The Joy of Small LEGO buildings... Together!

A mix of unmodified LEGO Creator, Monkie Kid, & City small building sets & side-builds creates a delightfully vibrant & complete city block in a very limited space!
⏩ My LEGO speed builds: / jangbuilds
▶️ Real-time builds: / purebuilds
My preferred online shop is Amazon: amzn.to/2qllzg5
If you use my affiliate links I may get a tiny commission to help keep the channels going!
More places I shop: jangbricks.com/where-i-shop
LEGO news & set research: www.Brickset.com
All comments are moderated to maintain a safe, positive environment. Bad behavior is rejected, abusers are reported & blocked. jangbricks.com/commentpolicy
✔️ TOP VIEWER QUESTIONS answered: jangbricks.com/FAQ
🌐 www.JANGBRiCKS.com
📷 / jangbricks4real
👤 / jangbricks
🐤 / jangbricks
🟠 / jangbricks
All of my verified media accounts: jangbricks.com/verified
(Assume anything else is fake!)
The opinions I express are mine and mine alone and not for sale for any price. Ads, when shown, are selected & placed by KZbin itself.

[@marcusjnorger3089]

It would be cool if lego made a “mini modulars” line of minifig scale buildings that were compatible with each other and ranged from 20$ to 50$.

[@Gigaraptor07]

The toystore and petshop and cafe sets are like mini modulars in the creator line but a bit expensive

[@FreyaTheGreen]

They sort of already have. Check out the corner deli, townhouse toy shop, cafe and bike shop, townhouse pet shop and cafe, park Street townhouse, and toy and grocery store.

[@andyrooster7542]

Like a mini city line?

[@joerud5681]

One of the major advantages of the 3 in 1 Creator theme as a source of “mini modular” buildings is that it enables you to easily build multiple options. For example, the Townhouse Pet Shop & Cafe enables you to build 6 fairly different buildings just following the supplied instructions (with three $80 sets). These buildings have attachments on one or two ends (usually two).This provides lots of options as shown by the two $40 Townhouse Toy Store builds in the video. I have a small 18” by 10” shelf that I’m working on filling with these sets connected in a row. One set is done and the next is coming today. I will probably use one 1x2 block and one 1x2 plate from my supply to make it easier/neater to connect the two main Townhouse Pet Shop & Cafe buildings in a row (rather than on a corner) even though it looks like I could get away with the supplied parts. About $40 a building versus $80 or more in the Creator Expert theme (at list price) seems reasonable to me.

[@bnklibuui7258]

Great idea!

[@fredbjorksten416]

Oh man, I really want lego to start releasing builds like the monkie kid side builds as independant sets now

[@sandiman21]

Some of the Friends line do fit the bill... though they can be a bit much in the color department... But there are great ones, like Emma's Art Studio (#41365) which can blend in nicely with other sets.

[@yairliebert]

Those side build are the most interesting parts of those sets.

[@jdfjdfjdfjdf]

@@sandiman21 Agree about Emma's Art Studio - a fantastic little set that barely requires modification to use alongside regular City sets etc. I bought two on discount and turned them into a mini modular grocery (using the Xtra sticker pack) and apartment using some extra pieces. Got rid of the excess pink such as the awning and doorstep. Haven't worked on the interior yet.

[@ThecrackedBrick93]

Me too

[@luisemoralesfalcon4716]

I contacted LEGO about that same idea and they told me that they will pass the idea to the designers.

[@Halwolf]

This proves how these little sets are just as valid for making a lego city as the big expensive ones

[@Pr0w1er]

Lego should definitely make a series of small buildings, I hope they do

[@CIPRODUCTIONS]

Technically they already have with the creator 3 in 1 sets. I have the first 4 and they all have the 1 stud wide pavement around the edge. Jang has 2 in this model (the corner toy shop and corner deli). Out of the 5 or 6 that have this 1 stud wide pavement there are 2 toyshops so you can definately tell its for a younger audience however they're the sets that got me into buying modular buildings as I've got older

[@kevinm5940]

Like a cheaper (and smaller) alternative to the modular buildings.

