Review: 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores
Posted by MeganL,
Looking at the new Friends sets for 2025, it looks like it's going to be another good year! There's a host of interesting sets, but let's start with the biggest of them all - 42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores. This is ostensibly a follow up to 41732 Downtown Flower and Design Stores from 2023, which at the time was the largest Friends set to date.
Will this be as good a set as 41732? Which new Friends will we see? And will we see the sloths again in 2025? (Spoiler alert: we will.)
Summary
42670 Heartlake City Apartments and Stores, 2,040 pieces.
£149.99 / $169.99 / €169.99 | 7.4p/8.3c/8.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
An(other) excellent Friends set comparable to the modulars
- Stellar parts usage
- First Friends firefighter
- Eye-catching display model
- Plethora of interesting build techniques
- Rooftop doesn't quite align
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the "perfect" box there are 15 numbered bags, one unnumbered bag with one 16x16 plate, two 8x16 plates, and one 6x12 plate, and a paper folder that contains two hefty instruction books and two sticker sheets. I didn't take a picture of the folder; it's a lighter weight brown paper as opposed to the shiny white cardboard I've seen in other sets.
The two sticker sheets were smaller than I expected, especially when some of the stickers are quite large.
As with many Friends sets, there's a map showing where the set is located in Heartlake City. I was surprised to see that the location of this set is not close to 41732, suggesting that these sets are not intended to be all that close together. Due to time constraints I did not build my copy of 41732, though if you're interested to see what they look like together, there is a picture of them together in New Elementary's review. New Elementary has an excellent breakdown of the new pieces and recolours; I'll focus on the set features and build experience in this review.
If there's interest, I can rebuild 41732 and show some different permutations of the buildings.
Minidolls and cats
There are nine minidolls in this set, and only two are the core Friends cast. Zac and Paisley are in this set, seemingly having just launched a lemonade stand. Zac is dressed in a green and red shirt with a puffer vest over top, while Paisley is wearing a tank top over a white t-shirt. I notice her necklace is an eighth note, which is similar (but not the same colour) as the necklace we saw Rose wear in the 2024 Friends Advent Calendar. Paisley's little sister Ella is also here, looking adorable as always with a very cute animal print on her dress. I think her hair may be a new colour! Zac is wearing the new inline skates.
This set includes a Friends first - a firefighter! Fatimah can't be mistaken in her bright orange outfit with fluorescing stripes. She has a white hard hat and matching gloves. We meet Petch again in this set; we originally met him in 42604 Heartlake City Shopping Mall. He is wearing a bright outfit as well, and almost matches Fatimah's uniform! One of the apartments in this set is his. Next there is Gita, the proprietor of the ceramics studio included in the block - at least that's what I'm assuming thanks to the clay splotches on her overalls.
There is some nice back printing on all three minidolls.
Our last group of minidolls is a young family - Anthony, Dione, and little Roy. Anthony certainly can't be missed with his bright green mohawk. He also has a very hipster goatee and wry smile. He's dressed in a sleeveless black tee under a vest with various decorations. Dione stands out as well in a cool yellow dress with decorated bodice and high-waisted belt. Roy has grown a bit since we last saw him - an older baby in a new mold. He's wearing a green hat (to match his dad's hair) and has a pacifier.
Here's a look at the back printing, as well as the new toddler mold.
Anthony also features a tattoo on his upper arm. Ever the doting dad, he comes equipped with a baby bottle.
This definitely seems to be a cat-centric block, as there are three felines included in this set. Pom, Peri, and Pluto are all introduced in this set - apparently they have all adopted Petch.
The completed model
The small build in this set is a mobile lemonade stand! The colours of the stand definitely reflect the colour of the product that they're selling. I like the use of the printed style and leaf to show the lemon on the side.
There's a small space on the other side for a minidoll to stand.
Even though I didn't quite pose the minidoll right, this bike is much better suited to minidolls. This is also another look at the inline skate piece, sported by Zac.
Bakery and park
The set is built in two separate buildings that connect - the smaller one is a bakery with a rooftop garden as well as a small community park.
The community park is quite lovely, including a fountain with three water spouts, two colourful trees, and some sunflowers off to one side. This park is also home to some wildlife - there's a frog, hedgehog, and butterfly all found here.
