Truck driver spent 21 years carving a 'mini' New York from wood — his miniature city is on display at a museum

Every hobby and mission needs to be fueled by a passion and determination that is unshakeable. Clifton Park’s Joe Macken has been dedicating 21 years of his life to a project dear to his heart, reported PEOPLE. The truck driver has been creating a detailed mini New York in his basement, mapping out each building with incredible precision. The model, 50 feet by 27 feet, began back in 2004, according to the Museum of the City of New York. The artist initially intended to build just the Rockefeller Center. Since then, using everyday materials, Macken ended up creating the heart of the Big Apple, one building at a time. 

It all started years before with a stick-structure out of Popsicle sticks, reported The Guardian. Unfortunately, when he moved, the structure crumbled. However, Macken didn’t lose heart; he started from scratch with a determination to create something better. “I just started cutting one little house at a time.” Using wood, cardboard, other simple materials, and around 10 years of his time, he created a mini version of Manhattan. He went on to cover the rest of New York in the next decade. A clip shared by CBS News features the finger-sized buildings, bridges, and roads, neatly arranged on smaller squares to create the city.  

“I was just gonna look at it. I don’t know what I was gonna do. I had no plans. I mean, I never imagined it being in a museum,” he mentioned. The model, which now has around 1 million structures, was put on display in the Museum of New York. The mission stemmed from his childhood memories, a dream, and a passion. While growing up, Macken enjoyed the view of the Twin Towers from his bedroom window. And so he knew it had to be in his project. “No matter what, the [former] World Trade Center was going to be in there. That was just a personal thing I wanted to do,” he remarked. 

Now on display, artists and enthusiasts are taken aback by the piece of New York that his work gives. Elisabeth Sherman, MCNY’s deputy director and chief curator, commended Macken’s work. “I’ve been thinking a lot about how knowable and unknowable New York City is to all of us, whether we’re from here or just have a mental picture of this place,” she said. Perceiving how the artwork gives a glimpse of the city, she added, “It is immediately resonant, and yet so hard to grasp. Joe did that in his own way, and now we all get to participate and appreciate it for ourselves.”

According to Architectural Digest, the author of “A History of New York in 27 Buildings,” Sam Roberts, mentioned that there are around 700,000 buildings in New York, based on his 50-year-long research. He picked 27, depending on what he thought best encompassed the city. He noted that the 400-year-old rich history of New York City stems from the lives of the people while also shaping them. “Writing about artifacts and buildings turns out to be a lot like writing biographies: You are looking behind the veneer of inanimate objects and discovering that they have lives of their own,” he explained. 

According to a study by Columbia University in New York, for the last 200 years, the city has been competing to be known as one of the best in commerce, finance, and more. Right from its ports, architecture history, market and trade functioning, and more, it has become a central point of the United States, and to rebuild a glimpse of this with all its detail and flourishing, adding history and memory truly takes remarkable passion. The dedication, time, and patience it took to make something so complex look magnificently simple have the internet in awe. Samantha Ross wrote, “This is miraculous. What a meditation in art.” Amy Yngsdal added, “I LOVE the fact he built the old WTC Twin Towers, and added the 1 WTC. Totally keeping the old and new!” 

You can follow Joe Macken (@macken3991) on Instagram for more content on art and architecture. 

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