LEGO Modular Buildings 11371 Shopping Street announced!

I really like the look of it. Although the brackets used to add the parts filling up the gaps due to the angled walls does make the walls look a little messy in some of the photos.

Would likely only buy it ASAP to get the GWP, but I'll be weighing whether it'll be more worth it to catch this set on a discount in a year or so, and buy the GWP with those savings

Has grown on me as I have scrolled through the pictures.

@Belboz

DIMENSIONS – When built, this 3,456-piece LEGO® Icons Shopping Street model measures over 36 cm (14 in.) high, 25 cm (10 in.) wide and 25 cm (10 in.) deep

@lusci said:
" @Belboz

DIMENSIONS – When built, this 3,456-piece LEGO® Icons Shopping Street model measures over 36 cm (14 in.) high, 25 cm (10 in.) wide and 25 cm (10 in.) deep"

Thanks but I cannot rely on LEGO dimensions. Their past modular descriptions have often been way off.

Hmmm. I like the quirky shape, but the rooms seem small and crowded and what the heck is with an alley that leads to nowhere, that isn't for deliveries or trash pick up or really anything?

Will still get it. And one doesn't need to put all the silly hat on the parade car occupant, so another car for the town will be nice.

I like it. I'll definitely pick it up. They usually get to 25% off so I'll wait for that.

I think it is a stunner, really cool GWP as well but since I don't buy from the official store anymore I'll wait for secondhand-market/Amazon availability

Not too excited by this (despite the modulars really kickstarting my LEGO obsession), but will wait for more in depth reviews for full judgement. As other have already said though, it looks like a Rebrickable moc of a Creator 3-in-1 set, just a bit messy and cramped overall.

I like that they're getting creative with the shapes. I enjoyed that in the build of the Boutique Hotel. At first blush I don't the colour scheme is sufficiently cohesive, but I might come around on it in time. The triangular shapes of the buildings also reduces usable floor space but at the same time increases the price (greater surface area=greater volume of bricks), but I suppose that's what you sacrifice for more interesting designs.

I like it, but not as much as previous entries in this product line. My favorite from the last 4-5 years has been the museum.

Not the worst modular building ever, but not particularly exciting either (except for the angles). And it doesn't look like 3456 parts...

Why another music store? Assembly Square had one! Sure this one is a whole lot better, but the point still stands. Also, I'm not a fan of how that back area looks. You should not be able to see the baseplate, but because of the use of the rounded macaroni tiles, you can. That furniture store is also way too small. You had a massive opportunity to do all sorts of unique side builds for furniture! I don't understand the point of having a small pond between the two buildings either....

Despite it's flaws, I'll most likely pick this one up as I do like it's looks, but at $250 for a single baseplate modular, it might be the last one I do- especially if the trend of revisiting businesses already done becomes a theme. Likely will be modding this one quite a bit.

@Sutures said:
" @MeganL said:
"As a former marching band geek, I could not love this any more! It also reminds me of Assembly Square.

I thought I was going to wait to get this, but that GWP is very fun."

A Marching Band People Pack would be a fun addition to 2026... the last people pack was what?... 2019?"

As a Band Director I am required to get this set. A Marching Band people pack would be a lot better than the large pick-a-brick order I'm going to have to do in 3 months. Now that Lego has two sets with trombones, they should have just done a new trombone mold. There is one error in the pictures. You would never march with a concert tuba, only the sousaphone. Great set overall!

I am not a huge Modular Building person, but I actually quite like this. It was going to be a hard act to follow after Tudor Corner, but I still feel like the designers did pretty well here. Having just read NewE’s review, I’m pleasantly surprised that the designers put in the 1x8’s and 1x2 grooved bricks to not only make them cheaper and more accessible, but also to call back to a previous Modular which I think is pretty fun. Plus, they’ll show up on PaB. I’m actually pretty surprised at the height, too, and I’m impressed that it’s taller than both Tudor Corner and 10326. Having said all that, I don’t love the subject matter. I love the architecture and the design, but I’d rather get Tudor Corner, or something else. But, if I were a die-hard Modular fan, I would really enjoy this one.

Seems a bit too similar to assembly square for me… don’t think it’s as good as previous years and not sure it justifies another price increase either…

Although i had hoped for something new yorkish big city style for my superheroes, i quite like the European feel this gives me.
The building on the right should be taller (or will be taller if i ever get this set)
The furniture shop/work shop doesn’t really do anything for me, but the wind instruments shop is very cool. Story telling wise as well with the two parade kids.
But what i really dislike is the fact that that alleyway is heading to a garden? That should be a small alleyway where you can find small and strange shops. In any case, it should have had tiles all the way

Certainly not the best, but definitely one of the better modulars. Although I really like the exterior shaping, it's a shame that this will compromise the interior space. As always, the back of the box really does emphasis how poor the Natural History Museum is, especially sandwiched between this and Tudor Corner.

I do know that @Murdoch17 will be getting that car :)

I am glad that it isn’t exclusive to the Modular Building, and I’ve said Jan 2026 is shaping up to be the best in recent memory…

Wow, two sets with brick-built trombones revealed in a few months. Who'd have thought. Also, the GWP is my kind of goofy. I'm tempted to get that one on the secondary market after this launches.

@Sutures said:
" @MeganL said:
"As a former marching band geek, I could not love this any more! It also reminds me of Assembly Square.

I thought I was going to wait to get this, but that GWP is very fun."

A Marching Band People Pack would be a fun addition to 2026... the last people pack was what?... 2019?"

Oh, a marching band people pack would be awesome!

@Natethegreat101 said:"Why another music store? Assembly Square had one!"

You realize that 10255 came out in 2017, and hasn't been available for two years, right?

Wonder how it will look like on the right side of Assembly Square. The Turrets of both buildings might actually work very well together

I don't think anyone wants more stores. Lego makes plenty of stores. The marching band concept is cute. They should have made this a parade set and given the appropriate pieces and minifigures to have a full parade, that would have been cool. This is boring and WHY IS THE BATHROOM WHERE IT IS?

My opinion: the facade design doesn’t look that memorable compared to other Modular’s, but the building shape is pretty neat.

But the best part (at least for me) is definitely the return of the 1x2 slotted bricks in Sand Green.

For me, there's something wrong with the taller building's colours. It looks boring, not outstanding enough, too "toyish" and snaps me out of the LEGO fantasy world. It seems they didn't have time or budget to create a great colour scheme. I skipped the Museum and Jazz club because of this colour issue as I don't want to spend more money to make it into the colour I want. I will skip this one too.

I like it. I think it looks interesting and like a nice assembly on its own. But I also agree there's wasted space so to speak.
And it also appears that you need to put some thought into what to place next to it. The row with the museum really looks odd. But I suspect any row with the museum will look odd because that building doesn't really seem to fit anywhere: https://brickset.com/article/101547/how-the-museum-looks-with-other-modular-buildings

@alLEGOry_HJB2810 said:
"This reminds me of Assembly Square. Same 'genre' of Modular, I guess.
It's pretty nice. I would say not as good as the Boutique Hotel or Tudor Corner, but not too far off."

and this costs the same price than AS -_-'

It seems almost like a different scale as the other modulars - the first foor is 1-2 bricks too short.

In contrary to most, I thought the Tudor Corner was one of the ugliest and worst modulars af them all. The building looked awful and the subject matter was boring.
This one however, seems like a step in the right direction again.
There seems to be some good and bad here.

I like the colors and the overal shaping, borrowing heavily from the boutique hotel, but that is not at all a bad thing. This model is very pleasing to the eye.
The wierd corners and angles leave much to desire however: so much wasted and unusable space.
I also don't understand the music store (already had that one) and the woodworking shop (like, what?!).

When I first saw this, when it leaked, I wasn't convinced it was Lego because it looked more like the buildings that other building block companies make. But I like it I see the similarity to the Boutique Hotel and I like the quirkyness of the set, how it looks like an inverted corner when it's a straight, the buildings give that illusion, to me, anyway.

Could do with an extra floor to the second building, but apart from that, immediate purchase.

I like the retro car, but the accessories are just spare parts for me.

@BelgianBricker said:
"In contrary to most, I thought the Tudor Corner was one of the ugliest and worst modulars af them all. The building looked awful and the subject matter was boring.
This one however, seems like a step in the right direction again.
There seems to be some good and bad here.

I like the colors and the overal shaping, borrowing heavily from the boutique hotel, but that is not at all a bad thing. This model is very pleasing to the eye.
The wierd corners and angles leave much to desire however: so much wasted and unusable space.
I also don't understand the music store (already had that one) and the woodworking shop (like, what?!)."
Funny thing with how different tastes can be.
I'm happy you like it, but my thoughts are almost the exact opposites of yours (except for those about the wasted space).
:-)

@Darth_Dee said:
"There is one error in the pictures. You would never march with a concert tuba, only the sousaphone."

