The Best Manhattan in Minecraft Yet

We thought that we’d seen it all in the land of Minecraft, from the Taj Mahal, to Versailles, to Minas Tirith. But lo and behold, computer science PhD student Christopher Mitchell is taking it to a whole new level. His aim: to recreate Manhattan on a 1:1 scale. For the project, called SparseWorld, Mitchell is using information from Google’s 3D Warehouse and the U.S. Geological Survey to reconstruct the entire island. Thus far, only a handful of landmarks have been completed, based on availability through the 3D Warehouse. Moving forward, however, the project aims to create entire cities through a series of algorithms that use data available online. This way, games that are based in real-life cities can create accurate models with significantly less manpower. The current version of Manhattan is still looking a little flat, but here are the sights that you can already visit. Yankee Stadium, Bronx. Image via cemetech. Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle, Manhattan. Image via cemetech. New York Life Insurance Building, Manhattan. Image via cemetech. Flatiron Building, Manhattan. Image via cemetech. New York Public ...