I also love the detail (provided by a sticker) of some paw prints that have been memorialised when someone walked through wet concrete in front of the bakery.
Speaking of attracting wildlife....a chess table and chairs on the sidewalk have brought some visitors.
(Note: chess-playing sloths not included in this set).
Alas, another creature is found here as well - Pluto the cat has found their way to the top of the tree! Thank goodness there's a firefighter close by with a ladder to help them out.
Next door, on top of the bakery,there's a rooftop garden with a lemon tree and some flowering vines, that have attracted a bee. I suspect I know the source of the lemonade!
The back view shows a small area set to supply the lemonade stand with the refreshment.
Downstairs, the bakery is on the small side, but has several details. A broom is handy for sweeping, and there is a display case and table for showing off the wares. A mobile payment tablet is available on the counter.
The table and display case can be easily removed for play.
Apartments, laundromat, ceramic studio
The second, larger building houses two apartments on the upper levels while the ground level has a laundromat and ceramics studio.
If you're noticing the gap in the rooftop on the apartment on the right, you're not alone. I placed the roof pieces according to the instructions, which shows everything flush in the back, but leaves you with an unsightly gap in the front. What's more, considering the angle, there's a larger gap underneath that right roof. Arranging the roof pieces to minimise the gap in the front doesn't look right in the back, so I stayed with my first set of photos.
Quibbling aside, the apartments are very colourful. I have to admit I was a bit sceptical when I saw the bags with the light nougat/orange/pink pieces all together, but I think the designer has made the combination work.
I also want to call out some really great parts usage for the facades of these buildings. Minifig heads, wheel mudguards, and roller skates are just some of the parts used in inventive ways for this part of the build.
The side view shows a lovely mural (thanks to a sticker) on the side of the building. I don't see any indication whether this is Liann's work or not.
This set has a lot of lovely architectural details; here's a look at the pretty pattern on the roof.
The ground level has some stairs leading to the front door of the apartments, but is dominated by the front door of the laundromat, which is a garage door. This method of entry is not unusual in big city environments, though I usually don't see them in that bright a colour! The more pedestrian front door to the ceramics studio shows the hours of operation.
In the centre there are the mailboxes for the apartments. Icons on the mailboxes show that Anthony, Dione, and Roy are in Apartment 48, and Petch and his three cats (or rather, Petch and the cats who have adopted him), can be found in Apartment 46.
The garage door does indeed roll up, something that works flawlessly. More stickers on the windows validate that yes, this is a place where clothes can be washed.
The rear view of the apartments shows that there is much to be explored in these buildings! Alas, like so many Friends buildings, there are no discernible ways to get from one floor to another. As much as it's easy to make comparisons to the modulars, this is one area where the Friends sets lack. Of course, the modulars have the benefit of a much larger building footprint.
The pink apartments are held on only by some jumper plates, so can be removed for easy access to the laundromat. Two washing machines are in use here, and yes, those are printed pieces for the laundry! The laundry can be spun by turning the yellow crank on the right. This is another mechanism that works quite smoothly, and is a great function to include here. This function also has the benefit of turning the potter's wheel next door.
The other side of the room shows a shelf for laundry supplies (fabric softener, and that laundry jug looks like a container of Tide to me), with some room for an ironing board and iron in the corner. I love the use of the surfboard for an ironing board! But where are the dryers???
A knob at the end of the rod can be pushed to close the garage door.
Next door is a ceramics studio, where a table shows some of the output, and a kiln baking one of the latest creations against a brick wall.
The other side of the room shows the potter's wheel (also turned by the crank), a bowl of water and some other supplies shown in a sticker.
Upstairs is the first level of Petch's apartment. Here, Peri and Pom are busy watching TV, seemingly oblivious to poor Pluto's plight just down the road, and totally ignoring the ball of yarn on the floor. Surprisingly enough, they are not lounging on the rather enormous couch, though a stickered detail on the side shows that one or more of the cats have expressed their appreciation for this particular piece of furniture.
Here's a shot of the TV, which may explain why Peri and Pom are not aware of Pluto's absence, who likely made his exit through the pet door.