I've seen bands that march with concert tubas instead of sousaphones.

Mixed responses to this one, to say the least. The only thing I have to say about it, is that I like the GWP more than the modular itself.

@lluisgib said:
"Don't understand why LEGO Marketing has this obsession to put sets on shelves. Is not LEGO something intended to play? Or the influencer trends influence also the company? And continuing with my negativity, I hate renders... :D

Nice modular, BTW. Not like Tudor, but tons better than the Natural Museum"

Aren't the Modulars designed to put in a row on a shelf? As that is what most AFOLs I know do with them.

I wasn't expecting anything as good as Tudor Corner but I'm actually quite impressed with how good this looks. The only bit I don't like is the large amount of pointless empty space at the back. I like the Vintage Parade Car and am glad it's not linked to the modular since there are several other sets I'd rather get first.

So much negativity, but I like it, a day 1 purchase.
As previously mentioned, a nice return of the 2x1 with groove, 1x8 and 1x3 in sand green. Bricklink prices will take a tumble and those greengrocers will get finished too

The Jazz Club was the first modular I skipped and it's still nip/tuck with the Natural History Museum. I honestly don't know what I feel about this one. I "think" I like it better than those but I also "think" I don't like it enough.

I don't mind a reduction in building interiors so long as it serves some innovative design, like the Boutique Hotel or Assembly Square. I'm not sure this one meets the challenge.

Clearly, though, the designer went out of his/her way to give us Green Grocer love so I appreciate that.

Unlike the kiosk with Tudor, this GWP does not drive me towards a Day 1 purchase.

I'll add this set to my "Wanted List" but I suspect it will sit there for a while...

It’s lovely but I’ve got or seen enough shops.

I think a new full plate size department store in the tradition of golden age department stores would be an attractive prospect.

I haven't showed it anywhere, so it is pure coincidence. But damn, that is a remarkably similar floor plan to a MOC-building I have had in the pipeline for a couple of years but never fully finished. Not exactly, but really close. A bit annoyed about that, not gonna lie, but at the same time nice to see that I was on to something.

Will absolutely get this.

@yellowcastle said:
"The Jazz Club was the first modular I skipped and it's still nip/tuck with the Natural History Museum. I honestly don't know what I feel about this one. I "think" I like it better than those but I also "think" I don't like it enough.

I don't mind a reduction in building interiors so long as it serves some innovative design, like the Boutique Hotel or Assembly Square. I'm not sure this one meets the challenge.

Clearly, though, the designer went out of his/her way to give us Green Grocer love so I appreciate that.

Unlike the kiosk with Tudor, this GWP does not drive me towards a Day 1 purchase.

I'll add this set to my "Wanted List" but I suspect it will sit there for a while..."

The best part of this set is that the parts can be used to build the Green Grocer. This says it all.

I quite like this one. The angles are striking and the colours look good to me. The worst thing about it is probably the cramped interior, but it's not a dealbreaker IMO.

It isn't quite as good as the Tudor Corner, but it's definitely one of the better ones.

@AustinPowers said:
" @BelgianBricker said:
"In contrary to most, I thought the Tudor Corner was one of the ugliest and worst modulars af them all. The building looked awful and the subject matter was boring.
This one however, seems like a step in the right direction again.
There seems to be some good and bad here.

I like the colors and the overal shaping, borrowing heavily from the boutique hotel, but that is not at all a bad thing. This model is very pleasing to the eye.
The wierd corners and angles leave much to desire however: so much wasted and unusable space.
I also don't understand the music store (already had that one) and the woodworking shop (like, what?!)."
Funny thing with how different tastes can be.
I'm happy you like it, but my thoughts are almost the exact opposites of yours (except for those about the wasted space).
:-) "

wel, you know what the Romans said: coloribus et de gustibus non disputandum est
:D

I deffo would prefer if the buildings where square on the baseplate with more volume on the interiors, but still think its an excellent addition to the Modular collection

Impressive. Day 1 purchase which does not happen too often in my case.

Was not expecting to see relatively little enthusiasm to be honest. But I was very lukewarm on Tudor Corner, so maybe I'm just the opposite of the average AFoL.

Love its elegant look and crazy angle alleyway but it overall reads like a support character that echoes other modulars and adds interest to street's overall look rather than something with a strong presence on its own. I think this is good timing given that the other current/recent modulars have been pretty bold, but it also makes it lower priority.

See, sets like these are why I'm happy I never got into Modulars. Imagine getting FOMO over -this- set. It's not bad, but it is overwhelmingly underwhelming.

As an aside, I do like the focus on musical instruments, but again, these particular builds just aren't great. I think we could've done with some specialised moulds for the instruments, especially since apparently we needed that trombone-build AGAIN, and also because... a few years back, we HAD some perfectly servicable trumpet-moulds.

TLG, are you okay? Is all of this just moving too fast for you? Slow down. Take a breather. Everything is happening so much, I get it, but maybe think this through.

Well, I've changed my mind. I was going to turn in my points to get 10326 for free but this one is far better than that so I'll wait to buy the abomination of a museum later. Maybe it will go on sale next Christmas so I won't have to pay full price for a set I hate.

I think it's great! The two buildings have a lot of character and the odd angles and alley seems very old city to me. This one's going to be making good friends with 76218 41711 and 10243 in my town.

If the Boutique hotel and the Pizzeria from the Jazz Club had an illegitimate child - this would be the result.
Not for me at 1st glance.
Another price increase too, which is disapointing.

@TheBrickPal said:
"I dare say this is one of the best Modular Buildings ever. Very impressed!"

It is no Grand Emporium, but it is there.

Have to see when I build it, but I suspect I will be editing this one so that the alley sells that it should connect to the alley for another set. First thought was 10255 Assembly Square, but that will likely look better connected on the side of this. So next thought is 10246 Detective Office, but likely won't line up.

Really neat design. The dynamic angles including a covered alleyway make for an extremely novel layout, which is easier said than done in a series that's gone on as long as this one. The colors aren't super exciting (I was sort of hoping for the new warm pink or bluish violet to be used somewhere on the new modular as well), but again, after 15 years of modulars there's bound to be overlap. The GWP looks lovely as well.

I like the looks of it, but with this design you lose a lots of " inside" space to work with.

That's one huge coffee mug.

@AustinPowers said:
" @MegaBlocks said:
" @TheBrickPal said:
"I dare say this is one of the best Modular Buildings ever. Very impressed!"

Is one of the best if you've only seen this set.

Best word to describe this: "meh"."
Indeed. When I saw the pictures for the first time last week I thought "I hope this is just a fake leak. No way would they release a set like that". Oh boy was I wrong.
Such a shame. Especially at that price point.
Don't get me wrong, there are far worse Modulars, but this is at best average for my taste. "

I'm sure Blue Brixx and/or a Chinese knock-off brand will do something more to your tastes.

How much wasted space in the back area!?! It comes off as lazy and unfinished leaving the baseplate showing. “I know, pop a few lack lustre ‘plants’ on there and we can say it’s grass!’

There just feels something off about the overall ratio/balance of the buildings. I’m all for innovation and breaking the norm but this feels a little too desperate to tick those boxes. Adding up the space out the front and the rear it equates to pretty much 50% of the baseplate!!

It’s all just a bit meh :/

It's ugly, I find Assembly Square to be nicer looking.

@TheBrickPal said:
"I dare say this is one of the best Modular Buildings ever. Very impressed!"

Cafe Corner will always hold a special place, but this one is sure one of the very best! LEGO modulars steal the show everytime!

@Wallace_Brick_Designs said:
"I do know that @Murdoch17 will be getting that car :)

I am glad that it isn’t exclusive to the Modular Building, and I’ve said Jan 2026 is shaping up to be the best in recent memory…"

I won't be getting the car in the GWP set directly, but parting it out will be another matter... I'm currently thinking on how best to redesign it to have an actual roof and / or possible color variations.

The architecture here just does not do it for me, I think the roof and cornice is pretty weak, especially where the "dome" is concerned

I wonder what, exactly, they had in mind by “Inspired by historic European architecture.” I must say that the angular open air space in front reminds me of some facades I’ve seen in downtown Athens, Greece…
I think I will need to transform the music store into a taverna…

@Murdoch17 said:
" @Wallace_Brick_Designs said:
"I do know that @Murdoch17 will be getting that car :)

I am glad that it isn’t exclusive to the Modular Building, and I’ve said Jan 2026 is shaping up to be the best in recent memory…"

I won't be getting the car in the GWP set directly, but parting it out will be another matter... I'm currently thinking on how best to redesign it to have an actual roof and / or possible color variations."

