Here are four of the new LEGO Friends that are well worth adding to your city layout, as the theme continues to offer some of the best real-world location models.
LEGO Friends is one of the LEGO Group’s longest running themes. Since its debut in 2012, LEGO Friends has more than proved itself, delivering fresh and creative LEGO sets for more than a decade. Long gone are the days when LEGO Friends sets were solely dominated by bright pinks, blues, and purples.
While those vibrant LEGO colours are still used, LEGO Friends sets today are built and designed with a wider range of colours, resulting in more appealing builds. Many of the 2023 LEGO Friends sets are perfect to add to any city layout, with many offering more detail than set in the LEGO City theme.
Blocks, the monthly LEGO magazine, picks the top LEGO Friends sets for any LEGO city layout available now…
41757 Botanical Garden
41757 Botanical Garden stands out not only from other LEGO Friends sets, but is one of the best LEGO sets available now thanks to its elegant build and striking colour scheme. The white walls and sand green windows are classy, and the clear half-dome allows you to see the interior.
Inside, you’ll find all sorts of interesting LEGO pieces used to create diverse plant-life and the pond outside is a nice touch. 41757 will be perfect alongside other buildings in a LEGO city layout, especially if you build a nice park area around it.
41737 Beach Amusement Park
If you’re looking for a LEGO set that screams ‘fun’ then look no further than 41737 Beach Amusement Park. There’s lots to do for mini-dolls and minifigures alike – take a ride on a giant seahorse, grab a smoothie or practice surfing. What makes 41737 unique is that no other LEGO theme has ever done a set quite like this. There are no beach front boardwalk amusement parks available from LEGO City or even Creator. While there are touches that are specific to LEGO Friends, like the mini-doll on the large screen between the speakers, 41737 will pair nicely with any LEGO City of LEGO Creator amusement park and fairground sets.
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41744 Sports Center
To say that 41744 Sports Center is a ‘multi-purpose facility’ would be an understatement. 41744 is able to pack in soccer, tennis, basketball, boxing, exercising and rock climbing, all in one LEGO set. The unexpected colour scheme of coral, neon-yellow, blue, and white unexpectedly works, making sure this LEGO Friends set will stand out amongst other LEGO structures and buildings. Lastly, the oversized soccer, basketball, and tennis balls make for striking signage, establishing 41744 as the only sport facility you’ll need in your LEGO city.
41747 Heartlake City Community Kitchen
LEGO Friends is known for bright colours, and in the case of 41747 Heartlake City Community Kitchen, they work. ‘The Kitchen’ is a hispanic-inspired restaurant, so the brighter and more vibrant the colours, the better. While primarily three different shades of purple, hints of blue and orange pop, delivering the vibrancy this type of building requires.
The size of 41747 is manageable and would fit percently at the end of a row of LEGO buildings. The LEGO Group has produced numerous pizza parlour sets and more generic restaurants, but never before has there been an entire build dedicated to hispanic cuisine. Where else can you get a brick-built tortilla press?
More than a decade later, it seems that LEGO fans are finally starting to appreciate the unique and quality builds that Friends has to offer. While LEGO City and Creator builds are most commonly used in LEGO city layouts, LEGO Friends offers locations, environments and vehicles that can’t be found in other LEGO themes.
Which of the LEGO Friends sets will you be picking up? Let Blocks know on any of our social media channels!