Does New York City's Upper West Side Really Need Its Own Apple Store

Prior to this recession and back when romance was still king, there was an amazing Victoria Secret store on 67th and Broadway. I am not an expert on luxury products, but the store occupied a well trafficked corner and stood out like a fortress on the Upper West Side.

That store closed about a year ago and much to my amazement was basically levelled and became a construction zone. Now, there is a new building going up at that spot with more glass and suddenly there is a sign saying that it is going to be Apple's new flagship store.

Apple already has three stores in New York. The store on the corner of Central Park South and 5th Avenue is just extraordinary. By taking the basement of the GM building and buiding a glass entryway, Apple converted one of the busiest intersections in the world into its own. That store produces more than two times the gross revenue per square foot of any other store in the world (except for some very exclusive retailers in London and Tokyo). Apple's other stores in New York don't get the same volume of traffic in comparison, but probably serve the brand well.

As a big Apple fan, the stores are a good resource. The internet has done a lot to make technology products accessible, but there is nothing that compares with being able to touch and feel the latest and greatest tech products and accessories. Sometimes it is even fun to speak with a snotty-nosed 22-year old brat with 12 earrings who thinks that they rule the world because they work for Apple.

In fact, I am looking forward to the new store because it is close to my home and will enable me to get my Apple products serviced at all hours. Even at 2 in the morning, you need to wait on line or have a reservation to be seen by the tech help team at the store on Central Park South and Fifth Avenue.

But, the new store will occupy an amazingly large space, it lies just outside of traditional zones (although it is between Columbus Square and Lincoln Square) and is close enough to the flagship Central Park South and Fifth Avenue store (about 12 minutes by foot) that it seems like overkill.

Apple is having great sucess. They are growing dramatically and taking over the world. But, when I realized yesterday that 67th and Broadway was going to Apple, I just needed to ask if this is the top.

One other thought on Fifth Avenue and Central Park South: How did they ever meet fire code?