It does need a roof. I can’t see any recolors to speak of, so that shouldn’t be the hardest.

@Your_Future_President said:
"Don’t understand all the hate…

I’m sure most those complaining couldn’t design a building at this complex of an angle if they tried…"

The fact that a design is complex doesn't guarantee it works aesthetically. There are many elements involved when it comes to determine whether or not something is perceived as beautiful by fans. We don't all have the same tastes. In my case there are some things I like and others I don't, so I'm not fully convinced by this set. Some have commented this one resembles partially Boutique Hotel, Parisian Restaurant, Assembly Square, I've found it an interesting argument against this set. I guess for some of us we expect new ideas with every modular and while I'm not sure if that's actually achievable, the fact that there are so many similarities to others in a single set might work against its appeal.

On a positive note, the marching band characters introduced here are absolutely welcomed! I want to make a full band already, hope they make it to PAB at some point.

I'll be buying it, of course, but I wish they would do a hospital.

The design, the colors, I do not know, somehow scary for me. It looks as halloween building for me. It is a pass again. But we do not have to buy the modulars every year, right?

@Aardtacha said:
"Hmmm. I like the quirky shape, but the rooms seem small and crowded and what the heck is with an alley that leads to nowhere, that isn't for deliveries or trash pick up or really anything?"

If you line up the other Modulars in the expected manner, with two corner units at each end, and a bunch of straight sections forming two long sides, I believe there's always an alley running down the center of the block. However, unless you include at least one key unit (like Market Street) in the block, there's no way to access the alley except through one of the buildings. This would be a rare entry that includes a side passage that can be used by the general public to reach the alley.

@Darth_Dee said:
"As a Band Director I am required to get this set. A Marching Band people pack would be a lot better than the large pick-a-brick order I'm going to have to do in 3 months. Now that Lego has two sets with trombones, they should have just done a new trombone mold. There is one error in the pictures. You would never march with a concert tuba, only the sousaphone. Great set overall!"

I gotta call you out on two things. First, I don't see any concert tuba in this image:

https://images.brickset.com/news/127628_Shopping%208.jpg

On the right is the sousaphone you mentioned, and look how big both the instrument and the bell are. The kid in the center is holding a much smaller instrument with a smaller bell, which (considering how oversized all minifig equipment usually is) is most likely supposed to be a baritone. Our band did march with those, but I think they were shaped differently from the ones they used when seated (either the bell on one version was angled, or the ones used during marching band were laid over the shoulder with the bell facing forward).

The other two instruments look like a trombone and a French horn, and our French horn section always switched to something that looked more like a chonky trumpet for marching band season, because trying to march with a double or triple French horn would suck, especially since they don't really have a grip for your left hand to help carry the weight. I don't know specifically which horns they used. I remember hearing they were flugelhorns, but it looks like they could have also been some form of mellophone, or a marching horn.

I don't know. I think this looks nice and all, but I'm kinda disappointed that there's another music shop. I still want to pick this up, but I'm pretty sure I'm going to modify the shop into something different. Maybe a record store with a Hi-Fi area upstairs.

@apolloivanhoe said:
"I don't think anyone wants more stores. Lego makes plenty of stores."

The Modular series depicts a typical downtown district. You've really only got four choices, which are commercial, service, residential, and governmental (religious would be a fifth, but they pointedly avoid taking sides on that issue). They've covered police, fire, and city government, and even when there is residential space, it's usually not on the ground floor. So that really leaves commercial (stores) and service (hotels and restaurants) as the two main sources of subject matter. Stores tend to outnumber restaurants by a wide margin.

"The marching band concept is cute. They should have made this a parade set and given the appropriate pieces and minifigures to have a full parade, that would have been cool. This is boring and WHY IS THE BATHROOM WHERE IT IS?"

It's the Modular series, though. The building is the point of the set.

@iwybs said:
"I've seen bands that march with concert tubas instead of sousaphones."

High school, college, or professional? Our high school tuba players had enough trouble getting their instruments to their chairs as it is, and needed thick padding just to manage the lighter sousaphone when marching. At least with that instrument, it rests on your shoulder, so you're not relying solely on grip strength to hold the thing up. You might be thinking of the contrabass bugle, which looks similar to a tuba by is laid on the left shoulder (so you're carrying the weight with your trunk, just like a sousaphone) with the bell pointed forward.

Looking at this, Boutique Hotel is looking more and more appealing! Lego need to do another restaurant like Parisian Restaurant!

@The_Lard_Of_Fear said:
"I want to know who displays their books with the spines facing the wall."

Normally, nobody. However, there is now a market for hardcovers with art drawn across the edges of the pages that you can only really see when the book is closed.

@R0Sch said:
" @TheBrickPal said:
"I dare say this is one of the best Modular Buildings ever. Very impressed!"

Not even close, pal. The most expensive per volume of stuff for sure, but far from the best. This here wastes a lot of space with the "plaza" and alley so that the rooms are tiny. Very basic figures and few decorations or Easter eggs. I really don't see where 3500 pieces are used up in this. Must be all the 1x1 tiling."

The odd footprint does a lot of it. Corner modules have much smaller footprints than straight sections, but the piece count does not reflect this because now you have to detail two "front" walls. And this one has four being basically two smaller corner units on a single baseplate.

@Clutch_P said:
" @Vindicare said:
"What is going on with the “it looks like a Rebrickable build”, as it’s meant to be an insult? Do we not like that site & the builders anymore? There’s always complaints of “I’ve seen better MOCs” whenever the new Modular gets revealed. Now….comparing it to MOCs is an insult…."

Good question, I think it comes down to the fact that not every MOC is a good MOC. I myself have complimented sets as looking like MOCs, and I quite like Rebrickable. But the second I saw this, the first thing that came to mind was, "Man, this looks like a mediocre MOC."

There are many Rebrickable MOCs that are incredible, but I think as Lego fans, most of us have seen a few that don't quite grab our attention."

To be honest, when I think "mediocre MOC" I generally picture something basic and rectangular, but that seems to be what a lot of people here seem to be expressing that they'd prefer over a unique angled layout like this. :/

@lusci said:
" @TheBrickPal, I'm sorry, but I think exactly the opposite. Too little space for the rooms and very marked similarities to Boutique Hotel. It seems like a bad idea to me. I've collected every modular building from 2007 to today, and this one definitely seems like one of the worst. Also, I'm critical of the price, which has increased by another €20.00. €229.99 would have been much more appropriate."

They should at least ditch the walk and alley way, as well as flat (apartment) and uncorrelate workplace (e.g. dentist and house above garage in lieu of mechanic shop and break room)..

@Clutch_P said:
" @Vindicare said:
"What is going on with the “it looks like a Rebrickable build”, as it’s meant to be an insult? Do we not like that site & the builders anymore? There’s always complaints of “I’ve seen better MOCs” whenever the new Modular gets revealed. Now….comparing it to MOCs is an insult…."

Good question, I think it comes down to the fact that not every MOC is a good MOC. I myself have complimented sets as looking like MOCs, and I quite like Rebrickable. But the second I saw this, the first thing that came to mind was, "Man, this looks like a mediocre MOC."

There are many Rebrickable MOCs that are incredible, but I think as Lego fans, most of us have seen a few that don't quite grab our attention."

I suppose that’s the good, bad, or other, of a long lasting, impactful theme. Especially one that only gives 1 set a year. By this time we’ve seen a plethora of bad to good to great to fantastic builds, most often without the restrictions that official sets have.

By contrast with many the official Modulars fall short. Which is largely why I think it’s silly to even compare official sets to MOCs. I don’t see why people want to diminish sets just because there’s better MOCs out there.

Saw 40913-1 Vintage Parade Car and was worried it would be tied to the modular as an exclusive for the first week of sales. Happily surprised that it is available separately and for less than the asking price too!

I love this and want it (and a bunch more of the marching band torsos and hats). Probably wont be able to afford it though :(

@jmupton2000 said:
"Not impressed at all. Had hoped the leaked images earlier this week were wrong. After sixteen years of religiously buying the modular every year, especially after 2025's excellent effort, I shall be passing on this one."

I feel precisely the same - I really, really hoped the leaks were wrong. I do *want* to like this - I love how geometrically interesting it is (like something out of Diagon Alley) which is usually what I love most about the modulars. That said, the tower looks really out of place and using white for the left building looks terrible and bland. This might be the first ever modular that I don't consider worth getting.

My take: the angled walls fad will eventually fade away. In the beginning, it was neat, a new concept, something to study - "how did they do that?" sort of thing. Now it is everywhere (Icons, Ideas, City, Bricklink, Ninjago, etc) and as such, it is beginning to loose it's appeal. I certainly can see the use for that in Castle or for the Italian Riviera (for example); but this is the frontage of a shopping street which is normally exceptionally flat and boring. Can certainly be used sparingly in City or anywhere else but that should not become the selling feature.