Upstairs is Petch's bedroom, and it appears that the cats have the run of the house here as well. There's a cat toy on the bed, and some food and water for the cats is found at the base of the bed.
Unlike 41732, there is a bathroom in this set! This is a pretty spare bathroom, but has all the necessities - a toilet, sink, and a rainfall shower head in the ceiling.
Moving over to Anthony and Dione's apartment, the roof pieces hinge up to allow access to the attic. It looks like there's a guitar player in the house, as a fancy guitar with a book can be found here.
Next level down is the bedroom. There are some sweet photos of Anthony with Dione and Roy on the wall. Roy's crib is also found in this room. A plant featuring heart-shaped leaves provides an additional splash of colour.
The first level of the apartment is an open kitchen, with some utensils attached to the counter (really, is having a cleaver stored there safe with a baby around???). Stickers on the fridge show the signs of a busy family: a calendar on the top and some magnetic letters on the bottom - perfect for Roy.
The fridge is stocked with butter and eggs, and some extra supplies are on a shelf - honey, strawberry jam and maple syrup.
Of course, where there's food, there's always the opportunity for a visitor.
(Note: potential cleaver-wielding sloth not included in this set.)
Overall and alternate views
Whew! Here's a look at the overall build from the front.
And from the back - there's certainly a lot going on both sides.
The buildings themselves are modular, so in case you wanted to swap the placement, it's quite easy to do. All that's needed is some repositioning of some of the leaves on the smaller tree in the park.
Overall thoughts
While I was building this set, I kept thinking that this set was a worthy contender to the modulars, but on second thought, that's not quite fair. The footprints of these sets are quite different (most notably, this set is only 16 studs deep). That lack of depth undoubtedly means that niceties such as interior staircases can't be included.
But when you do look at what's included, there's so much, and the level of detail does indeed make it comparable to the modulars. Not to mention the exterior architectural details, which are amazing, and I think gives this set the edge over 41732. I am still impressed with the use of roller skates! While in the midst of building, it feels like building a modular, albeit on that smaller footprint.
Every section of this set was so fun to build. The park in particular is lovely, and gives a nice tranquil feel (the stranded cat notwithstanding). There are some really fun building techniques included - I purposely haven't mentioned them as I don't want to ruin the surprises.
The selection of minidolls is also impressive - the Friends team continues its commitment to diversity. It's good to see Petch again, and I'm happy to see the first Friends firefighter. This was a great opportunity to populate Heartlake City, and it didn't disappoint.
For those seeking a modular comparable build for a little less money, plus play value and some really fun storylines, this is the set for you. If you happen to read this before going to the LEGO store, it's worth considering adding this to your New Year's purchases.
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31 comments on this article
A very colourful building set that can be upgraded into a modular style city building!
I genuinely thought the pacifier was just weird teeth until I read the text above the picture... D'oh!
Honestly? Friends might be the best Lego theme. Not that it’s my favorite or I own the sets but, it really is some of the most consistently fun, detailed, and pretty looking builds. Only the best is good enough.
We’re so lucky to have Lego Friends.
Very nice. It would fit nicely into a city MOC.
Nice review! It's great to see Anthony and Roy's whole family together, and I love that on the fridge they have a picture of Anthony's pet hedgehog Marshmallow that he adopted in set 42615! Although in light of that, it does surprise me that the hedgehog in this set is running around loose and not safe in their home. Dione's fashion sense is also very different from Anthony's more punk aesthetic, and has me wondering how they met!
Fatimah and Gita are fantastic new characters whose outfits clearly communicate their careers. Firefighting, police, and construction work are obviously a much smaller part of the Friends theme than the City or Town themes, but having mini-dolls with those careers definitely helps create more play scenarios and showcase Heartlake City's diversity.
I love the new cats as well, although it surprises me that Peri lives with Petch, since I had assumed Peri and Amos in 42669 were meant as a reference to the old cliche about pets looking like their owners (as referenced in Disney's 101 Dalmatians, among other works). At first I assumed that Petch was merely "petsitting" for various cat owners around Heartlake, but that doesn't make sense with him having pictures of these three cats on his mailbox and in his bedroom. Perhaps Paisley's grandparents ended up deciding that two pets are too much for them to take care of at their age, and put Peri up for adoption? Or maybe Petch is also related to the two of them?
