Is This the Next Top Model in NYC?

For over two decades, Joe McKen has dedicated himself to crafting intricate 3D replicas of New York City.

His latest endeavor, showcased in a recent TikTok video, features around 1 million buildings across all five boroughs, including areas often overlooked like Staten Island, New Jersey, Westchester, and Long Island.

“It was quite a journey. I just kept building and building,” the 63-year-old truck driver shared about his ambitious project. “I never imagined I’d end up with the whole thing.”

This extensive diorama, measuring 30 feet wide and 50 feet long, is currently housed in a storage unit near his home in Clifton Park, about 20 miles north of Albany.

The scale of this project is truly impressive.

“Every minute of my free time is devoted to this, and it’s grown over the years,” said McKen.

The detailed tribute captures everything from the distinctive Astoria neighborhoods in Queens to the iconic United Nations Building and Central Park in Manhattan. Interestingly, it took 12 years just to recreate Central Park’s skyline from scratch.

“If you’re flying over Central Park, you can see it,” he commented proudly.

McKen’s work has sparked considerable excitement online, with TikTok viewers dubbing him a “living legend” and urging cultural institutions in NYC to display his tribute to the Big Apple.

With over 12,000 comments praising his creation as “incredibly impressive,” viewers expressed a strong desire for a museum to showcase it.

Remarkably, McKen, who has no formal training in engineering or architecture, has achieved this as a truck driver.

“I was mostly driven by my fascination with the skyline,” he admitted.

After relocating from Queens to upstate New York two decades ago, he embarked on this project as a “hobby,” inspired by viewing the Manhattan skyline from his bedroom window and watching a historic NYC documentary.

He began *building* in April 2004, starting with the RCA Building, or Rockefeller Center, and dedicated his nights to constructing one building at a time.

In no time, he had recreated 30 Rock, leading him to expand uptown.

A year or two later, he’d completed the entire Midtown area, including the Empire State Building and more.

After wrapping up Manhattan in 2016, McKen shifted his focus to the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and finally Staten Island.

His craftsmanship shines through, remarkably using materials from local art supply stores.

“In about 12 to 15 hours, I can create a section that includes 1,500 to 2,000 homes,” he explained.

Utilizing simple supplies like Elmer’s glue, sandpaper, and a modest brush set, he emphasized that expensive materials weren’t necessary.

As he honed his techniques, he became more efficient in his work.

“I’ve become better at this and found quicker ways to build,” McKen noted.

He developed a method where he could sculpt buildings from the same wood to streamline the process.

Some viewers even calculated that to create this expansive model, he would have needed to construct 137 buildings per day over 21 years, but McKen mentioned there are factors that could skew this perception.

While shortcuts helped in some neighborhoods, he dedicated two whole years to the Bronx, with each skyscraper needing careful custom work.

He remarked on the distinct requirements for buildings like the tapered Freedom Tower.

Juggling his time has been challenging. McKen has a family with a wife and three children and juggles multiple jobs, delivering food and drinks during the week and driving luxury buses on weekends.

“Sometimes, I stay up all night just building. I wake up early on weekends to work for about four hours when I can,” he shared. “Every moment of free time I get, I commit to this, and it has accumulated over time.”

Unfortunately, despite its growing demands for exhibition, McKen noted that the scale of his project poses transport challenges.

“I made it large, so finding a space to set it up is tough,” he lamented. “Transporting it will take about three days.”

Meanwhile, he has plans to expand his model-building projects to include other cities too.

His next venture? Minneapolis, inspired by watching “The Mary Tyler Moore Show” as a child. However, he anticipates this smaller city project will take only about two years to complete.