The LEGO Neighborhood Book Review

“Build your own town!”

If you’ve ever looked at a pile of LEGOs and envisioned an entire neighborhood, the have we ever got the book for you. Those of you who like to by a set of bricks, build them to the included specifications, and then place it on a shelf never to be touched again may need to look away, as this is a book for those builders who deal in creating their own possibilities. Created by Brian Lyles and Jason Lyles, The LEGO Neighborhood Book is less a how-to book than it is a how to get started, and the included photos of the imaginative creation they’ve turned their bricks into are nothing if not inspiring.

The LEGO Neighborhood Book is about creating an entire neighborhood, town, etc. out of LEGO bricks. While sets like the pre-packaged LEGO Firehouse or Police Station or any other number of sets are a great starter for those who want to create their own city but really don’t know how, this book isn’t about those. Rather, it’s about finding places that interest you – a distinctive neighborhood, a stately Victorian, a sleek office building – and then recreating them with LEGO bricks. In fact, the authors suggest that, to get started, you simply take your camera and go out, taking pictures of the buildings that interest you along the way.

Of course, translating a photo of that cool old house down the street into a plastic brick creation isn’t exactly an easy task. And so, The LEGO Neighborhood Book gives you some really handy pointers on how to go about doing exactly that. From practical tips like what size base to use for buildings or how to connect stories, to more artistic decisions like color and plant life, it covers the basic steps you’ll need to consider before begin your own kind of construction. And while the book is mainly about giving you a jumping off point for designing your own creations, it wouldn’t be a LEGO book without a few building guides to get you started. You’ll find helpful step-by-step instructions to get your neighborhood started with a corner drug store, a small house, and plenty of accessories for inside and out.

The LEGO Neighborhood Book is a great resource for LEGO aficionados of all ages. With useful tips on how to start making your own large scale creations, combined with handy step-by-step instructions that will get you well on your way, it’s a great gift for LEGO fans who like to get creative with their bricks.