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From the imagination of the late Scott Saylors, and the designs of Patrick Wilson for Studio 33 Productions, comes Mean Streets, the first comprehensive effort to provide Gangster, Pulp Fiction, Sci-Fi and Horror gamers with the period urban environment crucial to their miniatures scenarios. Rules and figures for these have come and gone, but never before have the city streets, buildings, sidewalks, alleys, etc, so vital to the look and success of these games been available with such comprehensive detail and affordability.
Mean Streets is a range of full color, self-assembly building models to be printed on card stock Block Sections in 1:60 scale (28mm), uniformly 10" square, though of variable height. Created using photographic textures and architectural features proper for the period of around 1920 to about 1950, the buildings have a look that can hardly be equaled in any other medium, and for far less cost, time, and effort. Each Block Section represents all walls and roofs of one or more buildings along one street side, then around the corners to the opposite side facing the next street. Four Block Sections may be fitted into a standardized Full Block
of 56" length and 14" width (including one 2" alley between each building, and a central alley 4" wide, with 2" wide sidewalks all around). Each Block Section may be bought separately, as may street surfaces, sidewalks, and much more, for those wishing the maximum variety in their own layouts.
The following Layout Schematic shows how to fit basic parts of the project together, but only hints at what can be done with the Block Sections and various accessories.
Only scissors, a craft or box knife, white glue, standard 3/16" (5mm) foam board or MDF, and optional heavy matte board, are required to build each Block Section into a permanent gaming accessory that will provide years of service for a fraction of the cost of other materials. Light weight but durable, a Mean Streets layout is easily transported to games and even conventions. No painting is required, and buildings come with their own signage, advertising art, and authentic period posters (especially the Movie and Burlesque theaters).
Most sides of each assembled Block Section may be seen via the photographs below. The Block Sections are listed with full particulars, though some are shown with Optional Rooftop Sheds, Water Towers, etc, which are available in a separate "Rooftop Structures" set.
Every item in Mean Streets has undergone a nearly total revision--some more than one!--with the emphasis on new and ever superior graphics, as well as simpler assembly. There may be some visual differences between the photographs of these prototype constructions and the product actually received, but the changes are all for the better. All photos which appear are of the new re-designs. TVAG also wishes to credit Messrs. Barry Cadwgan, Jon Lundberg, Patrick Connor, Brian
Weathersby, and Glen Allison for their contributions as test assemblers and photographers--Thank You, Gentlemen!
All portions of Mean Streets are provided as PDF's for self-printing. If you buy multiple PDF's, or the "Whole Town Deal", significant discounts are offered. When purchasing directly via our Shopping Cart, the option for "A4" or "Letter" sized formats via the drop-down menus is provided. Files are delivered via E-mail through the service "Transfer Big Files Free" as soon as the order is processed, eliminating postage costs for even greater savings.
ALL BLOCK SECTION PDF'S ARE $10.00 Each
The List of Block Sections 1-20 of Mean Streets.
Full details of businesses and features in each Block Section appear with their photos via these links.
Chinatown and Jewish Businesses!
Click Here To Skip Ahead to See "Mean Streets" Block Sections 21-33
Click Here To Skip Ahead to See "Mean Streets" Accessories: Streets, Sidewalks, Alleys,
Streetcar, & Graphic Files
The Block Sections
Block Section #1-- Consisting of The Diamond Ace, a Members Only Club featuring fine dining, dancing, good music, and... entertainments. This Building is 6.25" high, and the SMC Cartage Co. Garage & Lot (4" high), and the Carlington Hotel, which the charitable would call a "flop house" (7.5" high with 1.5" tall Roof Access shed on top). On the Carlington's ground floor, Mr. Farouk operates his Tobacco Shop where you can meet some of the most interesting people--especially very late at night. The SMC Cartage Company is authentically modeled on the site of the infamous "St. Valentine's Day Massacre" of 1929 (note the actual photo for comparison).
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.)
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Block Section #2-- Consisting of Anastasio's Apartments, None Finer Diner, Manzarelli's Market, Helth Ice Co., AAA Best Shoe Shop, Sbabaro's Funeral Home, and Scott's News Stand (all 5.75" high, except the Shoe Shop at 4.25" and the News Stand at 2"). The News Stand comes complete with newspapers in racks on the back wall and actual period "Spicy" Pulp Magazines on the counter and sidewalls. Manzarelli's Market is on the ground floor, while those above contain "Rooms To Let," the offices of "Antonio Falco, Attorney at Law," and Medium "Madame Gazonga's" Seance Room (very popular with the Ladies since Valentino went over). Sbabaro's is also accurately modeled after the actual building (note the photo) which was the site of Chicago's most famous Gangland Funerals--one of the few places where the Underworld Elite could meet on neutral turf--and give each other "The Look."
Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.
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Block Section #3-- Consisting of the Biograph Movie Theater (6" high), Mom & Pop Lepke's Market and Delicatessen, The Central Bus Terminal, and the 33rd Precinct Station. The Theater comes with a huge selection of authentic movie posters ready to hang out front, in the lobby and to put on the marquee. Lepke's windows are full of goodies, and just the place for a bag of sandwiches on long stake out nights. The very Art Deco Central Bus Terminal is a great place to drift into town from--or get out of quickly. The "The Green Light Hotel" gives your Police a place quickly to run in a suspect for some 3rd Degree "question and answer" games, and for other characters a room for the night. Buildings come with separate signs and advertisements.
Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.
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Block Section #4-- The Gaiety Theater (4.5" high at front, 7.5" at rear) occupies an entire Block Section and includes the blue tile for the lobby. An old fashioned House of Burlesque, it comes complete with period posters to hang, and even the Stage Door for that rendezvous with Trixie LaFleche after the last show.
Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Scott Colby.
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Block Section #5-- The Acme Warehouse (7" high at front, 3" at rear) occupies an entire Block Section. Tall front section with sloped rear roof and loading bay, this is
the perfect, innocent looking place to hide everything from your illegal Brewery to Fu Manchu's Electrostatic Krebulator/Cthulhoid Cult Temple/Shirley Temple Fan Club, or other sites of unspeakable horror!
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Patrick Connor.)
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Block Section #6--Police HQ & Central Fire Station (6" high all round) share a Block Section back-to-back. These three story buildings indicate entrances for Police
Headquarters, Central Booking, Prisoner Transfer (a likely location for some nasty scenes), the Fire Marshall's Office, as well bays for Fire Trucks. No layout is complete without these, for if you're going to have crime, you've got to have
a place for the Cops to eat donuts!
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Patrick Conner.)
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Block Section #7--The Levee No city with a river running through it can be complete without one. Smuggled Booze and other cargoes come into the city by water as often by land, and here is the way to incorporate this vital terrain into your layout. The PDF comes prints enough pieces to represent 20" of Levee, stream (out to a distance of 8" from its base), and asphalt topped Brick Street running parallel to it. One Ramp and 6" long Pier is included as well. This distance represents the same width of one Full Block plus 6" of Street to one side of it. Thus, for the entire Layout as pictured (above), 3 Levee Sections would provide the full 5.5"
necessary to make one end of front the River.
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Block Section #8--Federal Building & Police Garage also share this Block Section back-to-back. The Police Garage and Dispatcher's Office is 5" high, while the Federal Building (with Post Office) stands 7" high. The FBI, Federal Attorney, and Revenue Agents would all have their offices here. The Police Garage
is where all Patrol Cars, "Paddy Wagons," and Motorcycle Patrols would be centrally located, ready to come barreling out the doors and screaming onto the streets--just like in the movies!
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Glen Allison.)
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Block Section #9-- Light Industry & Warehouses are found here. Earl's Automobile and Truck Repair garage is next door to Kreplach's (makers of Barrels, Boxes, and
Bottles with all kinds of uses), and behind them are Kleinmann's Dry Storage, and Anselmi's & Scalise's Storage warehouse. Earl's side of the Block is 5" high, but the two Storage buildings are 7.5" high. All have multiple entrances and make
for a particularly tough looking part of town.
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Patrick Connor.)
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Block Section #10--
A block of Shops featuring "O'Banion & Schofield's Flower Shop" where "Deanie" O'Banion ran the North Side Gang of Chicago (until business took a turn for the worse for him there one day), and "Sports Incorporated," where upstanding merchant Peter von Frantzius kept the Capone Mob armed with the latest in high powered weaponry. Other shops include the Law Offices of "Dewey, Cheatham, & Howe," "Tip Top Barbershop," and "Sterlington's: Gems, Gold, & Jewelry." A mix of upscale and working man's services, this block can be in the busy heart of any city.
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.)
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Block Section 11--Chicago's own Holy Name Cathedral, outside of which Hymie "The Pole" Weiss and his party were shot down (leaving bullet holes in the wall for years after),
"Mean Streets" now has its own place of worship for your Irish, Polish, and Italian Businessmen to attend. An imposing structure, among the tallest in town, it has broad front steps for your bullet riddled worshipping convenience. Remember
Cagney's end in The Roaring Twenties?--"He used to be a Big Shot." Well, now you can take your own shot at last minute Salvation!
