Set Review ➟ LEGO® Creator 31097 Market Street
In this review we look at the second build of the 3-in-1 LEGO Creator Townhouse Pet Shop and Cafe. As with the first build of the set, the building modules will attach to other building assemblies in this build. The designs of this set of buildings however does not allow for module stacking. LEGO refers to this assembly as “Market Street”. Notably, there is no market on Market Street.
Barber Shop
The first building to assemble is the barber shop. It is assembled in two steps, first being the lower part of the shop and second being the roof portion.
The interior provides two barber chairs, a bench seat, mirrors, tonics, and proper scissor storage. The roof provides an eating area with two seats and a small table. There is also a raised bed with flowers. As with the building modules in the first build, the interior spaces are fairly cramped.
The exterior of the building boasts clever assemblies for a comb and pair of scissors which act as the signage for the shop. There also appears to be a parking meter at the street and some sort of box attached to the building. I could imagine this as a night deposit box on a bank; I have no idea what this would be on a barber shop.
As with the earlier build, this build has lots of fanciful and clever design touches. There is a downside, though. Many of the attachment points are single-stud only: the parking meter, scissors sign, comb sign, and the two barber chairs. These easily get bumped out of position or knocked off. If you put a figure in a barber chair, expect the chair to come off its base stud instead of the figure coming off the chair when removing the figure.
Dentist
The second building to assemble is the dentist’s office. As with the barber shop, the dentist’s is built in two sections: the lower part and the roof. The office packs a lot into a small space: a chair for the patient, a seat for the hygenist, the lamp, some sorts of cabinetry, a table lamp, and a computer screen. The interior space is very tight and having a minifigure stand anywhere in this area is difficult. It is also the first dentist I have ever seen where the patient is on public display in the front window. The roof is simple with a giant tooth and toothbrush for signage. The street side of the building has an opening door, planter, lamppost and a brick-built dog. This module does not have the single-attachment-point problems of the barber shop section.
Tram Stop
The final building to assemble is the tram stop. This is a very simple build compared to the other two building sections. The street section contains a planter, a one-point-attachment which tends to get knocked off easily. The bird-in-tree motif reappears from the first build, here on the roof of the stop, but this time with a gray bird.
Your minifig will again be in a tight space if she needs to get a ticket. One arm will be required to be raised over her head to fit the three-stud-wide area in front of the ticket machine.
The stop sits on a raised platform to accommodate the pins used to attach the module sections together. I guess for fun, LEGO designers decided to include the remnants of Jimmy Hoffa under the platform. It is kind of a shame that this detail becomes hidden.
Tram
Tram assembly completes Market Street. The tram is a lovely design, but again really to small to easily accommodate the minifigs. Minifigs can sort of ride half-in and half-out. The little girl’s hair is wide and you can barely fit her into the tram by carefully twisting her around the wall of the car. The center of the tram is only two studs wide, so placing a figure in the middle of the tram requires disassembling the tram, and even with that the minifig’s head is likely to hit the roof if you expect the figure to stand.
Summing up
The summary for Market Street is basically the same as the summary for the Townhouse build of this set: lots of charm, an easy build, but a bit tight for play. Lack of minifigures again disappoints. If a barber and a dental hygienist were included, then the play factor would be greatly enhanced. Note, in the great pantheon of LEGO minifigures there is one barber, one dentist, six-hundred-thousand-forty-seven policemen and firemen, some idiot in a watermelon suit, and zero dental hygienists and eye doctors. How about LEGO makes us some dentists, barbers, and hygienist minifigs?
Thanks to LEGO for providing this set. All my thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are heavily influenced by root beer and a lack of sleep.
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