[@leg0liver194]

Bike Shop & Cafe (2014) pointed in that direction (interestingly, it took 1000+ pieces). Toy & Grocery Shop (2015) was even closer to this scale, but the style was 'baroque'. Corner Deli (2016), Park Street Townhouse (2017), and then Modular Sweet Surprises (2018) without a proper 2.nd level. Townhouse Pet Shop & Café (2019) boots much too big. Townhouse Toy Store (2020) hits close, but too expensive in Europe. The problem with Creator 3in1 is, that it flutter around and repeats treehouse, toyshop and vacation domicile. The consistent 'series' were the huge Family Houses/Villas over many years and the 'Modular' 3106x approach 2017. The best match of City is 8403 City House (2010).

[@MadMaXXXim]

Isaac Clapham 3-1 creator builds are not that good..

[@parker_smith72]

Maybe it's own theme

[@engilaru]

I wish Lego would just define a standard for these kinda small set/side builds so they all connect seamlessly like the modular buildings.

[@adriansue8955]

Ninjago City These small shops and buildings are part of why I like the look of Ninjago City the city is made up of many little structures packed together.

[@joemann7353]

Same here. I'm thinking of finding the Monkie kid side builds on ebay or bricklink and mocing them into a ninjago city expansion

[@jayko-mayko2285]

I was totally thinking about doing something like this with the side builds from Monkie Kid sets. Also going to convert the Piggy Food Truck into an actual Brick-and-Mortar Building with a Take-Out/Delivery front. So cool Jang!

[@kre8or465]

I would also like to see that, that sounds really cool.

[@xinlu2806]

I think lego makes not enough buildings these days. I would love a series of small shops like the panda shop, maybe in the city line

[@toastedwaffle8622]

So true!

[@Raven-bz8kl]

superdog gaming exactly, i would love a convience store in the monki kid style, or like ninja go style. I would love if they remolded the simpsons store into a different style.

[@MrSmartyPants]

this is the way that im making my lego city :) its a much cheaper alternative and like you said, it does bring the same amount of joy. and you need to respect creator for making these sets similar. as in the pavement is consistent, allowing you to put them together.

[@longobongo4402]

Do you share pictures of it somewhere? I woulf be interested to see more of this 👍

[@craftwithpombear5153]

I love the smaller bits - they fit better in the shelf!

[@YodaPagoda]

I bought a Corner Deli, and ended up buying two more to "complete" the building. This "block" here is fascinating, and lots of little stories to tell in your City!

[@Charlie-ul6eo]

I’ve always wanted a LEGO city but trying to get all the modulars is just really expensive but what you did is great thanks Jang!

[@jasonmcgrody9472]

Look at Creator sets, even the old sets on Bricklink aren't expensive, especially compared to the old Modulars.

[@jamesmcmahon7091]

Ah yes that incredible music

[@Funky_Player2]

A true classic!

[@teakr]

About to comment the same thing

[@audiotron1003]

I love Jang music but he doesn't use it much. Sometimes I watch classic Jang videos to hear it.

[@eveningdreamermusic]

those creator 3in1 sets have been amazing over the past couple years. they don't fit perfectly with the modulars, but they perfectly fit in their own "universe". I have mine on my desk, filling the entire length (almost) and they basically hide cables & provide fun directly on my workspot at home. I love these

[@bobgruner]

I've gotten back into Lego in the past couple of years as an adult and got the Townhouse Toy Store set when it came out and then immediately bought 2 more for the side builds and stuck all 3 together. The amount of detail that Lego packs into these small sets is just charming. The fact that they are relatively inexpensive when compared to sets like the Creator Bookshop is great. And finally, I prefer the small size. I'd be very happy if Lego comes out with standalone sets like the Monkey Kid side builds. It's a little cartoony, but I think the right word is *kawaii*.

[@BamfSniktThwipp]

I love this! There's always so much emphasis on large scale Lego Cities, but not everyone that would want that kind of experience has the space in which to construct one. Good to see a take on the theme at a more accessible smaller scale. My partner has 'issues' with my Lego collection, it's size and where it's displayed/distributed around the house so I've had to come up with some creative and space efficient solutions. Not easy in a 2 bed semi!

