Okay, so I decided to try and build something massive in Infinity Craft, and New York City just popped into my head. It sounded like a fun, if slightly crazy, project.
Getting Started: Location and Resources
First thing I did was scout for a good spot. Needed a huge flat area, preferably near water on one side, kinda like Manhattan. Found a decent plains biome next to a large ocean, spent a good while flattening it out even more, clearing trees, filling holes. Tedious work, honestly.
Then came the resource grind. Man, oh man, the resources. I knew I’d need insane amounts, mostly stone types, glass, and something dark for roads. I basically set up camp near a mountain range and just mined for days. Cobblestone, granite, diorite, andesite – took it all. Smelted stacks and stacks of sand into glass. Found some coal blocks, thought they might work for asphalt.
- Collected tons of stone variants (grey stuff mostly).
- Made an absolute mountain of glass blocks.
- Grabbed dark blocks like coal or maybe black wool for roads.
- Needed some wood and brick for older style buildings too.
Laying the Groundwork: Streets and First Buildings
With chests overflowing, I went back to my flattened area. I started laying out a basic grid pattern for the streets. Didn’t measure perfectly, just eyeballed it to get that blocky Manhattan feel. Used those coal blocks for the roads, leaving space for sidewalks.
Decided to start with something iconic, you know? Figured I’d try a rough version of the Empire State Building first. It helped set the scale. Didn’t go for exact detail, just the general shape and height relative to other things I planned. Lots of grey blocks, lots of vertical lines. Took ages just getting the basic shell up.
Building Upwards: Skyscrapers and Variety
After the first big one, it was kinda rinse and repeat for a bit, but with variations. Started adding more skyscrapers. The key was making them different heights and tops. Some pointy, some flat, some with antennas (used fence posts and iron bars). Mostly used stone and glass, tried mixing in quartz for some of the more modern-looking ones. It’s easy to make them all look the same, so I consciously tried to mix up the window patterns and block choices slightly.
It wasn’t all massive towers, though. I started filling in lower sections with smaller buildings. Tried making some brownstone-type houses using brick blocks and stairs for details. Added some medium-sized apartment blocks too, using different colored terracotta or concrete blocks I crafted to break the monotony of grey.
Adding Details and Finishing Touches
A city needs more than just buildings. I laid down stone slabs for sidewalks along the grid roads. Tried putting up simple streetlights using fence posts topped with glowstone or lanterns. Looked okay at night.
I even cleared a huge rectangular area in the middle and filled it with grass blocks, dirt paths, and some trees – my version of Central Park. It really helped break up the density.
Built a simple bridge shape going over the water too, just a basic arch structure, nothing too fancy.
The Result (So Far)
It’s nowhere near a perfect replica, obviously. The scale is off, the details are basic blocky approximations. But standing back and looking at it, you get the vibe. You see the dense cluster of tall buildings, the grid layout, the park, the water. It feels like a city skyline.
Took a long, long time, mostly gathering and repetitive building, but seeing it come together, even in a blocky game world, was pretty satisfying. Still loads more I could add or refine, but for now, I’m calling this version of New York done. It was quite the undertaking!
