Do city sets work well with modular sets?

flyernut

I'm curious if anyone has examples of layouts that combine both city and modular buildings. I'm about to build my first layout and have the newer modular buildings (fire brigade on up) and several city sets. As the buildings are typically different heights and styles I wonder if they'd look odd together. Or maybe an old city section of town and a new section?

bricksan

I started trying to mix city sets with modulars but for me personally they don't go so re-started doing a city with modulars only

beegeedee

The modulars might mix well with some of the creator houses like the Apple tree house and hillside house.

piratemania7

beegeedee said:

The modulars might mix well with some of the creator houses like the Apple tree house and hillside house.

I would agree with this - the creator sets will offer more of that refined, almost Scandinanvian Minimalist look, this would probably be your best bet.

mr_benn

There are some really good examples of modulars that have been made using the city and creator sets as a starting point. Here's one I did using Olivia's House from the Friends line -

eurobricks.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=76723

whilst there was a bit of work making it properly modular (i.e a solid building with interior from front to back) all you actually need to do if you want the facade is stick a pavement on the front of the original model and pile three of the interior modules up to modular level - it won't be that obvious there's no back on there.

Oldfan

I see the Modular buildings as "the old downtown" (especially with the FB and Town Hall being so obviously from another era), and the City sets as more suburban or "not quite in the downtown area". So, I'd set up the Modulars on one street, and the gas station, police station, fire house, misc houses, etc. on the outskirts.

If I had the room to do so, that is...

Starik20X7

The Modulars are the center piece of my City layout. They provide a great architectural contrast and really make it seem like my city has been around for a long time. Plus, they're full of playability: I've lost count of the number of times Batman has interrogated crooks by dangling them off the roof of the Grand Emporium, or Magneto has sent Iron Man flying through the Café Corner's hotel sign.

Si_UKNZ

The bank looks good with modulars
http://www.brickset.com/detail/?Set=3661-1

Then again, like most things, it looks bettter when turned into a modular.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/38732684@N05/5473876338
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ambo100/5483654934/sizes/z/in/photostream/

AFFOL_Shellz_Bellz

We use some city sets with our modulars. Some fit better than others. Separating them by a street makes it look like the town grew gradually, as towns do, so the buildings being different scale looks the normal change in architectural styles. Tried to post photo, but failed.

dejavu

I've been de-winterizing the Winter village set so it could be down the road from the Modular Main Street and have even considered whether the Friends cafe would look too awful stuck in somewhere further down. Si-I love the bank turned into a modular. Certainly, the real town where I live has an old-style main street, with new buildings further from the center of town, including a What-A-Burger that definitely doesn't fit in with the rest of the architecture. I have my Creator buildings further out from town, like lakefront properties might be. Haven't bought any of the City buildings yet but now I'm encouraged. Don-da-don-don. DON.

llanowarsoldier

I actually took the bank from the Batmobile/Two-Face set and the one from set 3661 and made my own custom Bank Modular using a lot of the elements from both like the safe's, ATM, Teller Station. It's only a 16 wide though. The bottom floor is the color from the batmobile set while the top 2 floors are the Sand Blue color. Granted it isn't as detailed as other modulars but I think it looks great for now. I will always be improving on it. I hope to get a picture of it soon. I also have it next to the Town Hall and where the Palace Cinema will go once I get it.

StompingFreak

Slighty off topic, but why is cafe conner so expencive to buy?

dougts

^ supply and demand?

the set has been retired for almost 4 years, there probably weren't that many stashed away for secondary sale back at that time, and now a lot of people want it to add to and/or complete their modular collection.

StompingFreak

dougts said:

^ supply and demand?

the set has been retired for almost 4 years, there probably weren't that many stashed away for secondary sale back at that time, and now a lot of people want it to add to and/or complete their modular collection.

But 3grand.... that's mental. I would pay up to 250-300 but the prices on older sets are beyond a joke.

dougts

well you can always choose not to buy them. that's what I did when I got back into LEGO. too many current/future sets to chase to be bothered by chasing past ones...

I'd also say that this type of thing is the extreme case scenario. the vast majority of sets retired in the last 10 years can be had for slightly more than original retail or even lower.

Si_UKNZ

It's like saying why spend a grand on a fine wine. Of course it's ridiculous, but if it's that good, then you pay what you need to pay to get it. And if you're really feeling flush, you actually open it :)
Not that I believe that any actually sell for 3 grand, mind.

Pitfall69

There will always be someone that will shell out the money for such a set.

beegeedee

it'd probably be cheaper to bricklink the parts too than shell out 3k for it. it'd still cost a few quid like.