In less words: angled walls are not new and exciting anymore, they'll have to come up with a new concept.

There are a few nice designs in there. I like the Technic parts for the window molding at Brickley's. The designer also put a middle stripe in the stairs. The fencing on the balcony is also well done. The review should reveal more.

Usually, when you work a piece of wood, you use either a plane, a sander or a saw (that piece exists), not a hammer. Those renders are terrible, many tiles look like they are metallic in colour. The pulley should be on the white building - you don't need a pulley for just one floor.

Will I get this?: yes, I like it, not excitedly but I like it. On day one?: no. I like the GWP and I have enough of City and HP wants to get it easily (or even from the current outstanding list).

So Assembly Square built in a similar style to the Boutique Hotel…

It might take a while to grow on me, but I like this well enough. It’s pretty easy for any modular to impress me.

Considering I'm seeing a lot of the same points against this model (some of which make no sense lol), I wonder if people are just regurgitating a content creator's first reactions.

I don't think it's the worst or best, I think its biggest problems are coming right after Tudor Corner and being on a single baseplate. If this was a 1.5 baseplate modular I imagine the buildings would feel less small since they'd have a little more space to grow.

Adding that little alleyway is interesting though, especially since the backside is grassy instead of the usual concrete, I wonder if there's any other modulars that line up like that.

@MeganL said:
"As a former marching band geek, I could not love this any more! It also reminds me of Assembly Square.

I thought I was going to wait to get this, but that GWP is very fun."

Don't spare the details--what instrument?? (Sax and then drumline myself!)

I even more miss the day when I bought one for € 140 which is now € 2700...

@PurpleDave said:
" @Aardtacha said:
"Hmmm. I like the quirky shape, but the rooms seem small and crowded and what the heck is with an alley that leads to nowhere, that isn't for deliveries or trash pick up or really anything?"

If you line up the other Modulars in the expected manner, with two corner units at each end, and a bunch of straight sections forming two long sides, I believe there's always an alley running down the center of the block. However, unless you include at least one key unit (like Market Street) in the block, there's no way to access the alley except through one of the buildings. This would be a rare entry that includes a side passage that can be used by the general public to reach the alley.

@Darth_Dee said:
"As a Band Director I am required to get this set. A Marching Band people pack would be a lot better than the large pick-a-brick order I'm going to have to do in 3 months. Now that Lego has two sets with trombones, they should have just done a new trombone mold. There is one error in the pictures. You would never march with a concert tuba, only the sousaphone. Great set overall!"

I gotta call you out on two things. First, I don't see any concert tuba in this image:

https://images.brickset.com/news/127628_Shopping%208.jpg

On the right is the sousaphone you mentioned, and look how big both the instrument and the bell are. The kid in the center is holding a much smaller instrument with a smaller bell, which (considering how oversized all minifig equipment usually is) is most likely supposed to be a baritone. Our band did march with those, but I think they were shaped differently from the ones they used when seated (either the bell on one version was angled, or the ones used during marching band were laid over the shoulder with the bell facing forward).

The other two instruments look like a trombone and a French horn, and our French horn section always switched to something that looked more like a chonky trumpet for marching band season, because trying to march with a double or triple French horn would suck, especially since they don't really have a grip for your left hand to help carry the weight. I don't know specifically which horns they used. I remember hearing they were flugelhorns, but it looks like they could have also been some form of mellophone, or a marching horn."

Seeing the designer reveal, what I thought was a concert tuba is supposed to be a french horn. You can march with a horn easily as the weight is supported by your right hand in the bell. A french horn mold ala classic town postal would have been fantastic but it doesn't look like they wanted to use any slots for new instrument molds. The trumpet looks more like a mellophone so that's what I'm calling it.

Forgot to mention earlier how much I love the chair with the swim fin back.

@PeterT_AFOL said:
"Will Riker picked up his trombone from here, when it ended up in a future antique shop."

No, he was time-traveling and had to sell it to get twenty-first century money. Sure the trombone was a present from Data, but that's the beauty of it: it will be again.

Nothing wrong with this per se. I just feel the bar has been risen, along with the price, and this one is just "Ok"

Yes it's nice but was really hoping LEGO would create something quite different e.g. along the lines of a multi-level production unit/warehouse operation with goods inwards/outwards, dock levellers, machinery, production line etc - far more interesting IMO...

If Jango Fett’s Space Vehicle was a modular building….

We have shelves that display books, flowers and LEGO together….

Crossing my fingers that PaB eventually offers a red version of the marching band uniform….

I don't have any modular buildings, but I generally like a lot of them and "could see" them coming my way some day. But this one doesn't really appeal to me. Hopefully it appeals to modular buildings fans!

@ickleb said:
"Every year I look forward to the next addition to my modular town, but this has just left me disappointed. It’s got more of a creator 3in1 than a modular town build. Maybe I’ll change my position when I build it but currently, it’s meh"

This is another slight I don’t get…the Creator 3n1 houses from the early to mid 2010’s were great. Comparing it to today’s is ridiculous, as it’s nothing like the tiny open backed buildings that we’ve gotten recently.

@Darth_Dee said:
"Seeing the designer reveal, what I thought was a concert tuba is supposed to be a french horn. You can march with a horn easily as the weight is supported by your right hand in the bell. A french horn mold ala classic town postal would have been fantastic but it doesn't look like they wanted to use any slots for new instrument molds. The trumpet looks more like a mellophone so that's what I'm calling it."

Wait, so the white instrument is obviously a sousaphone, because drums are the only other thing I’ve seen that’s typically white. Trombone is pretty obvious lying on the floor. That’s probably a clarinet behind the shorter girl’s head (most common instrument that’s done in black), and you’re saying you thought the curlicue instrument on the left was a tuba? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one like that. Our school’s baritones and tubas both had bodies shaped like a tic-tac. And then that shorter girl is supposed to be holding a trumpet that’s as big as she is? That’s the one I thought was a baritone, and the curlicue only looked like a French horn to me.

And no way our band teacher would have let someone march with a standard ring-shaped French horn. They’re already pretty muffled in a concert setting, but you’d just make it worse if you were supporting the weight by the bell, especially if your hand was inside of it. And then you’d also be the only brass with your bell pointed behind you instead of forward. He used to give the trombones grief for pointing their bells down at an angle, and my trumpet section as well if we dipped our instruments below perfectly level! It’s even worse during football games when the entire band is supposed to face the home team stands as much as possible. Only the visiting team would be able to hear them. Nah, he made them switch to a more marching-friendly instrument (which I personally thought sounded better anyways). I don’t know which of the three likely options it really was, and even if I had the instruments in front of me I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, but they sure didn’t march with a concert French horn.

It would be great to see a Cyberpunk style modular for once from Lego. The old style buildings are getting bit boring.

I am conflicted about this set! Some things I love, others not so much.

I like the colours, the facades, the difference in height between the two buildings, and especially the perpendicular angles, but the lack of interior space is not good. And to me the interiors are important.

@ForestMenOfEndor said:
"Crossing my fingers that PaB eventually offers a red version of the marching band uniform…."

See, the funny thing is, this would have been perfect for my high school, except…we had white jackets and black shakos. I don’t think there was any purple on our uniforms at all, except some text embroidered on the shoulders.

Then the crazy thing about the white jackets is we did a trip to Orlando when I was in high school, and marched at Disney World. And it rained. And we had white jackets. We left the dead chickens off the shakos, but the flag corps and drum majorettes didn’t wear shakos. They wore these little gold sequined skullcaps, and those had feathers stapled to them. Black feathers. Black feathers that weren’t colorfast. So by the time we got done marching there, all of their white jackets had black stripes down the back. The band leader’s wife (who headed up the flag corps every year) had to collect all of their jackets and take them out for overnight dry cleaning, because we had to march at Universal the next day. And all of those girls had pristine white jackets when our bus pulled in to Universal. I don’t know how much that cost to make happen, but somebody made bank.

@Reventon said:
"It would be great to see a Cyberpunk style modular for once from Lego. The old style buildings are getting bit boring."

Much as I love the cyberpunk aesthetic, I would find a cyberpunk modular jarring, because it wouldn't fit with the other modulars.

I will start with some positives:

The staircase is very well done.

I love the brick-built instruments, though I do agree with others it would be nice to see some moulded instruments again such as a trumpet.

I wonder whether the Modular team or Star Trek team built the trombone and someone said "Hey can I borrow that design?"

The bentwood chair is cool (the designers called it the sausage chair).