[@jasonmcgrody9472]

People often flock to the large Modular and $200+ sets but often they are just large without being a lot cooler. The smaller size means cheaper and more variety. It's why I love so many of the Creator sets. Also, I really want those Monkie kids buildings as stand alone sets.

[@BricknIt]

Yup this is what I’ve started doing for my city! I actually find it more enjoyable aswell!

[@repapeti98]

I really like the individual buildings and the attention to detail and how there are no large flat surfaces on any of them, but put next to each other I realised that my eyes were jumping from place to place and couldn't really focus on one thing. The amount of detail became overwhelming. It might just be the small scale and how everything is in focus, but the whole picture looks a bit chaotic to me. This block perfectly shows how great off a job designers did bringing in the Asian architecture with people living in crammed spaces and trying to utilise as much of it as possible vs the larger and relative simpler mindset of European and American style buildings as space isn't a rel issue there.

[@chadlybrick2461]

I have a whole section in my city devoted to small storefront buildings like this. I sometimes use the small Creator buildings and side builds as inspiration for my unique buildings.

[@toohumble1]

I really like this smaller scale alot. I've had the idea to do this as well. Expert Modulars are great, but take up so much space. Building like this, in my opinion feels more vibrant, very detailed and more to scale with the minifigures. It allows you to create so much more within a city. Thank you for sharing this idea!

[@Pumaman86]

This is the reason I really like the 3 in 1 builds. They're compact but have a lot of build variety for such a small space. And I totally agree with the Monkie Kid side builds, they're wonderful and evoke that 80's/90's cyberpunk anime feel.

[@brainfreeze5597]

Really love how compact and coherent they look. This is what I want lego to do for something like harry potter.

[@maxinefinnfoxen]

Yeah, I don't like how people say "I have a Lego City!" But then you find they just spent $1000 on massive reproduced creator sets. It would be nice to see more people building custom buildings and more attractive layouts like this video.

[@Lordodragonss]

Solbrick is great!

[@brinkortnik5226]

You made me start a sci-fi town like this that I was planning to do in this stile.

[@J_Calvin_Hobbes]

This is what I am doing with creator sets 31105, 31097, 31077, 31050, 31036 & 31026. One end will be partially open, which will be an entrance to the middle that will have an assortment of small carnival games that came with other sets & people packs. It is my version of a shopping area / food court in a huge theme park :) . It sets in the middle of chinese baseplates with printed stream that goes all the way around (almost resembles a moat!), with foot bridge access. It will be adjacent to an amusement park with the big roller coaster, ferris wheel, carousel, fairground mixer and a few small rides.

[@SnoopLazersnake]

Love this stuff!! Would be great if they did a range of mini-modular buildings, similar to the Creator 3-in-1 sets but with closed backs on them. Well, the older Creator sets seemed to close over but not the new ones.

[@filipgaczkowski8288]

Yes! I realy like that someone finaly realised and appreciated the creator "small modulars". I think that this scale is even better than the regular modulars.

[@Kre8ivity]

Totally agree! Also fits in well with Ninjago city/ City gardens and City Docks!

[@williamsmitherman7802]

I started off my custom city on a 48 x48 baseplate with six 3 story buildings that were 16×16. It was tiny but gave me a lot of joy. I've since expanded, but I really enjoy building on the half modular scale.

[@defenderprime8046]

With Lego, anything is possible! And this is a great idea to start off a city block, you can always fill in the gaps at a later date to have a more completed look (like roofs and more walls), and it would certainly be more affordable, thanks for sharing, Jang!

[@agamble07]

This is awesome! Since I’ve started watching your videos I’ve wanted to start a city build, but I have very limited space. This definitely gave me some ideas on what I could do!

[@Mark-gq8ei]

I love that you’ve covered this - I started with the modular creator sets, but got into this scale a few years back and I adore it! The buildings feel like they have way more character, and are just plain fun. They just feel more Lego to me. I really hope Lego considers pursuing a line like this. It’s more affordable and more accessible. With the incoming massive recession, it’ll be easier for people to get into too.

[@cadesurface6555]

Urban planner/architect here. The themes that you are discussing here are really important in real life "big fig" cities too. We're often trying to nudge cities to prioritize small scale, mixed use neighborhood exactly like the one you are modeling here....for similar reasons to what you are describing. They are often more affordable and result in vibrant, more livable communities.