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Block Section 12-- Mama Lagano's Italian Restaurant is here, the perfect place for a great last meal before seeing that someone else has his last meal.
The upscale Barton Arms Apartments are a good place for the upwardly mobile hoodlum to hang his hat--or for an honest Police Detective, too. Of course every City needs its own Mission House/Soup Kitchen for those down-and-outers
passing through--and for a public relations conscious Gang Leader conspicuously to support. And, given the number of derelicts on this side of the block, a Derelict Building for them to hang their hats... if they haven't already hocked them.
Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.
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Block Section 13--Central Park-- A peaceful island of grass, and even trees and shrubs, in a brick and concrete sea. Just the place to go for a walk after lunch,
flirt with the young Nanny pushing the baby carriage, drop the ransom money in a bag under the big oak tree, or simply find the deceased in a garbage can with a canary in his mouth.
Block Section 14--The Court House-- When Cops on the "Pad" can't keep you out of the Law's reach, this is where you'll spend some quality time with your Lawyer. Lots
of things can go wrong here as prisoners are moved back and forth from here to the City Jail. The architect has thoughtfully provided wide open steps for clear fields of fire.
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.)
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Block Section 15--THE NEW First National Bank Building--Why did Willie "The Actor" Sutton rob banks? "Because that's where the money is!," he deftly observed. And now your layout
has a prime target for your Bank Robbing Public Enemies.
But now "Mean Streets" has its first "Skyscraper!" Fully 26" tall on a standard 10" base, this Art Deco symbol of progress and prosperity represents some 12 stories in actual height, dominating the City Center. It has enough high-rent office space for any business, organization, and service the city would need--even space for lawyers and P.I.'s to hang their shingles.
And next time Carl Denham brings another "Wonder of the World" to town, it has a convenient place to hang out until the Goshawk fighter planes come round to entertain all parties involved!
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.)
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Block Section 16--Hotel Metropole-- The "swankiest" place in town to keep important guests to appear before the Grand Jury. There's an eatery in there that's the
cat's pyjamas--if that's your idea of a good meal. Top Floor Penthouses are just the ticket for your Gang Bosses' Home away from Home. One of the best views of the city from up on that roof....
(Display Model Constructed and Photographed by Brian Weathersby.)
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CHINATOWN! Is there a more mysterious, even alien, neighborhood in any City? Go from the Irish, to the Italian, to the Jewish, the German, the Greek, or any other part of town, and you'll get by in business, crime, and police work about the same. But enter Chinatown and all bets are off! Here, the different family Tongs ("associations") take care of their members and affiliates, supporting them and their enterprises--legal or not. Your enemy is the Tong's enemy, and keeping order and control of their own is done quietly--whenever possible--and always quickly. Anything can happen here, and you'd never know if it was about to happen to you until too late.
There is much to do and see here, most of it legal. But if crime and vice are your business, opium dens, houses of ill fame, smuggling, human trafficking, protection rackets, and even darker enterprises,
are all grist for your mill.
All the Block Sections of Chinatown come with authentic Mandarin signage for the various businesses, as well as advertising posters for a wide range of Asian products, and hanging flags and banners with
more information for the discriminating shopper. All have many fully 3D features, including inset doorways, and even partial interiors to be viewed from outside. Each Block contains authentic features found in a wide variety of
"Chinatowns," both social and architectural. There is a total of 60 linear inches of Chinese shops/spaces available along the front and sides of all four Block Sections, enough to keep your town hopping and mysterious for years.
Take the tour any day--but go after dark, and you're on your own!
Block Section 17-- The first block side of the district containing the "Very Clean Laundry" which does wonderful work removing stains --of all kinds!--and
even some great fabric repairs, cuts and small holes their specialty. Next door is the "Happy Dragon Movie Theater," which shows the latest in Asian Cinema, with room upstairs for... other entertainments. Then comes the "Celestial
Good Food" Restaurant where you can get Cantonese, Szechuan, beaten, and
garroted. Wow! These cooks can make a great soup out of anything!
Note that the Laundry is designed to permit a view inside, and the Theater Lobby is large with a detailed view of the Lobby. The Gables above each building are authentic Chinese Architectural "Earth Elemental" designs.
Just around the corner, you can find "Greenbaum & Meyer, Harberdashers" where you can get all kinds fabric, expert tailoring, and a great nosh with tea while your suit is being perfectly fitted
(concealed shoulder-holsters require expertly cut cloth). Next door are the Law Offices of "Silberman, Gertz, Levy, & O'Doul." Here they share the professional ethics of their practice, meaning they are devoted to knowing the law, collecting
the facts, all while waiting for your check to clear. And, almost hidden between them, and up a short flight of steps, are the Medical Offices of Dr. Baruch Goldman. While a "GP," he has a way with gunshots, knife wounds, cracked heads,
and prickly heat. He even makes alley calls! After dark, just the ring the bell for service....