Printed shako is great and it's nice that many people like the marching band. Personally I dont like the purple though, some shade of red, blue or white wouldve been preferable (and useful for Pirates/Imperials fans).

Bringing back sand green pieces necessary for Green Grocer is awesome and I especially like the new printed window/1x2x5 pillar pieces.

As always I respect the lego designer's skills and maths/geometry working out the angles etc.

Some facts:

The designer Huang Huy Dang said that he grew up in an alleyway, so from day 1 they wanted to include that. He also wanted to study furniture design.

New Elementary quoted Huang as saying words to the effect of "Imagine if Assembly Square and Boutique Hotel had a baby, this would be it." I don't know if he actually said that or whether the quote has been falsely attributed to him.

The GWP:

I love vintage/classic cars so a must-have. The design is nice, I really like dark blue and it makes great use of those new curved pieces for the rear wheel spat.

The silly hats parade thing is just dumb, I dont understand why that was included and am annoyed the minifigures are not provided with alternate normal headgear or hair.

@Lyichir said:
"To be honest, when I think "mediocre MOC" I generally picture something basic and rectangular, but that seems to be what a lot of people here seem to be expressing that they'd prefer over a unique angled layout like this. :/"

That's just par for the course. People will complain that the set's too expensive because it's full of tiny parts that add detail. But if it's not, they'll complain that the set looks too basic for what you're paying. The only exception is if the person making the post is really excited about the design, all other considerations are forgiven. Pick any other subject that can be complained about, and you'll get the exact same result.

@TheOtherMike said:
" @Reventon said:
"It would be great to see a Cyberpunk style modular for once from Lego. The old style buildings are getting bit boring."

Much as I love the cyberpunk aesthetic, I would find a cyberpunk modular jarring, because it wouldn't fit with the other modulars."

You just need to get it up to 88mph. And strap a flux capacitor to it.

@PurpleDave said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @Reventon said:
"It would be great to see a Cyberpunk style modular for once from Lego. The old style buildings are getting bit boring."

Much as I love the cyberpunk aesthetic, I would find a cyberpunk modular jarring, because it wouldn't fit with the other modulars."

You just need to get it up to 88mph. And strap a flux capacitor to it."

Well, the Modular Collection never *did* have any roads...

@PurpleDave said:
" @Darth_Dee said:
"Seeing the designer reveal, what I thought was a concert tuba is supposed to be a french horn. You can march with a horn easily as the weight is supported by your right hand in the bell. A french horn mold ala classic town postal would have been fantastic but it doesn't look like they wanted to use any slots for new instrument molds. The trumpet looks more like a mellophone so that's what I'm calling it."

Wait, so the white instrument is obviously a sousaphone, because drums are the only other thing I’ve seen that’s typically white. Trombone is pretty obvious lying on the floor. That’s probably a clarinet behind the shorter girl’s head (most common instrument that’s done in black), and you’re saying you thought the curlicue instrument on the left was a tuba? I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one like that. Our school’s baritones and tubas both had bodies shaped like a tic-tac. And then that shorter girl is supposed to be holding a trumpet that’s as big as she is? That’s the one I thought was a baritone, and the curlicue only looked like a French horn to me.

And no way our band teacher would have let someone march with a standard ring-shaped French horn. They’re already pretty muffled in a concert setting, but you’d just make it worse if you were supporting the weight by the bell, especially if your hand was inside of it. And then you’d also be the only brass with your bell pointed behind you instead of forward. He used to give the trombones grief for pointing their bells down at an angle, and my trumpet section as well if we dipped our instruments below perfectly level! It’s even worse during football games when the entire band is supposed to face the home team stands as much as possible. Only the visiting team would be able to hear them. Nah, he made them switch to a more marching-friendly instrument (which I personally thought sounded better anyways). I don’t know which of the three likely options it really was, and even if I had the instruments in front of me I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, but they sure didn’t march with a concert French horn."

This might blow your mind. Go to the 2:35 mark. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVJ3Ho83Ksg&t=225s

@Reventon said:
"It would be great to see a Cyberpunk style modular for once from Lego. The old style buildings are getting bit boring."

What's wrong with the Ninjago modulars?

@AustinPowers said:
" @DrDaveWatford said:
"I’m surprised by the strength of negative reaction in some quarters but I suppose I shouldn’t be - it’s the way of the world these days."
I would say it's partly down to the high expectations that LEGO themselves foster by drawing out the reveal for so long, thus building up hype in the community.
Then, when the set is finally revealed, everyone expects it to be the most awesome Modular ever, what with all the new colours, pieces, building techniques etc.

This one, while certainly not the worst by a long shot, for many (myself included) just fails to deliver on many fronts. And like others I too felt like this looked like either one of the more mediocre MOCs out there, or one of the earlier Modular-style efforts of alternative manufacturers.
Somehow it just feels "too busy" to me. I can't really describe it any better. But when I compare it for example to my all time favourite Modular, the Detective's Office, which also could feel busy due to the amount of colours and details used, it somehow feels much more organic and well thought out.

And then there's the added competition these days. Many manufacturers offer Modular style buildings, some of which are just as Meh as this one, but many of which are truly awesome and on part with the best official LEGO Modulars. Needless to mention that all of those others offer better value for money too, what with their all prints approach and special features such as lighting, opening mechanisms other than just removing floor by floor, etc.
Even Jang seems to be quite taken by some of them. "

There also seems to be an increased hate for LEGO as a company, especially in the last year or so. I guess as more people are buying LEGO these days, more choice, higher prices, fewer discounts some people cannot afford everything they might have wanted in the past or don’t have space for it all or don’t have time or feel prices are not justifiable compared to what they used to be or just dont like how mainstream LEGO has become within the adult population. If you can't or don't want to buy something then hating on it helps to justify the reason for not buying it.

Especially longer term collectors notice the way products have changed but often feel the need to buy to "be complete" made worse by rising costs and limited space. Breaking that cycle really is freedom from it. I was the same with Modulars and CMF, the first time forcing yourself not to get one is hard but after that it is comparatively easy. When I did it I went back and sold previous ones I didn't like that much anyway. Doing it really helps you evaluate the next one more objectively rather than buying it because you "need" it. It makes it much easier to see negatives in a design.

@RTS013

Valid arguments and an interesting consideration :)

I was going to mention in my long comments about interiors: If a business has little interior, how is one supposed to recognise and appreciate the subject matter?

Some buildings like a town hall or fire station, architecture and shape is important I agree as they are associated as much by those as by interior.
But for something like a furniture store, if it's so small there is little to no furniture in it, how does one know it's a furniture store? The one here as we know is basically just a chair store which doesnt make much sense.

I agree about some buildings being so large they just have too much empty space, some airport or train station MOCs can be like this (but again the interior subject matter comes back; you want large open areas for lots of people to walk around as per real life).

NHM was a decent size but the interior (especially second floor) was very poorly used. I built my own 32x48 museum and fit considerably more exhibits while still having reasonable space for patrons to walk around (at least I think so)

I think we'd agree its about finding a balance between exterior and interior.
Detective's Office and Parisian Restaurant for instance achieved this balance. NHM failed on both counts (olive green being the main culprit along with 2nd floor lacking exhibits) and Shopping Street needed less angles and better choices of subject.
Like a record store or noodle bar, maybe a newsagent, all could have fit better in a small angled space.

I don't think I can add much to what's already been posted - it's okay but the lack of floor space is the main negative factor for me.

That said, the one thing that I immediately was baffled by - and it doesn't appear to have been mentioned much, if at all - is what the hell is the frozen cat on an anvil in the middle of the pavement all about? Surely, there were better things to go here - a bench, tree, etc?

I will almost certainly get it at some point. I've got every modular since the Fire Station apart from Tudor Corner. Jazz Club and Museum aren't built yet as I've run out of space where the modulars are displayed, but once I've solved that I will catch up.

Hilariously polarising opinions!

These Modular’s aren’t usually my thing - but I’d say this looks like one of the best to me. Strange how many people dislike it, but viva la difference!

@CCC Sorry but the idea that fans are disliking sets purely for the sake of 'hating' TLG is ridiculous.

If us pesky AFOLs were all constantly raging at TLG then how come Tudor Corner was so popular?

I understand there are some 'serious collectors' out there but certainly for myself I buy modulars because I like them, not to collect them like football cards or something. I imagine most fans are like that. Even if you are a serious collector you should still be able to voice concerns about a set and be disappointed when it's not up to standard.

I don't think you intended it this way but you seem to imply that only people who like and are buying a set should comment on it.

There are plenty of fans who admit they cant afford a set but still love it.

