza - (BTT) Fronting a lovely public plaza, this little toy shop is hard to miss with its colorful awnings and teddy bear sign - a relic of an era in which children could still be entertained by things that didn't require batteries. Up above is a boutique hotel, each floor decked out in a different primary color so that every guest has a one-of-a-kind experience. 

Gradient Expectations

Courtesy Modular House above a Pub by Dr. Legostar

London, England- (BTT) A great Victorian house, on top of a popular city pub is a great business model, and if the building doesn't draw customers, then the word of mouth should! On the ground floor of this raised building (With a brilliant sewer!), a small pub, complete with pool table, hat racks, booths and a bar, leading up to apartments on the top floor.The sloping steps is a design feature worthy of note, seeing as most Modular buildings are built on a level plain. However, switching things up turned out a beautiful design, and a truly unique building!

International Affairs

Courtesy Consulate #1 by BrickCityDepot

Town Hall Square- (BTT) In an increasingly globalized world, more and more countries are becoming connected in ways that only 20 years ago seemed impossible. All of that connectedness doesn't always mean that everybody gets along, and that's where the consuls step in. Even in a (somewhat) unassuming building, decisions and treaties are being made to keep peace in the world. This great consulate from Brian (BrickCityDepot) gives all of the comforts of home to the foreign consul in Lego city, with a nice office, cafeteria area, and secretary's desk, all inside of the furnished interior. And the parking lot isn't too shabby either!

Buy the Book

Courtesy Book Shop by castor-troy

Author Avenue - (BTT) Let's face the facts - owning a bookstore in this day and age is not the easiest of professions. Between the ever-growing number of e-reader supporters and the never-ending stream of people that just go in to read the magazines and leave without buying anything, it's not exactly the height of job security. Still, since the days of Gutenburg books have held a special place in society, and it's only fitting that they have a place to reside as special as this shop. Inside is as cluttered as any respectable store should be, handsome tomes stacked high yet always within reach.

Swede Shoppe

Courtesy Lego H&M by L. G. Orlando

Miami, Florida- (BTT) Shopping in Lego City has never been so trendy! With the building of a H&M store right around the corner from the Pet Shop and Cafe Corner, the minifigs can be sure to stay in fashion, while funneling their money into the Swedish economy! This great building by L. G. Orlando brings to the table all of the things that a proper clothing store should have: mannequins in the window, a useless second floor, impossibly thin and tan models photographed and put on banners and boards visible from the street, and a happy customer. The crenelation at the top shows that they have some good taste!

3rd Street Style

Courtesy Charles B. Wells house by Pepa Quinn

Geneva, Illinois- (BTT) Not all historical homes can be as famous as Fallingwater, or the Robie house, or even the Villa Savoye. But lack of fame does not mean lack of interest. This beautiful rendition of the Charles B. Wells house, built for a NILTC meeting by Matt de Lanoy (Pepa Quinn) has its share of nice details, like the recessed, angled balcony wall, cast iron window coverings, and stone pathway. The house takes up an entire city block in real life, and the model doesn't disappoint in minifig scale!