The buildings in this set are quite lovely and varied in their colors and architecture, although I think the roof of Anthony and Dione's apartment looks nicer when displayed like on the box instead of off-center like you have it here, and even then I wish it were a little more flush with the gable underneath. The mechanical functions for the washing machines, pottery wheel, and laundromat door also feel extremely creative and well-integrated, and make a nice follow-up to the fun mechanical features we've seen in other 12+ and 14+ Friends sets.
I definitely appreciate that the pavement in this set matches that in 41732 and 41742, suggesting that they might all be part of the same neighborhood (though I'm curious if the manual has a map of HLC like many other recent sets, and if so whether it supports or contradicts this suggestion). I wish the placement of the fire hydrant didn't block the sidewalk, though — and on that note, it's also a shame not to include a fire hose for an additional play option in a set that contains both a firefighter and a hydrant!
Overall, the Friends design team is still at the top of their game, and this set doesn't disappoint as a successor to the previous downtown street scene. I hope we see this series continue in future years!
My god! A punk family — how cute!
There should be a Lego Friends set of a highway with spiked steamrollers so I can push the stroller into it.
@Aanchir said:
"
I definitely appreciate that the pavement in this set matches that in 41732 and 41742 , suggesting that they might all be part of the same neighborhood (though I'm curious if the manual has a map of HLC like many other recent sets, and if so whether it supports or contradicts this suggestion)."
The manual does have a map (didn't take a picture and a screenshot in the app isn't available), but it shows the location of this set much further to the south than 41732 , which surprised me (and also justified my decision not to frantically rebuild that set for this review). If memory serves, the manual for 41742 doesn't show a location for that set.
I like the San Francisco style to this set, it's just a shame you need two to make it a modular. Then again I'm running out of space for modulars, having brought some unofficial ones, so perhaps it's just as well.
Can't believe the roof doesn't align. Is this due to design or is this is due to tolerances? If the latter, I wonder if multiple regions have this issue. Seems like such an oversight.
I am absolutely going to pick up this set at some point but I am definitely going to have to modify the misaligned roof.
Megan,
I have no doubt you built this according to the directions, and double/triple checked everything, b/c the roof gap is one of those things you can't unsee, yikes!
I was really stunned to believe Lego made it that way, so I looked at the official images for the set, and in the official images, everything lines up just fine, both in front and back.
For example, in the back, you have the white plate on the left side slightly above the white plate on the right side, so they touch; whereas in the official images, just the very corners of the white plates touch each other, so they line up better, and therefore the front looks better as well.
So that makes me wonder if something is off in your build, or if you have the angle of the two roof parts slightly off.
Whatever the case may be, I always enjoy your reviews, thank you for doing them!
"But where are the dryers???"
Perhaps they are combination washer/dryers which are more popular outside of North America?
@HibiscusDrive said:
"Megan,
I have no doubt you built this according to the directions, and double/triple checked everything, b/c the roof gap is one of those things you can't unsee, yikes!
I was really stunned to believe Lego made it that way, so I looked at the official images for the set, and in the official images, everything lines up just fine, both in front and back.
For example, in the back, you have the white plate on the left side slightly above the white plate on the right side, so they touch; whereas in the official images, just the very corners of the white plates touch each other, so they line up better, and therefore the front looks better as well.
So that makes me wonder if something is off in your build, or if you have the angle of the two roof parts slightly off.
Whatever the case may be, I always enjoy your reviews, thank you for doing them!
"
Thanks! Yes, I tried where the two white plates in the back just touch each other like in the official images, as opposed to being nested like I have it in the pictures. To my mind, it made the gap in the front worse. That's what I meant when I said I decided to stick to my first set of photos. Like @Aanchir says, it looks much better when viewed at a bit of an angle as in the official pictures, as opposed to the straight-on angle that I used. But my angles could be off as well.
The official set photos distributed by Lego even show clearly the roof misalignment.
"The garage door does indeed roll up, something that works flawlessly."
As well it should. After all it has done so ever since that function and these pieces were introduced 44 years ago, back in 1981!
I remember it well because I got the first set they ever came in for Christmas back then, 6382.
Cats watching fish & chips on TV (even with tartare sauce)? It’s almost enough to tempt me to buy it?