Instead of blaming fans having opinions that arent 110% positive, one should consider lego's choices. They ARE making sets more expensive for no good reason. And they ARE making poor design decisions like fragile builds, odd colours or lacking detail. Non-lego brands are proving what is possible including for much cheaper, and as I said sometimes lego does gets it right (i.e Tudor Corner), which proves to us fans they are capable of doing so and therefore it is not unreasonable to expect them to continue that.

I agree that it is difficult to please everyone, but Jazz Club, NHM, Tudor Corner and Shopping Street all show distinct patterns (TC is loved, the other three are majority disliked for various reasons that are repeated throughout fan comments).

So Lego should learn from that, which is normally how a business works.

@ulibu said:
"10182 Cafe Corner - 139.99 USD - 2056 pc - 2084 g
10185 Green Grocer - 149.99 USD - 2352 pc - 2175 g
10190 Market Street - 89.99 USD - 1248 pc - 1780 g
10197 Fire Brigade - 149.99 USD - 2231 pc - 2024 g
10211 Grand Emporium - 149.99 USD - 2182 pc - 2146 g
10218 Pet Shop - 149.99 USD - 2032 pc - 2072 g
10224 Town Hall - 199.99 USD - 2766 pc - 2958 g
10232 Palace Cinema - 149.99 USD - 2196 pc - 2043 g
10243 Parisian Restaurant - 159.99 USD - 2469 pc - 1926 g
10246 Detective's Office - 159.99 USD - 2262 pc - 1816 g
10251 Brick Bank - 169.99 USD - 2380 pc - 2039 g
10255 Assembly Square - 299.99 USD - 4002 pc - 3242 g
10260 Downtown Diner - 169.99 USD - 2480 pc - 2009 g
10264 Corner Garage - 199.99 USD - 2569 pc - 2163 g
10270 Bookshop - 199.99 USD - 2504 pc - 2183 g
10278 Police Station - 199.99 USD - 2923 pc - 2608 g
10297 Boutique Hotel - 229.99 USD - 3066 pc - 2386 g
10312 Jazz Club - 229.99 USD - 2899 pc - 2385 g
10326 Natural History Museum - 299.99 USD - 4014 pc - 3551 g
10350 Tudor Corner - 229.99 USD - 3266 pc - 2615 g
11371 Shopping Street - 249.99 USD - 3456 pc - ? g"

Thank You! Didn't know I need this info but it's useful :)

Set is "OK" IMHO, if we don't compare to excellent Tudor Corner. I don't like increased price and a bit wasted space behin (buildings could be 2 studs deeper).
With this price roof on the right should have much bigger and green garden, with platns going out of the roof.

@AustinPowers said:
"But I judge every set they release (that I have a basic interest in) by itself, and by whether it meets my expectations. Whether I like the company doesn't factor into my valuation. "

Indeed, I think by far the healthiest view is do I like it, can I afford it, then I'll buy it. At some stage no doubt most collectors have fallen for the trap of buying something because that is what they collect rather than because that is something they want for their collection.

That hate part is interesting especially recently with the bricklink announcement. In forums and social media, so many people are saying they are leaving bricklink, or not going to be buying LEGO again because of how it was handled. Yet I doubt they will close their bricklink accounts or stop buying. Same with complaints about LEGO price gouging, but I'll just buy this one ...

@lluisgib said:
"Don't understand why LEGO Marketing has this obsession to put sets on shelves. Is not LEGO something intended to play? Or the influencer trends influence also the company? And continuing with my negativity, I hate renders... :D

Nice modular, BTW. Not like Tudor, but tons better than the Natural Museum"

Where do you put your sets when you're not playing with them? Ever since I was a child, I've had shelves with Lego sets…

Assembly Square 10255 was such a classic with 8 rooms that was available for 6 years, this just has 5?

@Darth_Dee:
I rarely watch those, but I’ll have to find time to make an exception for that one.

@RTS013:
I’ve grown completely numb to the frequency with which we can see consecutive comments claiming “best ever/worst ever”. But yeah, a lot of it is driven by personal priorities. Some members of my LUG view the interiors as wasted parts because all they’re likely to do with it is bring it to a show or we have a gap to plug in the layout. Other people commenting here are going to pull it down from a shelf and poke around inside of it until other sets draw their interest away. We even get the same difference of opinion within my LUG, as one member has two Detroit skyscrapers that are taller than me, but have fully detailed ground floors even though setup and teardown are the only times anyone can actually see them. And another member famously doesn’t even bother to build internal floors into most of his buildings (which isn’t likely to change now that he’s started using them as bins to haul trees to shows). I’ve even met two people now who prefer to just build the front facade, only a few bricks deep with _no_ interior space.

Even just within the European side of the Brickset community, I’ve seen some interesting polarization of opinion. I can kind of understand why some over there would prefer a focus on old world European architecture, since that’s what they see every day, but I’ve also seen some who disagreed and welcomed the 50’s American look of stuff like the diner, probably specifically because it’s something they _don’t_ see in everyday life. I could see being a fan of certain period films, like American Graffiti, as helping drive some of the latter opinions, but sometimes it just seems to be a genuine appreciation for a different experience than what they usually get.

@AustinPowers:
TLG isn’t drawing out the reveal. They have their own timetable from original concept to press release, which they try on follow as often as they’re allowed. It’s rogue elements within the company who constantly seek fame or fortune by leaking images early that make it feel like TLG is delaying the announcements.

@Brickchap:
Just because they don’t divulge their reasons doesn’t mean TLG is jacking prices arbitrarily. The difference between fragile builds and lack of detail is a combination of being able to find the right balance, and being able to figure out which techniques (even if you have to invent them) will allow more detail without sacrificing structural integrity. Since they started hiring AFOLs to design sets, things have probably shifted more towards unstable detail because that’s long been considered acceptable in a MOC, if the result looks cool enough, even while it’s wholly unacceptable for an official set. Oh, and if you look at just the comments on this reveal, I think you’ll find that Tudor Corner isn’t as popular as you seem to think it is. It’s not universally reviled, but neither is it universally loved.

Moaners going to moan about moaners.

Complaints about Lego's pricing will be on every article (even the sets that are very good value for money receive complaints about being expensive).

I think there are valid complaints about Lego's laziness and repetitive designs, which are valid criticisms and what you would expect from AFOLs.

Modulars do tend to be hit and miss, this I would say is one of those filler years.

I find it slightly better after watching various videos. I am sort of a completionist. It adds a bit of realism to a city layout if there are a few less-than-perfect spots. I wasn't really thrilled with Jazzclub so I placed it in a very remote corner of my city. I don't understand the negativiy toward NHM. It looks splendid - expecially if you give it some breathing space on the sides. I built mine on two 32x32 baseplates and positioned it between two corner buildings thus creating two narrow alleys.

Placing it is going to be tough, though. On the one hand, I only have four plots left in my setup, none of which are really suitable for this modular. On the other hand, I don’t want to reshuffle the current layout since I’m quite content with how it looks now.

I like this modular more than I did when I first saw it. It actually seems very nice. My first impression was that it's a bit dull. But that is mostly because of the sand green included, which reminds me of the Brick Bank and Boutique Hotel.
Now I'm applaud them for using Sand Green because of the availability of the grooved bricks and the 1 x 8 brick. Very happy with that!

Day 1 purchase as always here (its always a late Christmas present from my partner) although it does look a lot like the hotel in terms of the form and scale - slightly irrelevant for me as it will probably be over the other side of my town and my hotel has been vastly extended and modified in any case. I will have to have a re-plan though as that alleyway really needs to lead somewhere...

I have been hoping that TLG would produce pieces that could be used to build a marching band. The uniforms and hats are great. The brick built instruments work for some of the horn section, but where are the DRUMS? A marching band needs DRUMS. I would expect a big bass drum that fits over the neck and shoulders of a minifigure and a snare or tom-tom attached at the waist. Come on guys.. we need drums!

@macdavid said:
"I have been hoping that TLG would produce pieces that could be used to build a marching band. The uniforms and hats are great. The brick built instruments work for some of the horn section, but where are the DRUMS? A marching band needs DRUMS. I would expect a big bass drum that fits over the neck and shoulders of a minifigure and a snare or tom-tom attached at the waist. Come on guys.. we need drums!"

The drum and batons are on the second floor.

@Reventon said:
"It would be great to see a Cyberpunk style modular for once from Lego. The old style buildings are getting bit boring."

Luckily we have Lumibricks with exactly that but also with lighting system and half the price :)

@Your_Future_President said:
"Don’t understand all the hate…

I’m sure most those complaining couldn’t design a building at this complex of an angle if they tried…"

I totally agree with you...

@gylman said:
"I am puzzled by the negatives. I've collected all the modulars, and will get this one in duplicate. It's nice to have a unique physical layout for the building. Kudos to the designer. "

Just my $.02. The unique physical layout is nice. However, both of these buildings could have easily been converted into there own separate modular releases and done properly, with more building bricks (1x4,1x6,1x8, etc). I would gladly buy two modulars per year if they would do them properly instead of with cramped interiors and one part of the build being smaller than the other.