[@CaseyReads]

I just refound my love for legos as an adult and I discovered the creator 3 in 1 sets this week, and I wish I had learned about them sooner! I don't have the space or money to start a city with the bigger modular building sets, but these are the perfect size and price point. I see I missed out on a few that would have been cool to have, but I picked up the noodle shop last night and I'm hoping lego keeps releasing more!

[@MrAssChapman]

I really love this. The modular buildings are amazing for their facades, but the insides always have empty space and a lot of the interesting architectural details wind up being repetitive. This totally solves both issues and its a joy to look at every tiny little detail. Plus its so much cheaper!

[@evanbeard9136]

I’ll admit, I really wasn’t interested in these smaller scale city sets until I saw this. I have a small collection of the Expert modulars, and those are some of my favorite sets ever, but something about seeing a city block at this scale really appeals to me. There’s still so much detail and color variety, even with the significantly smaller piece count per building. I love this!

[@Nina-gf1fv]

the joy indeed! this is such a joyous and colorful collection of lego buildings - they're my favorite kind of lego sets. I wish they would focus more on them as well, and on general 'city living' buildings, like bakeries or supermarkets, which you mostly need to turn towards friends lego for.

[@alexistimberson1513]

I’m totally blown away by how beautiful smaller scale buildings look when put together. This shows us that bigger isn’t always better. It’s just an illusion that Lego is tricking us to spend more money on bigger and more expensive sets. Plus smaller sets take up less space, bravo!

[@charles24852]

i like this idea its a great concept for a cyberpunk city design instead of removing old buildings you just build on top of them. different eras of architecture all thrown together into a maze of buildings and rooms.

[@thomasperrett9576]

Those Creator 3 in 1 modular style builds that you included gave me this exact idea! The Monkie kid sets also caught my eye purely for the side builds, that style is less European and I had the thought that they'd go well in a mini city block like this. You literally read my mind and showed me what it would look like! More videos like this would be great, keep up the great content, I'm getting inspired!

[@RachelOosterwijk]

That is the way I build my city! I came out of my dark age with ninjago city as it showed me a way to build with small builds an awesome quirky and lively city. And as i have very limited space and no roads, the city mini builds always annoy me as i want the museum, and the donut shop, and the skate store... but none of the vehicles... :-D i always like your reviews but this one touched me as it showed the same enthusiasm i have when in the grips of building inspiration!!!

[@Alex-eb6je]

You know you're a LEGO collector when you call that small.

[@danstan8346]

Agree, this is awesome Jang

[@f00lish_commentator8]

There is just something so satisfying about collecting small builds and lining them all up on a baseplate and just standing back

[@nathanzimbelman6397]

I did something similar to this, I did these official builds around the outside but I built up a building of my own on the inside sticking out, I think it looks much better

[@michaelcasserly5861]

This is great, I love this idea. Very cool. Thank you JANG for sharing. I appreciate your creative thinking.

[@marcusjnorger3089]

Michael Casserly yup.

[@QuincySeagull]

I do a mixture of both actually, which is really fun and adds a nice variety-I have a whole block of modular buildings and as it gets closer to my area with taller buildings that I want to be seen (amusement park attractions) I start to use these smaller buildings. I’ve even made my own to go along with them!

[@bertbergers9171]

love it! Nice idea Jang, thank you.

[@legionnaire5966]

Absolutely love this display, thanks for sharing!

[@knockeroo]

What a joy to watch your videos, especially the ones where you get so excited or inspired. 😊

[@VampguyN85]

I would love more of these videos. I so missed how awesome Monkie Kid is for modular until recently. And Njnjago too. They have amazing city potential.

[@ericbell7]

Yes, the joy of building! A new Bob Bricks series. Oh and here is another happy little minifig. Cheers!

[@scottshafer1285]

110% agree I love connecting and doing slight mods to make sets work on smaller scale

[@colin1487]

Love your enthusiasm.

[@robertriemer2212]

Nice!

[@gabrielh7718]

Love this Jang! What a great and easy to make idea!

[@SueBobChicVid]

Your enthusiasm is most inspirational.