I like the touch that the chess sticker shows that someone just got mated. The previous two skate pieces have seen a lot of use as detail pieces, I wonder if the rollerblades will follow suit. Also, Fatimah has me thinking about what a Friends fire truck (and, by extension, a Friends Fire station) would look like.
@AustinPowers said:
""The garage door does indeed roll up, something that works flawlessly."
As well it should. After all it has done so ever since that function and these pieces were introduced 44 years ago, back in 1981!
I remember it well because I got the first set they ever came in for Christmas back then, 6382. "
Whereas my first set with them was 6973. When you opened tho door in that set, the pushed down on a lever that lifted the little scout craft into launching position. I loved that set.
What I have always appreciated about the Friends line is its dollhouse quality, and subsequent attention to detail. I love how this set leans into the urban theme, with laundromats and effienciency apartments.
This set looks like a nice set to modify. I love the ceramic studio and laundry, and the stairway part. The green house is acceptable (but needs some rework) but i do not like the pink house. That misaligned roof is atrocious and it’s too colorful for my liking.
I hope you make a review of the beekeepers house as well.
@TheOtherMike said:
"(...)
@AustinPowers said:
""The garage door does indeed roll up, something that works flawlessly."
As well it should. After all it has done so ever since that function and these pieces were introduced 44 years ago, back in 1981!
I remember it well because I got the first set they ever came in for Christmas back then, 6382. "
Whereas my first set with them was 6973. When you opened tho door in that set, the pushed down on a lever that lifted the little scout craft into launching position. I loved that set. "
I have similar memories of the garage doors to both of you! My first set with such a door was 6384 (I was too young to remember my exact reaction to the door, but it must have been excited) but that action feature in 6973 utterly blew me away as a twelve year old! Genuinely groundbreaking in my experience up to that point.
In other news, I wouldn't mourn the retirement of the sloths; I'm such a grouch that they actually dissuade me from reading reviews of otherwise amazing Friends sets. Sorry.
Speaking of modulars, that same jug of Tide appears in 10251 Brick Bank. It's amazing how sometimes two small Lego pieces can perfectly evoke a real-world object.
Something I forgot to mention earlier. I'm not the only one who thought of Wakanda's Heart-shaped Herb when seeing the plant in the apartment, right?
I'm not as crazy about this one as was for the Furniture and Flower Stores or the Main Street, but this is still an awesome set with some great details. I'll be picking this one up at some point
Ahhhh - so many stickers!
At least Gita's studio is conveniently located next to the laundromat--it looks like she's a regular customer.
I'd like to see this next to a modular. Maybe the bookstore?
@Spike730 said:
"I'd like to see this next to a modular. Maybe the bookstore?"
I can make that happen!
@Cymbeline said:
""But where are the dryers???"
Perhaps they are combination washer/dryers which are more popular outside of North America?"
On the contrary, the stickers suggest the clothes are being dried on clotheslines the old-fashioned way!
I see a few people commenting on the number of stickers, but honestly I think they're used to great effect here. Set-specific details like the fridge magnets, family photos, toy mouse, and scratches on the couch add a level of storytelling and individuality that helps to communicate these aren't just individual and family apartments, but apartments that have been personalized by these particular individuals and families. The clotheslines in the laundromat are even holding Petch's shirt from 42604 and one of Roy's baby onesies!
If printed parts were used instead, the designers would have needed to cut down on a lot of that personalization to keep the number of set-specific elements in check, and most of the decorations that would be kept would likely be ones like the laundromat and pottery studio signs that are needed to communicate from the outside what each building contains, rather than the character-specific interior details that tell the stories of the people living here.
A prints-only approach works in the Modular Buildings, where most characters are "blank-slate" archetypes that are tailored to their surroundings rather than the other way around, but less so here, where the characters are meant to suggest rich and varied personalities, lifestyles, backgrounds, interests, and relationships rather than just "a type of person who might live/work in this building".
@MeganL said:
" @Spike730 said:
"I'd like to see this next to a modular. Maybe the bookstore?"
I can make that happen!"
Great. Thanks in advance!
This looks like an amazing set! As others have said, the Friends line has really surpassed the City lineup in may respects.