@Brickchap said:
" @CCC Sorry but the idea that fans are disliking sets purely for the sake of 'hating' TLG is ridiculous.

If us pesky AFOLs were all constantly raging at TLG then how come Tudor Corner was so popular?

I understand there are some 'serious collectors' out there but certainly for myself I buy modulars because I like them, not to collect them like football cards or something. I imagine most fans are like that. Even if you are a serious collector you should still be able to voice concerns about a set and be disappointed when it's not up to standard.

I don't think you intended it this way but you seem to imply that only people who like and are buying a set should comment on it.

There are plenty of fans who admit they cant afford a set but still love it.

Instead of blaming fans having opinions that arent 110% positive, one should consider lego's choices. They ARE making sets more expensive for no good reason. And they ARE making poor design decisions like fragile builds, odd colours or lacking detail. Non-lego brands are proving what is possible including for much cheaper, and as I said sometimes lego does gets it right (i.e Tudor Corner), which proves to us fans they are capable of doing so and therefore it is not unreasonable to expect them to continue that.

I agree that it is difficult to please everyone, but Jazz Club, NHM, Tudor Corner and Shopping Street all show distinct patterns (TC is loved, the other three are majority disliked for various reasons that are repeated throughout fan comments).

So Lego should learn from that, which is normally how a business works."

You can find just as many who like this set to those who don’t…so who should LEGO learn from?

@xurotaryrocket said:
" @gylman said:
"I am puzzled by the negatives. I've collected all the modulars, and will get this one in duplicate. It's nice to have a unique physical layout for the building. Kudos to the designer. "

Just my $.02. The unique physical layout is nice. However, both of these buildings could have easily been converted into there own separate modular releases and done properly, with more building bricks (1x4,1x6,1x8, etc). I would gladly buy two modulars per year if they would do them properly instead of with cramped interiors and one part of the build being smaller than the other."

No offense but that sounds incredibly boring to me. The angles, the varied heights and depths, those sort of things help the street feel varied and interesting instead of feeling like the same basic single-purpose rectangle year after year. If my priority were merely on filling physical space, I could buy plenty of basic building bricks on their own and build a flat rectangular building for far cheaper, but the appeal of the modular series to me is in its details, and mixing things up with different layouts and combinations of smaller businesses (not even for every modular, just every now and then) allows for so much more variety and visual interest than if the priority were on maximizing interior space at the expense of all of that.

@RTS013 said:
"Wow, these comments have really opened my eyes to how differently we all look at the modulars. We have completely different priorities. I was surprised to see so many negative comments, because my initial reaction was very positive. (Although, as I said in my earlier post, I'm both happy and really bummed that this is close to something I have been working on myself.) My thought was something along; yes, finally another one that isn't just a boring square box. But a lot of people seem to want exactly that, the largest possible cube on a baseplate to maximize interior space.

To me, the interior is important in the sense that I know it's there, filled with details. A hollow building would be a complete deal-breaker. But the interior size isn't that important to me. Yes, there need to be enough room to fit details in it, and to pose a few figures. But the bigger it gets, the more of it will just be left empty and soulless instead. If anything I like that this one, as Assembly Square, has more space in front of it. That means you can make more of a display scene there that you will see all the time, without having to separate floors. The back looks the same as most modulars to me, with a few studs of naked baseplate and less detail than the front.

So what is most important to you? Interior size? Overall silhouette? Symmetry / asymmetry? Height? Building techniques? Building experience? Facade detailing? Color combinations? Percentage of baseplate area occupied? Subject matter / type of businesses? Space in front of the building? Space behind the building? New features? New / unique / re-colored parts or prints? Interior access? Minifigs? Tie-ins with other modulars? It would be interesting with a poll on something like this, if possible. But it also seems like any form of consensus would be impossible, judging by this comments section!

The first priority for me is that the building is architecturally interesting to look at from the outside, the overall shape and silhouette. Tied into that is the building experience and techniques used, for example to create non-90-degree angles. Shopping Street seem to have that aplenty, which formed my initial reactions. But I still need to look at it more to fully shape my opinion."

I’m one of the people who thinks interiors aren’t that important. The only time I see them is when I take floors off to rearrange my city. I do like them in the sense that it adds to the building experience. But that’s really where it ends. For some reason building height really irks many. I don’t know where they live, but where I do there’s all sorts of height in a typical street here. What’s the point of having all the buildings be nearly the same height?my priority is a good looking building outside.

To me, the perfect example of interior use was Green Grocer. A bottom floor stocked with details since it was mostly windows. Then a few bits on the other floors giving us ideas of what’s going on.

The Assembly Square needed a bit more room to breathe (that's why I rotated the coffee shop building on a 32x32 baseplate), but I think this one does showcase a more 'realistic' not-grid layout for buildings, and I love it (reminds me of Europe)...

However, that back part...does not look good, and it is a disservice that it has the curved pieces because it's less easy to modify it naturally.

@StyleCounselor said:
"I like that they are trying something different.

I hate that they are trying something new- i.e., higher price.

Trying to decide is that cool GWP car is motivation for a introductory purchase.

I like the realism of bathrooms added. Yet, is it realistic to have wrap-around windows and facing your neighbors balcony graden whilst on the throne doing the king's business?

"Hey Bob, nice flowers."
"Back at ya, Bill. How's it going?"
"Not great. I think I need more fiber.""

Had I known that this was going to be the 2026 modular, I would have been jumping up and down for folks to pivot to the 910054 BDP Art Factory when it was available for crowd sourcing. I'm now so thankful that I bit the bullet and ordered that one (along with WAY too much from Series 6).

I can't put my finger on it, but I think I agree with folks that this has a Creator 3in1 feel to it. Maybe it's the rudimentary decorations (I barely liked those flags in the Grand Emporium) , the questionable use of space, or the "market street" MOC-ish design in places like the odd chunky hallway, etc. I find it telling that they never show a lifestyle shot of the back so I had to glean what I could from some of the overhead shots. The transitions around the hallway seem awkward, the backyard area seems to be a potential concern, and I'm struggling to understand the little fountain showcasing a statue (?) cat that looks like any of the other "real" cats roaming my city.

When I look back at the Detective's Office, Fire Brigade, Parisian Cafe, etc., I see amazing modulars. Jazz Club and Natural History Museum just seemed okay to me. I'm starting to wonder if this one is just not very good.

While there wasn't universal love for 10278 Police Station or 10224 Town Hall, for example, I actually really liked them. The station having a very clean, classic facade with its little pancaked cloud bushes, the laundromat and banner, the cleverly designed jailbreak, and the overall clean aesthetic. The Town Hall had such an interesting open air dynamic for public speaking, a super fun elevator, a fantastic bell tower, and once again just an overall great aesthetic.

I think I'm probably going to have to pass on the 2026 modular which makes me a little sad. At least the Jazz Club and Museum have been sitting in my Wish List. I'm not even sure I'm going to add this one. As a general rule, I try to always be on the same side as @DrDaveWatford so I will likely continue to question myself here, lol. :o)

@Lyichir said:
" @xurotaryrocket said:
" @gylman said:
"I am puzzled by the negatives. I've collected all the modulars, and will get this one in duplicate. It's nice to have a unique physical layout for the building. Kudos to the designer. "

Just my $.02. The unique physical layout is nice. However, both of these buildings could have easily been converted into there own separate modular releases and done properly, with more building bricks (1x4,1x6,1x8, etc). I would gladly buy two modulars per year if they would do them properly instead of with cramped interiors and one part of the build being smaller than the other."

No offense but that sounds incredibly boring to me. The angles, the varied heights and depths, those sort of things help the street feel varied and interesting instead of feeling like the same basic single-purpose rectangle year after year. If my priority were merely on filling physical space, I could buy plenty of basic building bricks on their own and build a flat rectangular building for far cheaper, but the appeal of the modular series to me is in its details, and mixing things up with different layouts and combinations of smaller businesses (not even for every modular, just every now and then) allows for so much more variety and visual interest than if the priority were on maximizing interior space at the expense of all of that."

I said nothing about basic rectangles. Each building could be done slightly larger with the same variation in angles etc. Nothing lost.

@StyleCounselor said:
"I like that they are trying something different.

I hate that they are trying something new- i.e., higher price.

Trying to decide is that cool GWP car is motivation for a introductory purchase.

I like the realism of bathrooms added. Yet, is it realistic to have wrap-around windows and facing your neighbors balcony graden whilst on the throne doing the king's business?

"Hey Bob, nice flowers."
"Back at ya, Bill. How's it going?"
"Not great. I think I need more fiber.""