[@peterdevine4505]

Thanks for this fantastic video Jang. I really love small scale models and even micro scale builds. I would love LEGO to release more of these style sets 😍

[@jamesadowney]

Great video! Totally agree. This is much more manageable and encourages more involved larger projects to the budget/space minded.

[@user-cl8nr9jo1j]

Beautiful

[@jonathanmarquez7717]

My son and I love our small city build. It’s a great way to build a playful environment.

[@johnravengaurinopederiane295]

Please do more of this, it’s fun to watch this kind of videos.

[@Unbrickme]

The modular builds are the best! they are so unique and special!

[@thundamunkeyboy2760]

I love this, much more realistic size to have in a smaller space or a busy home!

[@mverst433]

I've seen almost all your video's; this one is very special, very inspiring indeed. Thank you for the eye opening.

[@Kickrocksproductions]

Thank you!, I started with the smaller 3 and 1's and jumped to the larger builds... this open up the creativity on a reasonable budget :)

[@dazblue5515]

They go together really well

[@burninghammer83]

Loved this.

[@jdsing4203]

Love this!!

[@michaelfinny4479]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing.

[@Notveryimpressed]

This is excellent. Nice work.

[@Jusilau]

I love this!

[@slippingbugs]

This is really nice looking! Great job

[@chilis_no]

AMAZING! Thank you!

[@uroojchaudhry6966]

Love it !!!! Awesome

[@jason.martin]

This looks super amazing ! well done

[@tylersmith187]

I LOVE HEARING THIS MUSIC!!! Please use this music track more often. It just reminds me of some of your older videos when I first started watching and it has a nice nostalgia feel to it whenever I hear it.

[@TheSweatyYeti]

Looks great Jang

[@jurassirex326]

JANG, it's so cool to see you discover this. Not having the space or money for modulars, I've spent the last five years building a small city with this exact philosophy.

[@hazeldavis3176]

This is what my town setup is made from. Mostly from the Friends line and I tone some colors down, remove some altogether lol. I also use the beach/surfer 3 in 1s to make the beach area.

[@tmengle141]

Great video Jang. I would love more content like this. I like your custom work as well.

[@rocketpunchgo1]

Built the Monkie mech yesterday... love the entire set... and now I literally just purchased the Red SOn truck online just for the awesome Panda Shop! Thanks for making me spend more money Jang lol

[@jasondoyle2192]

Really love it, would love sets like this

[@WYATTCORPSE]

had been imaging this! thank you!

[@WengineerKimProductions]

This looks so good!

[@angry4rtichoke646]

Thank you for sharing this! My brother and I are planning our Lego city, and have been trying to stick to small modular buildings (budget). It’s great you shared this, thanks!

[@Sampre22]

I was really hoping you'd make a video doing exactly this! Thank you so much!

[@chansreviews]

I really like the Monkey Kid style side builds, it reminds me Ninjago style, lots of mixed textures/signs/etc. like a real old downtown block!

[@GreatGatzB]

This is so cool! As soon as I saw the MK side builds I wanted to add them to Ninjago City, but now I see how cool the 3-in-1’s fit in!Jang, THANK you, you’ve opened my eyes!

[@morlais3786]

very inspiring, love it!

[@kayman1615]

I love this scale and it brings vibrancy to the block with so much going on. Some non Lego brands already do these but I would much prefer official Lego sets to go down this route.

[@stefansauvageonwhat-a-twis1369]

Thats why the ninjago city sets are great, they are collections of small buildings

[@0liver-388]

They look so cool

[@La_La_La3]

This is really cute!!!

[@henryblack1925]

Love that you put the monkie kid sets together! I would love to see a video putting every Monkie Kid set next to each other to compare!

[@SuperduperBradley]

Jang, this is great! I've never seen someone put these together, and I love your idea about something like this being expanded into a theme. It could really help a city feel fleshed out on a budget!

[@ewanbt4168]

I'm so glad you brought the old music back 😊😊

[@EvilLobsterKing]

I’d love to see some tightly packed smaller builds in New Jang City. The excitement you display just talking about it has got me hyped to see what (if anything) you come up with

[@MustafaRyan]

Really enjoyed the video Jang!