Friends

Music Store & Apartment

A little Heartlake City record shop with a piano staircase that stole my heart.

Brick Rated Score

4.0/5

Set 42653 · 2025

Pieces483

Minifigs3

Year2025

Set number42653

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The verdict

I love what LEGO is doing with these Heartlake City storefronts, and the Music Store & Apartment is one of the sweetest of the bunch.

The stairs built to look like piano keys are the kind of small, clever idea that makes a set feel designed rather than assembled, and the detachable brick built musical note on the storefront had me grinning the first time I clicked it into place. It is not a big build and it does not pretend to be, but every room earns its spot, from the instrument wall downstairs to the loft bed and doggie door upstairs. If you want a cheerful, playable shop set with real personality, this delivers it in a small footprint.

Best for: Friends collectors who want a compact Heartlake City storefront with strong play features

The full review

What it is

The Music Store & Apartment is part of LEGO's ongoing Heartlake City wave, and it slots a record shop and instrument store into the neighborhood with real charm. Elsa D runs the place, and the ground floor is packed with things to play with, a synthesizer, a record player, a guitar, drums, and a saxophone, all set behind a storefront that unclips its giant musical note mascot so kids can carry the shop's personality right off the shelf. Climb the piano key stairs (yes, they are literally styled like black and white keys, and it is a lovely little surprise) and you land in Elsa D's apartment, complete with a kitchenette, a desk, a loft bed reached by ladder, and a mailbox by the door. Marimba the corgi gets her own bed and a doggie door, which is the kind of detail that tells me the designers were having fun.

The catch

I will be straight with you about the price. At $49.99 for 483 pieces, Brickset's reviewer flagged that this set sits a little high given how few large or specialty parts are actually in the box, and I agree that is worth knowing before you buy. This also is not a big build, if you are hoping for hours of construction time this is not that set, it is a quick, satisfying afternoon build rather than a marathon. And while the instrument shop is full of nice ideas, a couple of the pieces (the saxophone and guitar especially) are simple enough that older collectors may wish for more sculpted detail.

Who it's for

Get this one if you or your kid loves music, dogs, or Heartlake City storytelling and want a shop set that plays as well as it displays. Skip it if you are chasing piece count value or want a weekend long build, there are better options in the Friends line for that.

The parts story

What the build is actually like, and the pieces worth knowing about.

Building this one moves quickly and pleasantly, you finish the storefront shell first, then layer in the instrument displays and shop counter before tackling the piano stair section that connects down to up. It is straightforward enough for a solo kid builder but has enough small assemblies (the note mascot, the synth, the record player) to keep an adult builder entertained too. The apartment section goes together fast since it is mostly furniture, but the loft bed and ladder give it a nice sense of verticality for such a small footprint.

There is nothing rare or eye popping here in terms of new molds, this is a set built on cheerful color blocking and clever geometry rather than a single showstopper piece. The real value is in the play built into ordinary parts, the piano key stair treads, the working doggie door, and the clip on musical note. At 483 pieces for four characters (three minidolls plus Marimba the corgi) and two fully furnished levels, the part count itself is fine, it is simply the retail price relative to that count that has drawn the one consistent complaint from reviewers.

Fun facts

01The staircase leading up to Elsa D's apartment is built to resemble piano keys, a detail Brickset singled out as the standout design idea in the set.
02The set includes Marimba, a corgi minifigure with her own dog bed and a working doggie door built into the shop wall.
03The storefront's giant musical note is a detachable brick built element, meant to work as a fun mascot piece kids can pop on and off the building.
0442653 is part of LEGO Friends' 2025 Heartlake City wave, which has been steadily filling out the neighborhood with themed shops and storefronts.