You'll spend 35-40 bucks to buy the GWP on Ebay. Take that off the purchase price of the set and bang, Bob's your mother's brother, the set only cost $210.00.

Nice to see the sand green elements make a return.

Unfortunately though, the modular as a whole is a disappointment. While it has more pieces than previous 32x32 modulars it feels far less substantial. Too much dead space and cramped, small interiors. And the extra height compounds this feeling.

I’ve bought almost every modular (missing green grocer ironically enough) but this will only be after a steep discount.

I'd rate it a 6/10.

It looks decent but it's clear that the designer didn't put much thought or consideration into how it would work into existing modular cities, the overall layout or the subject matter being presented. Worse still, it's impossible not to notice the blatant similarities it shares to other recent modular sets. Needless to say, this one wasn't a labor of love. It's derivative, at best.

Above all, the layout makes no sense. It seems like the designer was so focused on making it work that they didn't stop to think about what they were actually working toward. In fact, it's so bad that I honestly started laughing (for real). Due to all of the wasted space and inflated part counts from 1x2 round plates to accommodate the wall angles, the carpenter has to...

1) Walk outside, leaving her own store.
2) Enter the music store.
3) Haul wood and building materials with her up the rounded stairs through the upper music store level to reach her workshop.

From there, she either needs to drag the completed furniture back down the stairs and through the music store being careful not to damage anything, or:

1) Drag it up more stairs through a bedroom.
2) Bring it outside.
3) Haul it through a bunch of pigeon crap.
4) Lower it to the street via a pulley, making sure not to damage the cat monument below her, while pigeons are crapping all over everything.

I suspect that the only reason anyone would buy her crap-ridden furniture is purely out of sympathy.

The cherry on top is the toilet surrounded by windows on three sides and the bed immediately next to the stairwell (that also happens to be the same height of the safety railing).

Moving on... It appears that the furniture side is about the same height as the pizzeria side of the Jazz Club, so it's bound to have the same height difference issues. It would've been forgivable if the designer had reversed the layout so that it could be connected to the Jazz Club, rather than repeating the exact same mistake.

Finally, the music selection doesn't make much sense relative to the subject matter. It would've been incredible to receive new instrument molds but I guess that would take away from another wheel rim variation something. The Trumpet and Trombone make sense. I'm assuming the black one is meant to be a Clarinet. The Sousaphone is commonly used in marching bands in place of the Tuba, so that makes sense. However, the French Horn is a concert instrument--the right hand goes in the bell and the bell is below the shoulder, so marching bands are going to use a Mellophone.

It's even more confusing given the conductor podium on the second floor (surrounded by the bad, red tiling). What the hell...?

@Vindicare said:

You can find just as many who like this set to those who don’t…so who should LEGO learn from?

]]

Not true. I've read the comments here on Brickset, across a number of Youtube channels, various Instagram posts, all of them the overwhelming majority keep bringing up the same concerns:
Disappointing, looks like a moc/rebrickable, colours arent right, too cramped/did it need that many angles, price increase etc.
Yes, there are some that like it, but it is definitely say 85%-90% negative or mostly negative feedback. By mostly negative I refer to comments that acknowledge some positives but still have serious concerns.

Tudor Corner however majority feedback was very positive. If you want to like Shopping Street that's completely fine, but please dont say theres 50% who like it cause thats just not the case.

Oh and side note, these sources arent ones I picked for disliking Shopping Street they are just general posts or reviews about it and Ive read the comments. If most people liked this modular I wouldnt have made my earlier remark.

@Darth_Dee:
Okay, I expected that to be the designer video. Had to rewind a bit to get to the point you mentioned (it started around 3:00 in), but you had to go to Singapore to find it? They don’t have room for redundant instruments! They’re a tiny little island city-state!

But seriously, there are obviously going to be different philosophies on this, since there are three different forward-facing options for matching, at least one of which requires learning to play in a different key. And I just learned about a special marching style trombone, which has a much smaller, more complicated form factor, because the drum and bugle corps rules got updated to say the bell had to be the most forward part of the instrument (yet another reason French horns aren’t used much in marching bands), which doesn’t even make sense for a trombone!

I’m curious, though. You said you’re a band conductor. What division? I still don’t understand it, considering how small a resort town I grew up in up on, but my high school band was Division I, and the crown molding in our practice room was lined with a ton of first rating trophies for marching/concert/jazz band, and just a tiny handful of second rating trophies, most (possibly all) of which were earned under the conductor who retired at the end of my senior year. He got all those first ratings by never giving us the easy stuff. Could be he made the horn section switch instruments because it’s something they might have to learn to do if they decided to play professionally. Or could be because there were only three of them, and they would have been overpowered by the rest of the marching band.

@Vindicare said:
"You can find just as many who like this set to those who don’t…so who should LEGO learn from?"

Yes.

@crazylegoman said:
"LEGO makes an actual saxophone part, but they didn't include it in the instrument store... that seems odd."

It doesn't seem all that odd to me, as it would be a bit weird to have a specially-molded instrument among all the brick-built ones.

@Darth_Dee:
Gah! I was rushing to get ready before heading out to my 19th setup this year, when I watched that video. I don’t know how I got that it was from Singapore, but when I went to close the window I saw it was Tokyo. Still not a lot of empty space to spread things out, but probably not as bad as Singapore.

@oldtodd33 said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"I like that they are trying something different.

I hate that they are trying something new- i.e., higher price.

Trying to decide is that cool GWP car is motivation for a introductory purchase.

I like the realism of bathrooms added. Yet, is it realistic to have wrap-around windows and facing your neighbors balcony graden whilst on the throne doing the king's business?

"Hey Bob, nice flowers."
"Back at ya, Bill. How's it going?"
"Not great. I think I need more fiber.""

You'll spend 35-40 bucks to buy the GWP on Ebay. Take that off the purchase price of the set and bang, Bob's your mother's brother, the set only cost $210.00. "

That's the rub, isn't it, Bob? If you want the car, it makes sense to buy the house.

EDIT: It appears from the Lego site that the GWP is NOT tied to this set, but for any $200 purchase. If so, I'm fine waiting on this for discounts.

@yellowcastle said:
" @StyleCounselor said:
"I like that they are trying something different.

I hate that they are trying something new- i.e., higher price.

Trying to decide is that cool GWP car is motivation for a introductory purchase.

I like the realism of bathrooms added. Yet, is it realistic to have wrap-around windows and facing your neighbors balcony graden whilst on the throne doing the king's business?

"Hey Bob, nice flowers."
"Back at ya, Bill. How's it going?"
"Not great. I think I need more fiber.""

Had I known that this was going to be the 2026 modular, I would have been jumping up and down for folks to pivot to the 910054 BDP Art Factory when it was available for crowd sourcing. I'm now so thankful that I bit the bullet and ordered that one (along with WAY too much from Series 6).

I can't put my finger on it, but I think I agree with folks that this has a Creator 3in1 feel to it. Maybe it's the rudimentary decorations (I barely liked those flags in the Grand Emporium) , the questionable use of space, or the "market street" MOC-ish design in places like the odd chunky hallway, etc. I find it telling that they never show a lifestyle shot of the back so I had to glean what I could from some of the overhead shots. The transitions around the hallway seem awkward, the backyard area seems to be a potential concern, and I'm struggling to understand the little fountain showcasing a statue (?) cat that looks like any of the other "real" cats roaming my city.

When I look back at the Detective's Office, Fire Brigade, Parisian Cafe, etc., I see amazing modulars. Jazz Club and Natural History Museum just seemed okay to me. I'm starting to wonder if this one is just not very good.

While there wasn't universal love for 10278 Police Station or 10224 Town Hall, for example, I actually really liked them. The station having a very clean, classic facade with its little pancaked cloud bushes, the laundromat and banner, the cleverly designed jailbreak, and the overall clean aesthetic. The Town Hall had such an interesting open air dynamic for public speaking, a super fun elevator, a fantastic bell tower, and once again just an overall great aesthetic.

I think I'm probably going to have to pass on the 2026 modular which makes me a little sad. At least the Jazz Club and Museum have been sitting in my Wish List. I'm not even sure I'm going to add this one. As a general rule, I try to always be on the same side as @DrDaveWatford so I will likely continue to question myself here, lol. :o)"

I tend to agree with @theJANG . There's a lifestyle video that shows the back it is pretty plain.

Given that the GWP appears not to be tied to this, it'll go on the dreaded want list (4 currently).

I do like it. Yet, it's amazing that BLDP sets are so much more detailed and interesting. Probably should get around to building one- looking at you, Transylvania. Although, for the season, it should indubitably be 910004 : Winter Chalet or 910039 : The Art of Chocolate.