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Block Section 18--Chinatown 2, Ethnic Businesses 2-- The second Chinese Block face has three other staples for its inhabitants. A Joss House (a place of worship without
any regular priest or "staff," open to the public at any time for prayers and even brief lodging), a block of apartments, and a Grocery. You'll notice that the Apartment stairway is open, and it is possible to look into the Grocery and see
the friendly staff! Around the far corner, there is a traditional Chinese Herbalist with the most remarkable medicines and other... "feel good" nostrums. The locals swear by them. Even the dead ones, if you get the chance to ask.
Around the corner on the other side of the block you can find "Goldberg's Kosher Delicatessen" where any good Jewish Mobster can get a proper Gefilte Fish, and the Two-Cents-Plain. And when you don't have the price of a good nosh, you can always go around the corner to "Lipschitz Pawn & Loan" and trade in your old Railroad Watch for a buck. Need a quick change of clothes? Have some "ice" you need out of your hands? Need a nice "cold" roscoe to replace your old "hot" one? You name the deal, and Lipschitz will make you an offer. Take it or leave it....
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Block Section 19--Chinatown 3, The Cotton Club-- Next in Chinatown is a particularly crowded block! On the Chinese side, you'll find the shop of "Dr. Liu Wang Cheung,
Chinese Medicine." Acupuncture, Zodiacal Diagnoses, and specialist treatments of all kinds can be gotten here. A good man to know after the Tong's having been romping with each other! Next door is the office of the local "Chinatown Daily News," that keeps the neighborhood players straight from day to day, and prints news from the Mainland with its government contacts. On the side, they can print just about anything you might need, from new wedding invitations, to ID papers or a convincing fake treasure map. Of importance to many with contacts back in China, the "China Light Methodist Missionary Service" can help arrange getting people into the U.S.--and some others back home. Gosh, it seems they have some remarkable contacts everywhere! Then comes the largest building in Chinatown, the offices and warehouse space of the "Fung Import-Export Business." Three stories of space for some of the most valuable items to come in and out of the City. And what a neat top floor! You can't see in, and just about anything could be going on up there. The Fung Family has done well, and operates a particularly active Tong. Its Headquarters occupy the second floor of the building with a nice balcony for watching what goes on in the streets below. And, finally, around the far corner is the "Li Family Fortune Cookie Factory," if for no other reason than you can finally have a scenario that starts with a message reading, "Help! I'm being held prisoner in a Fortune Cookie Factory!"
Enough Chinatown fun for years in just one block section! But wait! There's MORE to THIS block!
On the other side is, at last, The Cotton Club. Painstakingly modeled on the actual night club of history and legend, this is one spot where your Gangsters, P.I.'s, Cops and G-men can go for the best
Jazz talent anywhere, anytime! As you can see from the photos, the rest of this block side has the actual businesses that bracketed the Club. Authentic large signs with some of the actual acts and attractions flank the meticulously modeled
Cotton Club marquee. For sheer period feel and another touch of history, this Block Section is a must for any size layout.
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Block Section 20--Chinatown 4, Dreamland-- This Block Section of Chinatown contains several local businesses in a nest of separate buildings, with enough back alley
space to hide a war in. From left to right, the "Chinese Fresh Seafood Shop" has all manner of interesting ... things in tanks for your dining pleasure. "Patrick's Rice Paper Factory" is a useful industry in Chinatown, if not as entertaining as the now derelict "Happy Lucky Firecracker Factory" that blew-up under mysterious circumstances not long ago. Note the authentic--if too appropriate--"Fire Elemental" gable at the front.
But on the opposite side of the block is another night time hotspot, "Dreamland," the town's premier Ball Room. A live orchestra in an Art Deco building is the home of the best "Ten Cents A Dance" girls in town.
Couples show up here every night, but the weekends are really jumpin'! Conveniently enough, the same building provides space for "Bookers Tobacco Shop" and "Ruby's Flowers," both of which see good business from folks coming in and out
of "Dreamland."
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Click Here To Visit "Mean Streets" Block Sections
21-34
Click Here To Visit "Mean Streets" Accessories: Streets, Sidewalks, Alleys,
Streetcar, Graphic Files, & Multi-Block Deals
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All text, photos, and artwork are COPYRIGHT©2003 by Patrick Wilson.
They may not be used without written permission.
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Names of individual product lines are trademarks (TM) of the manufacturers.
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