An American truck driver has captured the imagination of social media users around the world after building a massive wooden model of New York City over the course of two decades.
Joe Mackin, who works as a food delivery driver by day, spent the past 21 years meticulously crafting a detailed replica of the city from dry wood — a project that began as a hobby but has since turned into a lifelong passion.
The project, which started in 2004, initially focused on Manhattan and took 12 years to complete, including a detailed model of the Rockefeller Center. Over time, Mackin expanded his work to include parts of Staten Island, Brooklyn, Queens, Long Island, the Bronx, and even New Jersey.
The finished model now spans approximately 50 feet in length and 30 feet in width, depicting an estimated 100,000 buildings. Mackin, who has no formal training in architecture or carpentry, taught himself the necessary techniques, gradually evolving from carving individual structures to cutting hundreds of houses from a single piece of wood — a process that still takes weeks.
Speaking to local media, Mackin shared that he often worked overnight and used nearly all his free time to build the model after finishing his early morning delivery shifts. “It was never about money. I just love doing it,” he said.
Over the years, he estimates having spent between $20,000 to $40,000 on materials, though most of his investment was in time and dedication.
The model is currently housed in a storage unit as its size makes it difficult to accommodate in most museums. Despite this, the project has gained widespread attention online, with users hailing Mackin as a “living legend.” The official YouTube account even suggested that the work deserves a permanent home in a museum exhibit.
Mackin has expressed hope that one day his creation can be displayed publicly, ideally in a space that can do justice to the scale and intricacy of his 21-year effort.
